Blue Screen D:

[Exile_Chavez]

Help me here please. I keep getting a blue screen every once in a while that says:

"A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

If this is the first time you've seen this stop error screen,
restart your computer. If this screen appears again, follow
these steps:

Check to make sure any new hardware or software is properly installed.
If this is a new installation ask your hardware or software manufacturer
For any Windows updates you might need.

If problems continue, disable or remove any newly installed hardware
or software. Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing.
If you need to use Safe Mode to remove or disable components, restart
your computer, press F8 to select Advanced Startup options, and then
select Safe Mode

Technical Information:

*** STOP: 0X00000D0A (0XFFFFFFFFFFFFFD20, 0X0000000000000000002, 0X0X000000000000000000, 0XFFFFFB000D2cBBDBA"

The technical information is something like that my camera quality isn't that great so it may be off.

What is there for me to do? I have ran HDD and memory diagnostics, and both were clean. I do have an overclocked CPU, its standard 3.2ghz and I raised it to 3.63ghz. It has been stable ever since I added the clock, stable Prime95 for about an hour.(Doesnt go over 50*C either ) To get this clock I had to increase my RAM speed along with my FSB, the RAM is at 830 MHz, its DDR3 1600 ram, so there shouldn't be much issue there. And the NB Frequency is at 2075.1 MHz, which still confuses my because all the OCs have been stable for over 2 months.

I really don't know what to do. Please help and many thanks in advanced.

 

[nesco1801]

and what did you change in the meantime?

from the time when the sistem was stable till this BSOD?

new hardware, BIOS changes, new drivers?

maybe try restore point...

 

[JrRacinFan]

Did you add any hardware or just recently install any new software? Also I thought the 955 was a Black edition? Why don't you just lower your bclk back to stock and OC via multi?

Another item to look at; Was the cpu brand new when you got it? When do you get the BSOD, idle or during heavy load?

 

[Exile_Chavez]

I do not have any restore points, I recently formatted and reinstalled windows on my computer(after OCs), and have no points left from before then. I have not gotten any new drivers, hardware, or BIOS updates since the format, and the only thing I have done between the stable and the BSOD was format and reinstall windows.

It is the 955 black edition, and if you are talking about using the AMD software for the overclock, I did try that but the highest I could get was 3.29, from the 3.21, which I wanted more than that. The CPU was brand new when I got it, and I was doing nothing more than browsing the internet when it crashed

 

[Mussels]

its a hardware problem, not software.


very high odds its memory related - so check voltages, timings and temperatures.

dont forget to undo your OC and test that, its entirely possible your OC isnt stable any more.

 

[nesco1801]

So u actually never had this particular windows instalation stable?

Then think... what is different with this Win installation and the last that was stable.

In any case, good overclock or not, setting default clocks on a hardware would be a good starting point.

 

[JrRacinFan]

It is the 955 black edition, and if you are talking about using the AMD software for the overclock, I did try that but the highest I could get was 3.29, from the 3.21, which I wanted more than that. The CPU was brand new when I got it, and I was doing nothing more than browsing the internet when it crashed

No, in bios -overclocking via raising multi. So you are getting BSOD during idle. Leads me to agree with Mussels. Reset your overclock and start all over again.

 

[Exile_Chavez]

So u actually never had this particular windows instalation stable?

Then think... what is different with this Win installation and the last that was stable.

In any case, good overclock or not, setting default clocks on a hardware would be a good starting point.

I have not tested the stability with this Win installation, but I may reinstall the AMD software and reset the clocks.

its a hardware problem, not software.


very high odds its memory related - so check voltages, timings and temperatures.

dont forget to undo your OC and test that, its entirely possible your OC isnt stable any more.

The memory clock appears to be fine, I checked everything and nothing seems out of place.

The part making me even sadder is that I remember a blue screen like this one from pre-format, and pre-oc, I do not know if it was the same error, but I would get blue screen before all of this. Less often however.

 

[sneekypeet]

you need to get memtest86+ version 4.0 or better. either in DOS boot disc form or on a USB stick. Test the ram, and see if it is in fact stable.

 

[Exile_Chavez]

you need to get memtest86+ version 4.0 or better. either in DOS boot disc form or on a USB stick. Test the ram, and see if it is in fact stable.

Did for 2 hours straight, the most stressful version of it. No errors at all. I do not want to run it for 24 hours

 

[Mussels]

Did for 2 hours straight, the most stressful version of it. No errors at all. I do not want to run it for 24 hours

there is no most stressful version. memtest is memtest.

WHEN did you run it however, before or after the problems started?


you are getting a memory related error, regardless of what memtest says - your ram or NB or IMC could be overheating, your PSU could be fluctuating at loads memtest cant reach and dropping ram volts too low, your IMC in the CPU could be unstable, your HT or NB links could be OC'd too high, etc etc etc.

you know its memory related, so work from there - assume nothing, test everything.

 

[sneekypeet]

Did for 2 hours straight, the most stressful version of it. No errors at all. I do not want to run it for 24 hours

rumor has it that test #4 needs to be run for 9.5hours to be sure of stability. I have many times passed a couple hours of the blended test and still failed due to memory.

I'm not denying that you should do this at stock, but you said you got a BSOD when you loaded the OS, so that means stock wasnt good either. This will just eliminate the major issue associated with that BSOD in the OP.

 

[Exile_Chavez]

there is no most stressful version. memtest is memtest.

WHEN did you run it however, before or after the problems started?


you are getting a memory related error, regardless of what memtest says - your ram or NB or IMC could be overheating, your PSU could be fluctuating at loads memtest cant reach and dropping ram volts too low, your IMC in the CPU could be unstable, your HT or NB links could be OC'd too high, etc etc etc.

you know its memory related, so work from there - assume nothing, test everything.

