Information of the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error:
Here's some info from this site:
http://www.win2000mag.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=298&pg=3
Interrupts and Scheduling
The IRQL information in Table 1, page 56, shows that Dispatch Level is
associated with scheduling operations. When the IRQL is at Dispatch Level or
higher, NT masks scheduler software interrupts, which means that NT
effectively turns off the scheduler. In fact, device drivers (and NT) must
not perform operations that require an immediate response by the scheduler
when a processor is at an IRQL greater than or equal to Dispatch Level. This
restriction includes doing anything that might indicate to NT that the
current thread is giving up the CPU to wait for some event to occur because
that action would cause the scheduler to find a new thread to execute.
Another action that demands scheduler intervention is a page fault. When a
thread accesses virtual memory that references data in the paging file, NT
usually blocks the thread until the data is read. Therefore, at Dispatch
Level or higher, NT does not permit access to memory not locked into the
CPU's physical memory. If you've seen the IRQL_ NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL blue
screen stop code, you've probably witnessed the effect of a driver violating
these rules.
So, the error appears to be a driver issue.
In addition, here is a link to the Microsoft site that discusses the error:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/w2kmsgs/607
7.asp
Here's the discussion:
Explanation:
This Stop message indicates that a kernel-mode process or driver attempted
to access a memory address to which it did not have permission to access.
The most common cause of this error is an incorrect or corrupted pointer
that references an incorrect location in memory.
A pointer is a variable used by a program to refer to a block of memory. If
the variable has an incorrect value in it, the program tries to access
memory that it should not. When this occurs in a user-mode application, it
generates an access violation. When it occurs in kernel mode, it generates a
STOP 0x0000000A message. If you encounter this error while upgrading to a
newer version of Windows, it might be caused by a device driver, a system
service, a virus scanner, or a backup tool that is incompatible with the new
version.
User Action:
This error usually occurs after the installation of a buggy device driver,
system service, or BIOS. To resolve it quickly, restart your computer, and
press F8 at the character-mode menu that displays the operating system
choices. At the resulting Windows 2000 Advanced Options menu, choose the
Last Known Good Configuration option. This option is most effective when
only one driver or service is added at a time. If you encounter this error
while upgrading from Windows NT 4.0 or earlier, it might be caused by a
device driver, a system service, a virus scanner, or a backup tool that is
incompatible with the new version. If possible, remove all third-party
device drivers and system services and disable any virus scanners prior to
upgrading. Contact the software manufacturers to obtain updates of these
tools. For additional error messages that might help pinpoint the device or
driver that is causing the error, check the System Log in Event Viewer.
Disabling memory caching of the BIOS might also resolve this error. You
should also run hardware diagnostics supplied by the system manufacturer,
especially the memory scanner. For details on these procedures, see the
owner's manual for your computer. If your system has small computer system
interface (SCSI) adapters, contact the adapter manufacturer to obtain
updated Windows 2000 drivers. Disable sync negotiation in the SCSI BIOS,
check the cables and the SCSI IDs of each device, and confirm proper
termination. For enhanced integrated device electronics (EIDE) devices,
define the onboard EIDE port as Primary only. Also, check each EIDE device
for the proper master/slave/stand-alone setting. Remove all EIDE devices
except for hard disks. If the message appears during an installation of
Windows 2000, make sure that the computer and all installed peripherals are
listed on the Microsoft Windows 2000 Hardware Compatibility List (HCL) on
http://www.microsoft.com. For more troubleshooting information about this
Stop message, refer to the Microsoft Knowledge Base at
http://support.microsoft.com/support.
