Completely Puzzeled-Random BSOD's

Ok,

I'm pretty good at computer troble shooting, but I can't figure out any to solve my problem.

It started when I tried to install XP SP2 about a month or so ago. When I did that, my system crashed and I had to do a recovery install with a SP1 disk. That was fine....I re-installed all my drivers and such, and was good to go. However I started to get an occasional BSOD. This problem has gotten worse. I've run both Panda and Norton Anti Virus with nothing found. AdAware and SpyBot with no luck either. I've updated drivers and turned off any "fancy" featurs that may be causeing these now frequent BSOD's (numerous times a day). The part that has me truley puzzeled is that the BSOD's happen so randomly. Many times it happens when my computer is idle (when I am at class or assleep) then other times it will happen when just listening to music. There is no pattern.

The real kicker is what happened last night. I thought that I could try to re-do my XP recovery install, thinking there may be a corrupt windows file. I was getting BSOD's during the install process. So this makes me think it is a hardware issue. I tried slowing my CAS timing from a 2.5 to a 3, but that only made things worse.

Normally I would just start from scratch, however that is not an option. Because of my network situation and specific permissions I have and don't have, a fresh install is not an option.

Main Spces (I put this toghether a year ago, so it isn't a store bought)

P4 3.0 GHz w/800MHZ FSB
1 GB dual channel RAM
SATA WD HDD's
A-bit AC7 MOBO
ATI Radeon 9600 video w/dual out
Audigy 2 Plat. Sound Card

've run Memtest 86 v3.2 with like 33 sweeps and found no errors

I've actually opened my case for better circulation and my temperatures are not that high

When I run with only one stick of RAM in, I still get the same BSOD's. THis happens with both sticks. So, unless both sticks just went bad at the same time, I don't think I have a RAM problem.

As for the stop errors, they aren't always the same, but there are some that occure more than others.

This one has happened a few times
Stop:0x0000007F (0x00000008, 0xF87D5D70, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)


This one has happend most of the time
Stop: 0x0000007F (0x00000008, 0x80042000, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)

The real problem is that I don't always get Stop: 0x7F.......Sometimes I get Stop: 0x8E or Stop: 0xD1, or others.

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=822789 didn't work either.

It seems like the BSOD's come in spurts. I will have like 3, 4, 5 or more in like an hour, then go a few hours with any. And as I said, sometimes I'm using the comptuer when it happens, and sometimes I'm not even at my computer when it happens.

Does anyone have any clue?

 

0x00000008, or Double Fault, is when an exception occurs while trying to call the handler for a prior exception. Normally, the two exceptions can be handled serially. However, there are several exceptions that cannot be handled serially, and in this situation the processor signals a double fault. There are two common causes of a double fault:
*A kernel stack overflow. This occurs when a guard page is hit, and then the kernel tries to push a trap frame. Since there is no stack left, a stack overflow results, causing the double fault.
*A hardware problem.


So whats the history of overclocking on this machine? Sounds like the motherboard or CPU is fried since both sticks have it crashing.

 

CPU is not over clocked. It is a 3.0GHZ CPU running at 3.0

Both the CPU and Mobo were new ~1 year ago.

 

help me to help you, chief.. We need to know the history of the machine to help you troubleshoot.

"I tried slowing my CAS timing from a 2.5 to a 3 "
This isnt exactly a first step of troubleshooting, why did you go this route, unless you suspected you were overdriving the strobe to failure?

After answering the above, you can run a few of your dumps through the dump analyzer in my signature, and i'll take a look, but based on your description and getting multiple stop codes, this isnt going to be a software problem, nor will we be any closer after looking at them.

What are your options for component swapping. You'll need to swap the mainboard and/or the CPU, as well as obtaining a known good stick of ram. If you cooked both sticks, then elimination testing with two possible bad ones isnt helping to narrow down the problem

 

another thought, although kinda sketchy: how clean is your power.. you in a dorm on a big giant shared bus? Do you have a UPS? Does it do line conditioning?

 

You asked why I changet my CAS....this was a suggestion from a friend...It didn't work, so I put all my RAM settings back to where they should be.

As for power...yeah, I'm in dorms, but I do use a UPS with line conditioning (Back-UPS CS 500). I also ensured to buy a PC Power and Cooling power source when building my maching as added protection for this.

Component swapping isn't going to be the easiest option. I don't know to many people that have spare parts that would still be compatable.

 

here is a post to my Dump Data

http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?p=200878#post200878

 

that is for a user.dmp (an application crash), we need the MEMORY.DMP generated by the bluescreens. Should be right in c:\

 

my system isn't generating the memory dump file.

I know I need to go to Startup and Recovery Setting to change this, but what do I change it to......I currently have it set at a complete memory dump in %systemroot%\memory.dmp. What to I want my seetings at to make the dump file?

 

Joe may need the whole thing but I'd imagine that setting for a minidump would be enough. It should offer the highlights.

Is the dump file not there or is it possibly just not showing up? Not sure but it may be a hidden file so you'd need WE set to show hidden files.

I'd also suggest getting Agent Ransack to use for searching rather than relying on WE.

 

I am set to show hidden files, and it isn't showing up.......

 

After checking my Event Viewer, I find that 1) there are lots of system errors recorded, and 2) many of the BSOD's in close proximity to an error with source DCOM.....I have no clue what this is though?

 

memory dump log

I got the memory dump log to work. It it as the bottom of the threat at:
http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?p=201019&posted=1#post201019

 

Your symbols are not tracking, you need to be connected to the internet for that tool to function properly. If you are behind a proxy server, it takes special instructions to get it to work.

Please try it again while connected to the net.
When you get it working, the below section will look very different:

STACK_TEXT:
WARNING: Frame IP not in any known module. Following frames may be wrong.
f76ec770 566077ff 0004f0e8 d77d8000 af840f00 0x870ff0c
0870ff0c 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 0x566077ff


No need to include anything below this line (we dont need to see all your driver timestamps more than once)
start end module name

 

Well....if you need to be connected to the net to do this, that could be why my program isn't working right.....I'm on a VERY secure network with a real restrictive firewall. Do you think that is why I can't run the Debug program properly?