I ran it before the OC when I got the first BSOD and pooped myself, I ran it after the OC, and ran it after the format. All for periods of 2 hours.

 

[Exile_Chavez]

rumor has it that test #4 needs to be run for 9.5hours to be sure of stability. I have many times passed a couple hours of the blended test and still failed due to memory.

I'm not denying that you should do this at stock, but you said you got a BSOD when you loaded the OS, so that means stock wasnt good either. This will just eliminate the major issue associated with that BSOD in the OP.

I get the BSOD randomly when I am on my computer, it has never failed to boot for me

 

[Mussels]

I ran it before the OC when I got the first BSOD and pooped myself, I ran it after the OC, and ran it after the format. All for periods of 2 hours.

thats not enough to prove the memory is stable, but its a start into proving its not extremely unstable, either.

now test the rest. go back to stock, check for overheating, check everything has the right voltages, ensure nothing is failing (PSU, CPU, etc)

 

[sneekypeet]

When did I say your PC failed to boot?

 

[nesco1801]

If you have any non essential hardware, USB's, WLAN, PCI cards etc etc...

plug them all off and see how it goes.

Also Windows ... start them without clutter and non essential startup programs,

even Safe mode if ur not sure about software enviroment.

And memtest or any other time consuming test, u can run when u go to sleep, work etc...

 

[Exile_Chavez]

When did I say your PC failed to boot?

I assumed when you said that I got the BSOD when I booted the OS that you meant it failed to boot. At least that is what I got out of it, if I was incorrect sorry about that.

 

[sneekypeet]

I assumed when you said that I got the BSOD when I booted the OS that you meant it failed to boot. At least that is what I got out of it, if I was incorrect sorry about that.

No need to apologize I assumed from the info in post #4 that the BSOD was noticed with the new OS, like immediately.

 

[Exile_Chavez]

If you have any non essential hardware, USB's, WLAN, PCI cards etc etc...

plug them all off and see how it goes.

Also Windows ... start them without clutter and non essential startup programs,

even Safe mode if ur not sure about software enviroment.

And memtest or any other time consuming test, u can run when u go to sleep, work etc...

I have no non-essential hardware, I only boot with the windows needed programs, and 7 others, so I will try shutting those off. I do not leave my computer on if I am not at it or at home, nor do I plan to.

thats not enough to prove the memory is stable, but its a start into proving its not extremely unstable, either.

now test the rest. go back to stock, check for overheating, check everything has the right voltages, ensure nothing is failing (PSU, CPU, etc)

Overheating is not a problem, nothing goes over 50*C, except my video card, which never goes over 60*C. I will stock it up and check everything as soon as I can

 

[TheMailMan78]

Sounds like bum RAM honestly. Ask around TPU if something will go bad TheMailMan will find it. Imma fail sauce factory. laugh:

 

[Exile_Chavez]

Well at least its OCZ and at least it has a limited lifetime warranty I OCZ for this reason

 

[TheMailMan78]

I found this.....

Most annoying problem. Ever. You're just working happily along when all of a sudden BAM, the Blue Screen of Death pops up and "IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" very prominently appears. Generally with a cutesy little hex error towards the bottom of the screen. STOP: 0x0000000a, or something like it.

Sadly enough, every time I've run into it it's been a hardware error. Most commonly it is the CPU overheating. A close second would be bad RAM. The first thing I would do if you have this issue is to run the machine till it gives you that error, then immediately reboot it, go into the BIOS and check the CPU temperature. 3/5 times it will be way too hot. Go to the store, buy a fancy new heatsink with a ball bearing fan (don't need it binding like a bushing fan will eventually do), pick up some thermal grease while you're at it, and install. Your problem will likely go away.

If not, get some memory that you know is good, and test that out in the system for a while. Be sure to pull out all memory that is currently in the system, or this test will do nothing. If it stabilizes after that, then replace the memory permanently, shoot the old like a clay pigeon and have a nice day.

Sometimes though, especially with the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error, even that is not enough. This is where you get hardcore with the troubleshooting. In the BIOS, load Fail-Safe defaults, disable the onboard modem, sound, and LAN (where applicable). Take out all the cards, with the exception of video, and run the machine for a while. If the machine stays stable, then start adding/re-enabling the devices one by one. Keep in mind that modern motherboards share IRQ's across PCI slots, so try not to put a sound card and a modem right next to each other. They don't seem to think that's funny every once and a while. Anyway, do this one by one until you start crashing again. Whatever you put in last is the culprit.

Also, many newer motherboards' northbridges are actively cooled. Almost always by a bushing fan. Bushing fans tend to bind after a while. Since this chip controls the data stream between the RAM, video, and CPU, I'd say it's pretty important. If it's overheating bad things are bound to happen.

I hope this helps some. That is a list of the steps that I go through when I run into this blasted problem. If only the error messages were more specific...

So there you go. Its a bad cooler or RAM according to this random info I found on the internet. Case closed.

 

[Exile_Chavez]

I have a Xigmatek Dark knight and my CPU temps stay mighty cool. 28*C-42*C is the range, the 42 being under Prime95. RAM overheating is unlikely, I have a total combined CFM of like 600 just from my case fans, and the highest non-graphics card temp is 33*C. I would have to agree on the RAM going bad or the Northbridge because I do not know about the later.

 

[PVTCaboose1337]

I get this error when I put in devices that the motherboard does not recognize. IE when I try and run 5.25" floppy drives on newer hardware, sometimes this pops up. Anything with an incompatible driver can cause this. Windows might have installed an update automatically that broke a piece of your hardware.

How long has this been going on? If recently, you can roll back updates to get rid of the error possibly. Just a thought: