BSOD at startup -- please help!

[ahearnb]

Hi,

I haven't had any problems with my computer in quite a while. But, the other day, I had been getting problems when my computer was booting up. I am using WinXP. I haven't installed any new hardware recently or anything. The only thing that I've noticed recently was my PC clock was slowing down -- I figured that was a battery problem, but not a big deal. Sometimes it would just hang before getting to the desktop and other times, it would give me a BSOD. Well, that night, it gave me a BSOD right before it shut down and the next morning it would not boot to windows - it gave me a BSOD before getting to the desktop EVERY time. I tried the following: safe mode, last good configuration, repairing XP with the CD (gave me an error and said it didn't work because it couldn't copy some files. I also tried installing windows on my other physical hard drive (I have a 2 hard drive setup), but that didn't work either.

So, I hooked up my HD to a different PC and burned the files I needed to backup. Then I hooked my HD back to my PC, put in the XP CD and deleted all partitions, then created them, then formatted and tried to install windows. When installing windows, it gave me a BSOD!!!! I couldn't believe it.....I tried it again - again a BSOD about halfway through. Then I took out all my cards except for video and it gave me some popup box errors (weird stuff), but it got through the install. So I spent all of last night getting my PC set back up. When I was doing this, some weird errors were occuring - like zip files giving errors, just random errors. After installing about half my programs, I defragmented my drives with Diskeeper. I had also ran scandisk on my C: drive previously. Then I installed TweakUI. I changed all the settings to my usual (I have reformatted WAY to many times. ) When I rebooted after this, you know it ---- BSOD!! And now, every time, just like the previous install of Windows.

Here is the BSOD message for the first install:

-------------------------
STOP: c0000218 {Registry File Failure}
The registry cannot load the hive (file):
\SystemRoot\System32\Config\DEFAULT
or its log or alternate.
It is corrupt, absent, or not writable.

Beginning dump of physical memory
Physical memory dump complete.
Contact your system administrator or technical support group for further assistance.
--------------------------

The BSOD message for the second install is exactly the same except it has the word SOFTWARE instead of DEFAULT. i.e.

--------------------------
STOP: c0000218 {Registry File Failure}
The registry cannot load the hive (file):
\SystemRoot\System32\Config\SOFTWARE
or its log or alternate.
It is corrupt, absent, or not writable.

Beginning dump of physical memory
Physical memory dump complete.
Contact your system administrator or technical support group for further assistance.
---------------------------

I have never had this type of problem before, so I am convinced it's not a "user error". I'm almost positive that it is a hardware problem somewhere, but where - I do not know. Power supply is the first thing to come to my mind, but that is why I made this post -- If you guys could give me some ideas, or if someone has seen this before, PLEASE clue me in...because I was struggling last night -- ready to put this damn thing through a window.

Thanks for any help!!

Brad

 

[stockjock]

I'm guessing...and this is only a guess...but I'm thinking your problem is not software oriented. I'm thinking either one of these:

Hard Drive ...doubt it since you have removed it and reformatted and still get the problems..I would try putting that hard drive in another computer and running your OS on it and see if it still does it.

Ram...have you tried a new stick?

Temps.... I had the problem you were having before because the fan went out on the Heatsink...so leave you case open and turn the sucker on and see whats going on.

Processor....is going???

MOBO...is going???


Just some thoughts!! and good luck

 

[ahearnb]

Thanks for your reply!

I tried the HD in another computer -- it will not boot up on the OS that I have installed - same BSOD. I'm thinking the hard drive is the problem. The fans are working as usual. I do not have a very powerful system -- 500mhz athlon, geforce2 32mb vid card, so I don't think heat is the problem either....I don't know...all I have for fans is the power supply fan, and one fan in the front sucking air in. I know that's not a lot, but during this entire time, the case has been open.

If anyone has any other good ideas, please let me know!

Brad

 

[ahearnb]

Well guys,

I tried to install on a different hard drive and during the install it gave me a BSOD....I can't believe this crap. I'm absolutely sick.....I wish I could just throw this POS away and buy a new one, but alas I am a broke college kid and can't afford to do that.

The BSOD was an "IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" one....or something like that. I don't know what to do.

Brad

 

[stockjock]

sounding more and more like a mobo or processor problem to me. Probably the reason why the hard drive BSOD on ya in the other machine is that it was a corrupted installation from the other machine. Try this....Try loading up a fresh OS on your working computer to one of the hard drives that your gonna use in the machine thats giving you the problems...then put the hdd in the problem child and see if you get problems....if you do then you will know its either the mobo or cpu...

 

[Tal]

I would check the bios settings if you get the IRQ less than crap. I used to get that when working on Compaqs all the time. If you have a computer with a built in NIC, trying setting the IRQ to 10 or 11. Also check and see if you have Plug and PLay OS enabled in your bios. -TAL

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I've had your problem before and it's either due to faulty ram or you just need to repair the registry/system hive or you need to do a low-level format on the HDD to map of the bad sector/s. In my case just repairing the registry/system hive fixed it, it happened after a high overclock I was doing. Anyways here is the link to the MS KB article for resolving your problem through the XP repair feature link if that doesn't work try switching ram and then if needed doing a low-level format on the HDD, good luck and let us know how you are getting on

 

[foofoo]

i'm with dapunisher on this. this is, in my experience, almost always the fault of bad ram. and ram does occationally go bad after a while. do you have any known good sticks that you can swap out with?
good luck

 

[ahearnb]

Thanks for the replies!!

I thought I had it figured out a couple days ago....I thought it was my video card, because after installing any version of nvidia drivers, it would boot back up to a BLACK screen (like my monitor wasn't even on). The weirdest thing I've seen yet. So I tried another card....that allowed me to install drivers, but after I got most all of my stuff loaded on the machine, it BSODed again!

I think you guys are right about the RAM...I am going to try a different stick. I'm not sure how to repair the registy hive. It says you can use the recovery console...but I don't know what that is or how to "boot to it". It also says I can "Complete a parallel installation, and restore the registry files from a tape backup.
Reinstall Windows into a separate folder.
Restore the registry hives that are found in the %SystemRoot%\System32\Config folder.

How do I do the last part (restore the registry hives)?

Thanks!!

Brad

 

[ahearnb]

Ok folks,

I've been up and running with (another) fresh install of Windows XP for about 4 hours or so. I replaced the RAM, but that wasn't enough. I was still having problems with my video card. So, I replaced that as well. We will see.... *fingers crossed*

Brad