Help - BSOD at startup.

[[1ponders]]

Over the past week or so I've had an intermittent problem at startup. Windoze XP (SP3) boots up to desktop and some of the behind the scenes apps load up (spyware blaster, reg cleaner, firewire manager, AVG etc) but it then displays a BSOD that says PAGE_FAULT_IN_NO_PAGED_AREA.

It suggests I remove recently added hardware (none) and restore to a previous state, done. But that hasn't worked. I've checked the HDD via a diagnostic app in the Bios and it said all was fine. I can enter safe mode. (thats how I manage the system restore).


Any suggestions?

[sheeny]

Paul,

Is this any help?

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms793437.aspx

Al.

[[1ponders]]

Thanks for that link Al, I'll give it a go later. Atm I'm copying all data files to an external for back up. Then I'll start crunching and see how it goes.

Just as well I have a backup lappy for tonight :D

[leinad]

Got two sticks of RAM ? Remove one and try again.

[[1ponders]]

:eek: opening my laptop. I'll have to take deep breathes for that one. :lol: Thanks Daniel I'll try the software options first, but I think it might come to that. It does seem like something that was failing finally gave up the Ghost. :(

[mithrandir]

On a working system, so not the flakey one, download a copy of memtest, write it to CD (or even floppy) and run it for a few hours. http://www.memtest.org/

Everyone should have a copy. :)

[[1ponders]]

Does memtest need to run under windows Andrew or can it be run in safe mode or directly from the drive as alternate boot up device?

[mithrandir]

Paul, it runs on the bare hardware. The CD or floppy is bootable.

[[1ponders]]

Thanks. I'll have a look at it tomorrow.

[g__day]

Also consider doing a system restore to the last checkpoint you had where the system was completely stable - in case its a corrupted registery issue causing a memory paging fault.

[[1ponders]]

Yep I've tried that Mattew. Back to about 4 weeks and theres no change. I haven't added anything or changed anything in the past week. I did do a registry cleanup a few weeks ago but it was stable after that.

[Tandum]

Page faults are memory errors. A page fault in a non paged area can be a program accessing the wrong area in ram.

If it boots in safe mode (continually tap f8 while booting to get the boot menu) then run msconfig and disable everything in startup. Then go to services and tick 'hide all microsoft services' and disable what's left there. Reboot and see if it goes. If it does, turn that stuff back on one at a time till you find the bad one.

If it doesn't, go to http://memtest86.com/ and get the free bootable cd iso and burn it to a blank and then boot from it and test your ram.

[leinad]

Sorry mate, no not if it's a laptop. :P Misread the post thinking it was a tower PC.
Sometimes desktop machines will have a BSOD fit due to the memory playing up when dual channel.

[[1ponders]]

OK, I've used PC Doctor in my Lenova Restore and Recovery area to run a full check on all system elements including memory. There were only two things that didn't come up to scratch.
SMBIOS - failed
CPU multicore Test - misconfigured


I downloaded the Memtest.zip file and extracted it and burnt the extracted file to CD but my lappy won't boot up from it for some reason. However after doing the PC Doctor tests the laptop started up (I'm on it now).

[jjjnettie]

:shrug: So what was the problem?
And will it happen again?

[[1ponders]]

I still haven't really got an idea on what the problem is. Atm I'm doing a MS update, hopefully that will fix things. I'll keep my fingers crossed for my next restart.

[mithrandir]

When you say "won't boot", do you mean the BIOS doesn't try to use the CD, or you get some messages and memtest doesn't run?

I tried memtest v4.00 on a T40 and a T400 and it ran first try.

Is your BIOS set to boot from CDs? If it is, does it boot CDs before hard disks? These are all configurable.

[[1ponders]]

Just to make sure I'm doing the right thing. I downloaded the memtest.zip. Unzipped and burnt the single file to CD. Shut windows down with CD in drive and then re-start. From there the startup runs normally to the desktop. Then BSOB.

The laptop started up before and then restarted. But its back to BSOD now. I cant recall the order of boot, but I'll have a look tomorrow night or Monday night. If I can't sort it out by then I'll send it to the Lappy Doctor in town.

[Tandum]

If the cd has a file called memtest86.iso on it then you burnt it wrong.

http://wizardskeep.org/mainhall/tutor/neroiso.html

[[1ponders]]

I unzipped the file, and drag and dopped onto the CD and when right click "right the files to CD"

[mithrandir]

Like Tandum said. It didn't occur to me to say you'd need something that writes ISOs. You need a program like http://isorecorder.alexfeinman.com/isorecorder.htm or http://www.magiciso.com/index.htm or Nero.

You might have to pick the version to suit Windows on the box on which you are writing the CD.

I run Linux on the box with the DVD burner and that comes with various CD burners including the old faithful xcdroast.

[acropolite]

Paul,

Interestingly I had a similar problem on my Win 7 machine, BSOD after a boot then failed every attempt thereafter. I suspected the HDD but couldn't reload the OS even with a new HDD.

After fairly exhaustive testing, I was about to take the Mother Board out and send it in for warranty repair but I thought I'd try a hardware cmos reset first.

Powered the PC off and set the hardware CMOS reset jumper to clear for a couple of seconds after removing the cmos battery.

After clearing and re-setting the bios options the system booted perfectly, seems that a power problem had corrupted the bios.

That may not be your problem with but it's worth a look.

If you do a hardware reset make 100% sure you carefully read the manual as incorrect operation can damage the motherboard.

[[1ponders]]

Thanks for all the help and info guys. I probably do have nero around here somewhere Andrew, but I'd have to find it and all that would do anyway is tell me I have a memory issue (Ya get that once you clock over 45 anyway :lol: )

I think I'll cut my losses and take it to the laptop doctor during the week. This close to Xmas I don't really have time to muck around with it. If it was a simple issue, that I can deal with. If we're starting to get into other areas I could be at it for days...or weeks. I even looked at new laptops this morning ....just in case :lol:

I really don't want to lose this one though. Its setup for everything I need to do and I really don't want to go through the process of reinstalling everything. I've been avoiding that on the laptop I'm using atm. But I might have to bite the bullet on this one. Its so slow it needs a complete reinstallation after 3-4 years of piling stuff into it. :)