I have been having this problem for at least a month now. My computer would blue screen. Almost every time the stop error’s memory address was different. So I decided to format windows and try to start from scratch. Now I can't even get windows to install. I get to the point after it formats the drive and reboots. Once it gets to the installation screen it gives me another blue screen. I have run a DFT on the hard dive I have run a memory test they all passed. Then I decided to try a different motherboard, RAM, and a new power supply. I had no luck it still gave the stop message. Anyone have any ideas?
Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!
Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!
-
Congratulations SkipVought on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!
Diagnosing a stop error 4
- Thread starter Moxzart
- Start date
-
1
- #2
oseney
Technical User
- May 26, 2004
- 7
- 0
- 0
Sounds like the HD is dodgy. Try attaching it as a second drive on another computer and then testing it with scandisk. Alternatively boot from a floppy or the original CD ROM and again test with scandisk or an alternative diagnostic tool like Norton System Works.
- Thread starter
- #3
Hi Moxzart,
Please update with the results of this issue. I have been experiencing similar problems with my Dell Dimension 4100's 20gb western digital (about 5 years old). It originally ran WinME, and gave random BSoD's, and occasionally fail chkdsk.
I tried reformatting with XPpro, but at random places in the reformat/install I'd get a BSoD (IRQ_NOT_Equal_etc.etc.) forcing me to reinstall/reformat. I got it from just accepting the EULA(pressing F8) to the middle of copying OS files (after successful reformat).
- I tried taking out modem, LAN card, and sound card.
- Reattached IDE connectors to HDD, floppy, and cd & DVD drives.
- Dusted the whole thing.
- Flashed BIOS to latest update
- Ran Memtest86 for 7 passes. No memory errors. Does this mean processor is OK too?
Any ideas? I'm about to download the Western Digital diag util. and will try to post results. Could the HDD be the culprit with these blue screens?
Please update with the results of this issue. I have been experiencing similar problems with my Dell Dimension 4100's 20gb western digital (about 5 years old). It originally ran WinME, and gave random BSoD's, and occasionally fail chkdsk.
I tried reformatting with XPpro, but at random places in the reformat/install I'd get a BSoD (IRQ_NOT_Equal_etc.etc.) forcing me to reinstall/reformat. I got it from just accepting the EULA(pressing F8) to the middle of copying OS files (after successful reformat).
- I tried taking out modem, LAN card, and sound card.
- Reattached IDE connectors to HDD, floppy, and cd & DVD drives.
- Dusted the whole thing.
- Flashed BIOS to latest update
- Ran Memtest86 for 7 passes. No memory errors. Does this mean processor is OK too?
Any ideas? I'm about to download the Western Digital diag util. and will try to post results. Could the HDD be the culprit with these blue screens?
-
1
- #5
-
1
- #6
-
1
- #7
NorthsideIT
IS-IT--Management
Just a quick question here, how old are is/are the system/s?
You may consider your cmos battery as being dead or on its way out.
Cheers
Brett
You may consider your cmos battery as being dead or on its way out.
Cheers
Brett
Thanks for your replies. Mine is a 5 year old machine. Correction: It's a Seagate Barracuda Ultra ATA100 drive.
Ran the Seagate drive diag util. No errors except when checking file system: index file and mbr had errors. However, this was probably due to the incomplete XP install.
Sundust1, is there a boot program that can run a zero fill?
BigBadBen, I'll try using another IDE.
The same BSod keeps appearing: Driver_IRQL_Not_Equal... and the file on the bottom always says "setupdd.sys"
I'm starting to think it's the RAM stick, even though I've reseated and ran Memtest86 7 passes, no error!
Thanks in advance.
Ran the Seagate drive diag util. No errors except when checking file system: index file and mbr had errors. However, this was probably due to the incomplete XP install.
Sundust1, is there a boot program that can run a zero fill?
BigBadBen, I'll try using another IDE.
The same BSod keeps appearing: Driver_IRQL_Not_Equal... and the file on the bottom always says "setupdd.sys"
I'm starting to think it's the RAM stick, even though I've reseated and ran Memtest86 7 passes, no error!
Thanks in advance.
NorthsideIT
IS-IT--Management
I dont think you will find its your drive or memory.
Hi NorthsideIT,
Thanks, I forgot to reply to your CMOS suggestion. I was just skeptical that this is the problem since it happens at one particular place more often than not: When setup files are loaded and I'm prompted to select Enter to setup XP or R to run recovery, etc.
However, I have nothing to lose by replacing the battery so I'll try it.
In your experience, will a failing battery cause BSoD's like the one explained above with setupdd.sys?
Thanks, I forgot to reply to your CMOS suggestion. I was just skeptical that this is the problem since it happens at one particular place more often than not: When setup files are loaded and I'm prompted to select Enter to setup XP or R to run recovery, etc.
However, I have nothing to lose by replacing the battery so I'll try it.
In your experience, will a failing battery cause BSoD's like the one explained above with setupdd.sys?
