Windows Vista Vista BSOD

[Pros4]

My friend has a recently new (~2-3 weeks) laptop from Toshiba. At random points, it restarts and shows a BSOD. The following error is shown:

Problem signature:
Problem Event Name: BlueScreen
OS Version: 6.0.6001.2.1.0.768.3
Locale ID: 1033

Additional information about the problem:
BCCode: 1000008e
BCP1: C0000005
BCP2: 00000000
BCP3: C3DFFB68
BCP4: 00000000
OS Version: 6_0_6001
Service Pack: 1_0
Product: 768_1

Files that help describe the problem:
C:\Windows\Minidump\Mini090108-02.dmp
C:\Users\Hilary\AppData\Local\Temp\WER-57966929-0.sysdata.xml
C:\Users\Hilary\AppData\Local\Temp\WER533F.tmp.version.txt


I have turned on Verifier and got some dumps in C:/windows/minidump

I've been told I need to read these .dmp files using WinDBG. I installed the debugging package for my 32-bit version of Vista (http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/devtools/debugging/installx86.Mspx), and everything seems to have been successful. When I run the installer again, it provides the options repair and remove (and something else), confirming it's installed, since it would otherwise show 'Install'.

However, when I run 'windbg' or 'windbg.exe' it tells me no such thing can be found. If I open cmd prompt, the path starts with C:\ and ends with \Hilary (which is her username). I believe the full path is something like C:\Users\Hilary.

Do I just need to change the path? Does this account not have enough powers? When I tried switching accounts (start->switch user), this is the only one that was listed, with no apparent administrator account.

As I've also been told, once I run the .dmp file through WinDBG, I should type
!Analyze -v
which should lead me to the problem.

Thanks in advance. Much appreciated!

 

[muckshifter]

Take the system back to whom you bought it from, and tell 'em to fix it ...


You're a better man than I attempting to "read" a dmp file.

 

[Nobody in particular]

Take the system back to whom you bought it from, and tell 'em to fix it

Hmm... I couldn't agree more to that one lol.

 

[Pros4]

That's quite true. The problem is, she can't really miss it for college, and I think she either bought it online or in her home state (a good few thousand miles away).