Memory Errors 2

[jminter]

Before I get into my problem, I'm running the following

Windows XP Pro
2.80 Ghz processor
1024 MB RAM (recently installed new 512 from Crucial.com other 512 is from Crucial as well)
160 GB HD
ATI Radeon Graphics Card
Pioneer DVD-ROM
Sony CD-RW
Recently installed PCI IDE expansion card to connect Sony DVD-RW drive

I am receiving the following error at random, no particular piece of software, no particular time. For example, I could repeat the same process and it may not occur. But then it occurs later in another program.

I receive the message The instruction at "0x00000000" referenced memory at "0x00000000" the memory could not be "read" Click OK or Cancel to Debug.

I've received this using Media Player, Explorer, and other programs.

I've ran Error-Check which checked out OK, I have updated Norton Anti-Virus software (no viruses), all Windows XP updates are installed consistently, and I've changed my page-file size. Still receive the error randomly.

It's been hard to pin point because I'll go a few hours with everything running smooth and then it hits again.

Any suggestions or ideas would be helpful. Thanks.

 

[bcastner]

It has nothing to do with your physical memory or hard drive. It is caused by a running program/application which has a bug referencing the content of a pointer (an address), but the pointer is NULL thus no content
can be read. You should try to identify the offending program/application.
And ususally when this message appears it also indicates which program/application/DLL is attempting to read this memory location in the Event Log. The wrong version of a DLL, for example, can cause this.

Try this:

1. Start, Run, sfc /Scannow
Have your XP CD handy.

2. Do a driver verification

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q244617

 

[linney]

To get further information about the error look in your Event viewer.

Look in the System or Application folder. You can get to the Event Viewer via right click My Computer icon and select Manage.

Any errors logged in the Event Viewer can be expanded by double clicking on the error line.

Take any event error I.D. number and search for it on these sites.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/tr.../prodtechnol/winxppro/support/EE_winxppro.asp

http://www.eventid.net/events.asp

Also check any "Information" line that mentions "savedump" and you may find reference to "recovered from a bug check". These refer to any Stop Errors that you may be having.

You can also turn off "automatically restart after an error" so it will just halt at the fault and display the full Stop Error and blue screen.

Right-click My Computer, and then click Properties .
On the Advanced tab, click Settings under Startup and Recovery .
Click to clear the Automatically restart check box under System failure , and then click OK . The error message on a blue screen should remain on the screen so you can record the error information.



If you want the highly technical cause of the crash look in the Documents and Settings/ All Users/ Application Data/ Microsoft/ Dr Watson/ Drwtsn32.log

Find the entry that is relevant by date and time to the crash you are investigating. The exact cause of the crash is indicated by "FAULT ->" on the left of page next to line of code causing crash. This, if your as cluey as me, wont tell you much but you can use it to see if it is the same fault all the time, and further up the log you can find what processes and modules are running.



To check your RAM.

http://www.memtest86.com/

http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

To check your drivers.

HOW TO: Verify Unsigned Device Drivers in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q308/5/14.asp

To check conflicting software.

310353 - How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310353&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

316434 - HOW TO: Perform Advanced Clean-Boot Troubleshooting in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;316434&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

Some general things to try.

See if System Restore will get you back to a restore point before your problem with Explorer.

Try Safe Mode (Do you have this problem in Safe Mode?).

Try running ChkDsk to check your drive for errors. Right click your Drive icon/ Properties/ Tools/ Error Checking.

Run the System File Checker program from the Run Box by typing.....Sfc /Scannow in it and have your XP CD handy.

If they don't work you could try repairing windows itself by running it over itself. You will lose all your windows updates but your files will be untouched.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP (Q315341)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q315/3/41.asp