Hola,
I would also suggest that you repartition the drive and reformat them...
within the BIOS, load the default values... turn off virus checking, set Plug&Play OS to NO, turn off also the SMART monitoring of the HDD's, EXIT AND SAVE... then try to do a clean install...
Ben
If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer...
I would also suggest that you repartition the drive and reformat them...
within the BIOS, load the default values... turn off virus checking, set Plug&Play OS to NO, turn off also the SMART monitoring of the HDD's, EXIT AND SAVE... then try to do a clean install...
Ben
If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer...
NorthsideIT
IS-IT--Management
No problem TK,
In reply to your question " will a failing battery cause BSoD's like the one explained above with setupdd.sys?" yes. not personally but I had this mentioned to me a while ago. The trusty batery is one of the least thought about items in the pc that can and does cause some very real problems with older pc's as people tend to over look it as the cause of there problems. Some problems steming from that little battery have casued me many hours of fault finding. I have been in this job for close on 20 years now and I see so oftem that its overlooked Also from a friend, Is the cd your installing from a backup cd of the origional and if so is this the first time you have used it to do a reload of your system?
Ben is on the same track as me with his thoughts.
In reply to your question " will a failing battery cause BSoD's like the one explained above with setupdd.sys?" yes. not personally but I had this mentioned to me a while ago. The trusty batery is one of the least thought about items in the pc that can and does cause some very real problems with older pc's as people tend to over look it as the cause of there problems. Some problems steming from that little battery have casued me many hours of fault finding. I have been in this job for close on 20 years now and I see so oftem that its overlooked Also from a friend, Is the cd your installing from a backup cd of the origional and if so is this the first time you have used it to do a reload of your system?
Ben is on the same track as me with his thoughts.
I actually already did the things Ben has mentioned above with resetting default BIOS settings. I also tried another drive that is known to work, no luck.
The XPpro CD is a legitimate original CD. I just purchased this CD and is the first time I'm using it to install. I'll try to replace the CMOS battery.
The XPpro CD is a legitimate original CD. I just purchased this CD and is the first time I'm using it to install. I'll try to replace the CMOS battery.
NorthsideIT
IS-IT--Management
Given that the install is failing ay one particular point does narrow this down quite a bit. Most commonly if it were a memory problem the address would be consistant. Do you have more than one stick of ram? I would put money on it that your drive isnt the problem or the cable to it. It could be your disk, a small fault in it could be causing the problems your experiencing given that the disk is origional and its the first time you have loaded the os for the first time from it. Just a thought.
You could try another CD-ROM, and/or test the DMA to the CD-ROM by turning it off in the BIOS...
sometimes Win Install/SetUp is finicky about the speed of a CD-ROM drive, and will hickup (this is rare but has happened to me aswell), especially by older drives...
besides that, I can only surmize that the capacitors on the mobo may be buldging or leaking, you can take a look at them, they are usually located around the CPU, they should be flat topped cylinders (usually black/bronze or green in color and marked on the top with either a K or X type of impression)... if these are damaged (ie. Buldging or already leaking) then I can only say, that it is time to upgrade and buy a new mobo and or CPU combo...
Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
sometimes Win Install/SetUp is finicky about the speed of a CD-ROM drive, and will hickup (this is rare but has happened to me aswell), especially by older drives...
besides that, I can only surmize that the capacitors on the mobo may be buldging or leaking, you can take a look at them, they are usually located around the CPU, they should be flat topped cylinders (usually black/bronze or green in color and marked on the top with either a K or X type of impression)... if these are damaged (ie. Buldging or already leaking) then I can only say, that it is time to upgrade and buy a new mobo and or CPU combo...
Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
NorthsideIT
IS-IT--Management
I tend to agree with Ben. How old is the MOBO. There were a batch of capacitors that were like that and shiped to a wide range of makers. Yours could be one of them but I doubt it. From memory I think they even made mention of that on a computer show on the TV.
Take a look at:
and for some good pictures:
just for your information...
Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
and for some good pictures:
just for your information...
Ben
"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."
Here is an address you can go to. Try one of these diagnostic utilities.
Sundust1
Sundust1
Thanks a lot for these great links! In my experience, I only had one Mobo that had leaky capacitors. It was on a Dell Optiplex SX260 (Intel 845G chipset). So yes, it's true Intel has/had the same problem.
My 5 year old dimension 4100 has an Intel i815 chipset mobo, but I didn't find obvious signs of leakage/bad caps. However, with this news, I will check once more, even on the smallest ones.
UPDATE: replaced cmos cr2032 battery, used a known working 80wire IDE cable but no luck. It's a slow and tedious process, but I'm hopeful that I'll get to the bottom of this..especially with all of your help.
My 5 year old dimension 4100 has an Intel i815 chipset mobo, but I didn't find obvious signs of leakage/bad caps. However, with this news, I will check once more, even on the smallest ones.
UPDATE: replaced cmos cr2032 battery, used a known working 80wire IDE cable but no luck. It's a slow and tedious process, but I'm hopeful that I'll get to the bottom of this..especially with all of your help.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Question
- Locked
- Question
