Doyle Hirsch wrote:
>My sister's Dell 8250 running XP Home has stopped funtionning
>It bluescreens before the boot screen with the following error:
>IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
This is one of those not so easy to diagnose problems. It could be defective
hardware, drivers that are corrupt or in general, software. In your Sister's
case "Service Pack 2", there have been numerous problems associated with the
update. With all of the problems Microsoft was having with hacks, they did
more for security than hardware driver compatibility. If memory serves me
correctly, you can get updated drivers for the machine if this is the case.
Look for drivers that are SP2 specific. This may help.
According to Microsoft and I quote,
The Stop 0xA message indicates that a kernel-mode process or driver
attempted to access a memory location to which it did not have permission,
or at a kernel interrupt request level (IRQL) that was too high. A
kernel-mode process can access only other processes that have an IRQL lower
than, or equal to, its own. This Stop message is typically due to faulty or
incompatible hardware or software.
As a possible resolution, you may want to investigate one of these
possibilities, Again I quote,
A Stop 0xA message might occur after installing a faulty device driver,
system service, or firmware. If a Stop message lists a driver by name,
disable, remove, or roll back the driver to correct the problem. If
disabling or removing drivers resolves the issues, contact the manufacturer
about a possible update. Using updated software is especially important for
multimedia applications, antivirus scanners, and CD mastering tools.
A Stop 0xA message might also be due to failing or defective hardware. If a
Stop message points to a category of devices (video or disk adapters, for
example), try removing or replacing the hardware to determine if it is
causing the problem.
If you encounter a Stop 0xA message while upgrading to Windows XP
Professional, the problem might be due to an incompatible driver, system
service, virus scanner, or backup. To avoid problems while upgrading,
simplify your hardware configuration and remove all third-party device
drivers and system services (including virus scanners) prior to running
setup. After you have successfully installed Windows XP Professional,
contact the hardware manufacturer to obtain compatible updates. For more
information about simplifying your system for troubleshooting purposes, see
" Troubleshooting Concepts and Strategies" and "Troubleshooting Startup" in
this book.
One possible hardware related issue might be CPU overheating. A close second
might be bad RAM. To diagnose this facet you might want to try, running the
machine until you get the error again, then reboot the machine, go into the
BIOS and check the CPU temperature. It may be operating out of its safe
range. As for checking the memory, you did indicate you didn't have any due
to the fact it is "RAMBUS". In the day, I do know that these little sticks
ran hotter than any other memory. Additional cooling may be the order of the
day but it may not be practical. Checking the cooling fan (s) and cleaning
any dust or dirt may help if this is the case.
Sincerely,
Frank Suszka
netTek Computers
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