XP Pro | BSOD p4p800vm troubleshooting

  • Thread starter Thread starter Louis1
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Louis1

I get this BSOD much of the time.
Running Win XP Pro with Service Pack 2
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BSOD

A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent
damage to your computer.

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

If this is the first time you've seen this stop error screen, restart
your computer. If this screen appears again, follow these steps.

Check to make sure any new hardware or software is properly installed.

If this is a new installation, ask your hardware or software
manufacturer for any windows updates you might need.

If problems continue, disable or remove any newly installed hardware
or software. Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing.

If you need to use Safe Mode to remove or disable components, restart
your computer, press F8 to select Advanced Startup options, & then
select safe mode.

Technical information:

*** Stop:0x0000000A

(0x00000000, ox000000FF, ox00000000, ox80704228)

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I've had this machine with the ASUS P4P 800 VM for about a year
and a half with few problems. Got it at Directron, as it's a mile from
my house, and it's a great vendor.

Event viewer doesn't tell me that anything is wrong, and I'm NOT
an advanced user :)

I resolved a problem with the user profile not being released on
shutdown by installing Microsoft's "Hive Cleaner".

I have had some application error messages

"Bad Sound Driver" I reinstalled the Sound Card (Audigy) drivers,
and I don't get that anymore.

Also, when running an application called "MapPro" I get Error 429
Cannot create Activex object" but only when I run that application.

Also, I got a message saying the CPU Fan had failed and the machine
shut down a couple of times. It's Houston, and often the temperature
does get to over 90 degrees. Just bought a Shogun cooler, but maybe
it's too late.

Where should I look now ?

Are there some BIOS tweaks that would help me in the diagnosis ?

Thanks very very much for any assistance !!
Thanks very very much for any assistance !!
 
Louis1 said:
I get this BSOD much of the time.
Running Win XP Pro with Service Pack 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Click to expand...
BSOD

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

*** Stop:0x0000000A

(0x00000000, ox000000FF, ox00000000, ox80704228) ------------------------------------------------------------------------
I've had this machine with the ASUS P4P 800 VM for about a year
and a half with few problems. Got it at Directron, as it's a mile from
my house, and it's a great vendor.

Event viewer doesn't tell me that anything is wrong, and I'm NOT
an advanced user :)

I resolved a problem with the user profile not being released on
shutdown by installing Microsoft's "Hive Cleaner".

I have had some application error messages

"Bad Sound Driver" I reinstalled the Sound Card (Audigy) drivers,
and I don't get that anymore.

Also, when running an application called "MapPro" I get Error 429
Cannot create Activex object" but only when I run that application.

Also, I got a message saying the CPU Fan had failed and the machine
shut down a couple of times. It's Houston, and often the temperature
does get to over 90 degrees. Just bought a Shogun cooler, but maybe
it's too late.

Where should I look now ?

Are there some BIOS tweaks that would help me in the diagnosis ?

Thanks very very much for any assistance !!
Click to expand...

So far, I don't see too much pointing to your hardware.
There are only a few free tests available for hardware, that
give some hints as to how healthy a machine is, and many I/O
interfaces in the computer don't have good tests. For example,
I don't know of a way to rate how well a USB port is working
or a Firewire port. I'm talking about the Windows world when
I say that, as Linux or some Unix distro exposes more of the
hardware details. For example, when I boot my computer with
a Linux Knoppix (read-only, no need to install) CDROM, I can
see whether the OS is having trouble as it brings up various
I/O devices.

For memory, there is memtest86+ from memtest.org . That program
will format a floppy disk for you. The floppy can be used to
boot the computer, and when it does, it will test all of your
memory.

When you are sitting in Windows, a copy of Prime95 from
mersenne.org , contains an option called the "torture test".
That test performs a lengthy calculation at 100% CPU, which
will exercise CPU, memory, and Northbridge. That should run
for hours error free, if everything is healthy. It pays to
watch operating temperatures, as this test is also a
way of evaluating whether you have enough cooling fans.

Another useful tool, would be a copy of Asus Probe. That
can be used to check your computer voltage rails and the
temperature of the CPU and case air temperature. Running
Asus Probe while using Prime95, would give you a way to
see how hot the CPU gets. (You don't need to run Asus Probe
all the time, unless you are getting signs of trouble
again. Uninstall it if you are not using it any more.)

In terms of cooling, your hard drive is the most sensitive to
temperature and humidity. The electrolytic capacitors on the
motherboard, and also inside the PSU, age faster at elevated
temperatures. Their lives are measured at only 1000's of hours
at a high enough temperature, or in years if the air temp is
closer to room temperature. The silicon devices in your computer
are more at risk of crashing from temperature, than of suffering
damage, with at least a bit of cooling. I mean, consider the
laptop, and how hot the stuff in there gets. (The P4 processor
will actually throttle back its computing rate if it gets too
hot, and a program like Throttlewatch can tell you if the throttle
is being used.)

Another way to analyse a system, is with some kind of
differential analysis. Say, for example, you go to the store
right now, buy a brand new hard drive. Disconnect all the
existing hard drives (making note of where they were
connected!!!). Now, pop in your Windows CD, install the OS,
install Service Packs, install the apps that fail. Remain
disconnected from the net, if you don't have protection against
viruses (part of your testing could involve not using anti-virus
tools, as some of them are very invasive and stability destroying).
Run your applications and see if there are BSODs. If you aren't
seeing problems, then there is something amiss with your existing
OS install.

Ask yourself if you are using best practices when installing
and using software. Do you use "Add/Remove" instead of trying
to delete software by hand ? Do you remove the old video drivers
before installing a new video card ? Are you continually editing
or cleaning the Registry ? Are you an inverterate "defragger" ?
There are many things you can do to a computer, that have
an element of risk associated with them. In the hands of
an expert, such options may have merit, but for the rest of
us, they are better left alone.

Paul
 
WOW!

I appreciate the thoroughness of your response.
Gives me much food for thought.

*** I really like the idea of removing the hard drive, and starting
with a new one !! I had not thought of that. It's certainly
an easy thing to do, and could yield invaluable results! I should
have thought of that ****

I am encouraged that I'm probably not dealing with hardware
problems. I'll give the tools you suggested a runthrough.

I've got ASUS Probe, but haven't used it in a while.

On rainy weekends like we'll be having, I plan on working to resolve
these problems, at least until I eliminate the BSOD coming up.

Thanks very much,
Louis
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