Expert: Brian Benosky - 2/25/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hey Brian, they website said that i had asked too many questions on the last thread and to start a new one with you.
OK, i have done the check dsk, thing and i attempted to delete that fire fox file again, and for some reason it let me which is great.
However, my screen went blue again on Monday and i checked for codes that you had given me before and none of them were there instead i got
0X0000007A
0XC07C2438
0XC000003C
0XF8487000
0X1049B860
What do you make of those codes?
Thank you again for all your help.
Janine

ANSWER: Hi Janine

I believe this to be a hardware related issue.  The first code deals with a Kernel_Page_Fault error, possibly related to a faulty paging file or possibly a failing hard drive.  In my experience, whenever I see a BSOD like that, I think hard disk or memory.  The memory is easy to troubleshoot if you have more than one stick of RAM.  Try taking one out and run the computer with the other one to see if any errors show up.  If not, try the other stick.  Also swap slots to see if the motherboard is at fault.  To troubleshoot the hard drive, you will need to use some tools specific the the drive manufacturer.  Check the following site for Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities:
http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287
If you run into problems, just let me know.

Brian

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hey Brian, I don't have an extra stick of Ram, nor would i have any idea how to change one out, as you can probably already tell, i don't know too much about computer.
Any ways i wanted to try the trouble shooting opition that you suggested but i have a dell, so i don't know which one i shoudl choose to run.
Also, i'm getting the bue message again and it's telling me to disable BIOS memory such as caching or shadowing.
Sorry to be such a big problem...Any more suggestions
Janine

ANSWER: Hi Janine

The error you are receiving is indicative of RAM memory failure.  Try running the free online tests here:
http://pcpitstop.com/betapit/default.asp
Sign up at the link given (it's free) and run the complete battery of tests.  It's a simple program, but offers a ton of useful information.  Let me know the results.

Brian

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hey Brian i ran the test today and the only major problem that it presented had to do with my battery and that it might have been recalled. I already knew of the ispoosiblilty awhile ago, and i know that my battery for my laptop, is not one of the ones that was recalled, the rest of the results are posted below.

Date Tested: Sun Feb 24 21:50:31 PST 2008

This system performs well on our benchmarks, and should have plenty of power for most applications. You may be able to add a few system upgrades or tweak some Windows settings to improve performance. Regular system maintenance is also important to keep your system running in top condition.

This is your customized advice based on PC Pitstop's tests. Click on an item at left to find out what it means and what to do. Customized Tune-up Tips
• Check battery recall
• Highly Fragmented Files
• Defragment files (Drive C)
• Reduce System Restore space (Drive C)
• Update outdated device drivers
• Install more memory
• Adjust IE browser cache size
• Auto-filling Forms with Firefox May Present a Security Risk
• Install Backup Software

Configuration Summary: Our analysis was based on the data collected from this computer. A summary of the data collected is shown below. Click on any of the subsystem names or flags in the table below to see more information, or use the test details to see all the data on one page. For a list of programs running on your computer, including spyware, see the Windows details page. The test history page has a summary of previous tests for this configuration. See how your system compares to others we've tested.

Subsystem Status Description
System  Intel Pentium M, 1600/800 MHz
Memory  512MB RAM
Disk  Drive C
Video  Mobile Intel(R) 915GM/GMS,910GML Express Chipset Family
Internet  MSIE 7.0; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727
Windows  Windows XP Home SP2
Security  

I'm not too sure if you could access the website, but here is the web address with the summary http://pcpitstop.com/pcpitstop/Summary.asp

Let me know what you think. I know that the website, suggest that i defragment my hard drive, so i think that i may do that as well. Thanks for everything,
Janine  

Answer
Hi Janine

Yes, if your hard drive is very fragmented, it can cause errors.  However, I am more concerned by the results:
• Update outdated device drivers
• Install more memory
Old drivers can cause major headaches.  Check your results to see which drivers need updating.  Video drivers are a priority.  Also, if it is telling you to install more memory, then the amount you have is insufficient to run your system trouble free.  I was concerned that the BSOD's were caused by RAM problems, and I think that is where you need to look.  I can walk you through a RAM install if you need it.  Tell me what make and model computer you have and I will look up some compatible RAM.

Brian