Help - BSOD at startup.

[1ponders] (Paul) · #1 18-12-2009, 02:53 PM

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 (Al) · #2 18-12-2009, 03:24 PM

Paul,

Is this any help?

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

Al.

[1ponders] (Paul) · #3 18-12-2009, 03:30 PM

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

leinad (Dan) · #4 18-12-2009, 04:05 PM

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

[1ponders] (Paul) · #5 18-12-2009, 06:27 PM

opening my laptop. I'll have to take deep breathes for that one.

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 (Andrew) · #6 18-12-2009, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leinad

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

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] (Paul) · #7 18-12-2009, 07:29 PM

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 (Andrew) · #8 18-12-2009, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [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?

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

[1ponders] (Paul) · #9 18-12-2009, 07:33 PM

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

g__day (Matthew) · #10 18-12-2009, 09:47 PM

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] (Paul) · #11 18-12-2009, 11:15 PM

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 (Robin) · #12 18-12-2009, 11:37 PM

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 (Dan) · #13 19-12-2009, 05:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

opening my laptop. I'll have to take deep breathes for that one.

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.

Sorry mate, no not if it's a laptop.

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] (Paul) · #14 19-12-2009, 02:24 PM

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 (Jeanette) · #15 19-12-2009, 02:31 PM

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

[1ponders] (Paul) · #16 19-12-2009, 02:33 PM

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 (Andrew) · #17 19-12-2009, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by [1ponders]

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).

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] (Paul) · #18 19-12-2009, 05:37 PM

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 (Robin) · #19 19-12-2009, 05:47 PM

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

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

[1ponders] (Paul) · #20 19-12-2009, 06:00 PM

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