bluescreen while formatting during WinXp installation

  • Thread starter Thread starter horseface
  • Start date Start date
H

horseface

Hi everybody.

This problem is driving me nuts. Please help me if you can.

Recently I had loads of problems with my comp freezing up all the time.
Finally I decided to format and reinstall.

Anyway, during a full NTFS format, at about 38% the computer crashes and I
get a bluescreen. The stop error is always different, sometimes it's
"IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL", sometimes it has no name just a code which looks
random since hardly ever I got two same ones.

At first I though the hard disk is busted, so I tried with another which is
definitely ok - same thing. Then I suspected the RAM chips, so I tried with
some other ones - crash again.

What could be the cause of this? Better yet, what is the most probable
cause - power supply, mobo, something else?

Thanks in advance for any kind of advice. Cheers!
 
horseface said:
Hi everybody.

This problem is driving me nuts. Please help me if you can.

Recently I had loads of problems with my comp freezing up all the time.
Finally I decided to format and reinstall.

Anyway, during a full NTFS format, at about 38% the computer crashes and I
get a bluescreen. The stop error is always different, sometimes it's
"IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL", sometimes it has no name just a code which looks
random since hardly ever I got two same ones.

At first I though the hard disk is busted, so I tried with another which
is definitely ok - same thing. Then I suspected the RAM chips, so I tried
with some other ones - crash again.

What could be the cause of this? Better yet, what is the most probable
cause - power supply, mobo, something else?

Thanks in advance for any kind of advice. Cheers!
Click to expand...
Does it happen at a different point (sooner) if you immediately restart the
installation/format? What I'm thinking is if its in some way heat related,
then it would likely reoccur sooner if the machine is already hot. Is
everything running at stock speeds (no overclocking), if not what happens if
you set it to stock speeds and remove the case cover and retry? What are
your system specs - including the PSU make/model/age and what changes
occurred to bring this on - has it worked without problems for long in the
past? Those IRQ not less or equal messages are very common for many
situations - so wont be much help in tracking down the cause. My hunch is it
may be a PSU on the way out or some overheating - perhaps through dust
build-up.

Paul
 
horseface said:
Hi everybody.

This problem is driving me nuts. Please help me if you can.

Recently I had loads of problems with my comp freezing up all
the time. Finally I decided to format and reinstall.

Anyway, during a full NTFS format, at about 38% the computer
crashes and I get a bluescreen. The stop error is always
different, sometimes it's "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL", sometimes it
has no name just a code which looks random since hardly ever I
got two same ones.

At first I though the hard disk is busted, so I tried with
another which is definitely ok - same thing. Then I suspected
the RAM chips, so I tried with some other ones - crash again.

What could be the cause of this? Better yet, what is the most
probable cause - power supply, mobo, something else?

Thanks in advance for any kind of advice. Cheers!
Click to expand...

I thought you'd accepted that it was a hardware problem? why
bother trying to re-install to fix it?

1) Power supply failing or not up to the job to start with.
The only way to test it (without expensive tools) is to try
another psu that is both a good quality brand with an adequate
power rating.

2) The memory and replacement you tried are both faulty.
As your pc bombs even when testing the memory try your memory in
another pc and run memtest on them, for at least 2-3 hours.

3) The capacitors on the motherboard are failing.
Some info and images here;
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/resource/feb03/ncap.html
http://www.auroracomputer.ca/bad_capacitors.htm
http://www.geek.com/news/geeknews/2003Feb/bch20030207018535.htm
http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=195
Look at the caps on your mobo very carefully, the faults in the
images are quite pronounced. Most of the ones I've seen have been
quite bad and the leaks / bulges are easy to spot.

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL is usually memory, but as you have zero
stability any memory errors could well be generated by 1 & 3
above.
 
Sys specs are:

Athlon XP 1400
IWill KK266
512 MB SDRAM

The rest is unimportant I think since I changed hard disks, video cards and
removed all the unecessary stuff.

The crash seems to happen alway at about the same time, at about 30-40%.
What is esepcially peculiar it happens on different hard disks (with
different capacity).
 
I thought you'd accepted that it was a hardware problem? why
bother trying to re-install to fix it?
Click to expand...

- I dunno. I think it is an irrational reflex that was developed in people
courtesy of Bill Gates. If something doesn't work and you can't fix it, just
format and reinstall :) .
1) Power supply failing or not up to the job to start with.
The only way to test it (without expensive tools) is to try another psu
that is both a good quality brand with an adequate power rating.
Click to expand...

This is what I'm planning to do this weekend. Finding a good PSU is a bitch,
though.
2) The memory and replacement you tried are both faulty.
As your pc bombs even when testing the memory try your memory in another
pc and run memtest on them, for at least 2-3 hours.
Click to expand...

Also in plan this weekend. The problem is that I have SDRAM and all the
comps I have access to have DDR :(
3) The capacitors on the motherboard are failing.
Some info and images here;
Click to expand...
<cut>

Thanks for the help. The trouble is that this is an old configuration which
I want to replace as soon as I get hold of some extra cash, so I really
don't want to invest in it more than I absolutely have to. If I have to by a
new MoBo, OK, I will, but I must be sure that it's MoBo that's the cause of
it. I'd feel like a complete ass if I shelved money for a new one (even if
it's cheap) and than see an exactly same problem still happening,

Anyway, thanks. Cheers!
 
horseface said:
Sys specs are:

Athlon XP 1400
IWill KK266
512 MB SDRAM

The rest is unimportant I think since I changed hard disks, video cards
and removed all the unecessary stuff.

The crash seems to happen alway at about the same time, at about 30-40%.
What is esepcially peculiar it happens on different hard disks (with
different capacity).
Click to expand...
That's not peculiar at all because the problem will almost certainly not be
caused by a defective HDD but as I suspect by the PSU or other hardware
error such as caused by dirt/dust in the machine or overclocking. Now - how
about and answer to my PSU and overclocking questions so I can try to
assist?

Paul
 
No overclocking.

I'm not sure about the PSU mark, but it is quite old (4 years). It does
sound a bit tired sometimes...

Anyway one of the things I'm gonna try IS changing the PSU and RAM chips. I
just wanted to know what could possibly cause this since I'm not very good
with tricky hardware problems. And I hate investing more money into this old
machine...
 
horseface said:
No overclocking.

I'm not sure about the PSU mark, but it is quite old (4 years). It does
sound a bit tired sometimes...

Anyway one of the things I'm gonna try IS changing the PSU and RAM chips.
I just wanted to know what could possibly cause this since I'm not very
good with tricky hardware problems. And I hate investing more money into
this old machine...
Click to expand...
I'd go with the PSU first. 4 years of age is a geriatric PSU and in my time
as a computer tech I found that PSUs were one of the most commonly failing
parts on PCs. The scary part is that if the machine is run for to long with
a dodgy PSU, it can also take out other parts so it would be better to try
replacing it sooner rather than later. The replacement should ideally be a
quality branded unit of at least 350 Watts (assuming the rest of your system
specs are fairly straight forward/conventional).

Paul
 
Back
Top