Windows XPPost your Windows XP related questions here.
Mission Statement
WindowsBBS is an online community dedicated to easily accessible technical support for those using Microsoft operating systems and other Windows software.
Our goal is to become the leading resource for computer users that require assistance with their day-to-day computer usage, including full support for networking PC's, virus & malware removal, system upgrades and general support questions.
My co-worker's home machine keeps crashing on him. I took a look at it and it seems there is an IRQ conflict somewhere. I am aware that XP allows peripherals to share IRQs but his problem is (i believe) as follows:
His clearwire modem and his Graphics Card are sharing the same IRQ. He had called Clearwire and they walked him through setting this IRQ for the modem in CMOS. He has several other peripherals sharing this same IRQ.
I thought the modem was just an attachment to the NIC which has its own IRQ (if I remember correctly). Should the Clearwire modem need an IRQ? My Xanadoo modem does not.
He has some free IRQs above #9, can I move the modem to another IRQ to help fix the problem?
Anyone have any ideas or had a similar problem?????
Thanks
Mitchell
Didn't find the information you thought to find? Check out these Similar Threads
Well, I went to my friend's house today to try to get some information for you. I tried to load the debugger to create a log file and it said it need the tools. I downloaded the tools (in safe mode as that was the only way to surf the net without it crashing). and then tried to install the file (in standard mode) and it BSOD'd.
I tried to write down as much of the error text as I could but it rebooted on me.
I took the memory diagnostics tool with me on a floppy but his system could not read the diskette.
So, on the off chance there might be some malicious file causing the problem I ran SpyBot S&D and BSOD'd three quarters of the way through. Then I tried AVG and it did the same only sooner.
The Blue Screen error is not the same each time. There was what appeared to be a general error, then an IRQL error, then a Registry Error, Then another general error.
I tried to email the memory dump files to myself so I could try to create a log file to post but when we went to yahoo to send them to me it BSOD's as I was trying to attach the files.
I don't know what to do to keep his system stable enough to get the information I need to post.
Before we get into that lets do something else to clean the slate so to speak.
Has it ever failed in safe mode?
Since it works in Safe Mode.
download install the below.
ATF-Cleaner http://www.atribune.org/content/view/25/2/
when run check select all run twice or more until nothing else found
===================================================
CCleaner get the slim version http://www.ccleaner.com/download/builds.aspx
Click bottom right Run Cleaner twice
then in left panel click issues then below Scan for issues run twice or until no more found
====================================================
The above need to be downloaded and need no install but need to be put together in the same folder.
So download them create a folder I recommend Program Files\EzPcFix and run them from there.
This seems to be a simple and basic program at first but I advise you not tinker with too many of it's other features unless you know what you are doing. As it has some extremely powerful features but looks so harmless.
Here are the steps:
1. Run the program
2. Click Load Hives
3. Double click Delete temp files
4. Select the optional check boxes if you want
5. If you Checked _Restore /System Volume information\_Restore then you should create a new restore point via System Restore.
6. I usually close the Hives before exit
Even better run in Safe Mode.
=================================================
This is an advanced cleaner that goes after (not everything) but only the worst most prolific and damaging malware and some viri.
Delete ALL it finds no exceptions, if after cleaning an incident, it advises a reboot, say no during the process, but do so when the program ends before continuing with next step below.
I use this as preclean before SpyBot and AdAware.
Then
Now that you have spybot installed and updated run it also in Safe Mode.
Then test it in full mode to see if it has same problem.
Before we get into that lets do something else to clean the slate so to speak.
Has it ever failed in safe mode?
Then
Now that you have spybot installed and updated run it also in Safe Mode.
Then test it in full mode to see if it has same problem.
Mike
It only failed once in safe mode and that was when I was trying to run SpyBot S&D. Otherwise I was able to browse and do just about whatever I wanted without too much difficulty.
Do you feel it was it the same or perhaps a different kind of problem like SpyBot hitting a badboy?
Mike
It found two bad boys then hit something that caused it to return a red and white triangle and an error message in the "problems found dialog" several lines deep. I updated spybot and ran it again in standard mode - no errors but BSOD.
I think I got the BSOD problem fixed. He has been up and running for two days with no BSOD. His system was ate up......
but, everytime I tried to install the debugger tools from Microsoft, or Updates, or anything else, I got a message that the windows installer was not running - but it was....
I ran windows file protection and it fixed several files on his system but we got another BSOD. He decided he wanted to try to re-install XP. So we did that. Downloaded sygate firewall, spybot S&D, AVG, and Popup Stopper.
Now he has some strange things going on
He is getting Windows Messenger popups constantly
("your registry is infected.....")
("your system is not protected.....")
etc
Some quotes from his emails:
"that messenger thing keeps comming up every 5 min driving me nuts"
"puter still doing weird things has restarted 7 or 8 times by its self
today . avg wants a number that i dont have . pop up message still trying to get past pop up stopper . some things load real slow like my yahoo mess after restart. no blue screen yet"
"just sent a e-mail to u system doing weird things restarted 7 or 8 times today all by its self some things load real slow and some other things"
"i did the immunize thing found 7 problems it fixed all 7 so far so good still getting that pop up message thing although pop up stopper catching it went to bed last night when i got up there was 35 messages stacked on top of each other all the same thing "
Should this be moved to "Removing Spyware and Viruses"? or is there something I didn't catch or reset or something.
I am not experienced with XP and don't want to mess things up for him. I did information systems work for the Air Force a decade or so ago but moved on to something different and just havent kept up to date.
We may have gotten to the point of my recomendation of a repair install which is what I hope you did.
But as long as it would run in safe mode it would have been the goal to get it as clean as possible before a repair install.
A full clean install would not require this.
Don't sound like he is really clean
You may need to go thru them again escpeially the Xclean spybot and adaware which should be easier if you have fixed the BSOD.
For the Messenger do the below.
Start-Run
type
cmd
type
services.msc
find messenger in this list
click and stop the service
then
dbl click
set to disabled
Mike
Mike,
I got through everything to the point of Installing Adaware, that is where I got the first "windows installer error".
When we reinstalled XP I asked him if he wanted to repair the installation or do whole new install (explained he would lose quite a bit of presets and need to re-register, etc). He was so frustrated he didn't want to take a chance on it not working.
I know he still has problems
Any advice or instructions will be followed to the T.
If you did a clean install then to maintain and keep it clean.
I would still download and install the items in post #5 and #7
BUT! going by you last report. I believe it was not a clean install but an added installation.
Is there now a c:\Windows and a c:\Winnt folder on the c drive. If so all the old stuff is still there.
Are you sure the drive was formatted?
Mike
The answer is - no I am not sure. I will look at his system, probably tomorrow. I need to get him back to normal as soon as I can. He is just happy not to have a BSOD every 20 minutes or so.
I will report back from his system as soon as I can. Pls be patient with me - he and I work nights and sometimes it is hard to get together to fix this stuff. Talk to you soon.
BTW, I will go through ALL those steps on my next trip to his house.
That is what I am concerned about! These issues should not be there already if a clean install.
The steps we needed for before the reinstall, should not need to be done now.
Or
1. There is a site or some way he has already been contaminated again quickly.
2. This is hardware problem
The good new would be he did not actually do do a clean install. That would explain it!
Mike
Hope to have something for this in about a week. His system is working ocassionally - now it just restarts. I have time scheduled with him this weekend.
