weird Blue Screen - no info

[hayt]

I am getting a blue screen pretty randomly, and it really does not give me a whole lot of info, plus it does not add anything to the minidump folder. the stop code is a F4 (0x000000F4) the the addresses after the code are usually different. (i seem to have lost the paper that i was using to write them down, but i will post some of them).

i cannot find any info on a stop F4. any ideas woudl be greatly appreciated.

thanks,

hayt

 

[linney]

Try some of these.

Windows XP stops responding when you click or resize a window, or in Windows Server 2003, when you run many console applications, you receive a Stop error message: "0x000000F4"

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/916199

Connecting a hard disk drive in slave only mode leads to system halt during resume from standby

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;330100

Bug Check 0xF4: CRITICAL_OBJECT_TERMINATION

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/ms797140.aspx

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:&q=0x000000F4+stop+xp&btnG=Search

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=...tnG=Search&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wg

 

[hayt]

i probably should have given my system specs.

mobo: Foxconn C51XEM2AA 2
CPU: AMD Athlon 64 X2 5200+ 2.6GHz 2x1MB L2Cache AM2
RAM: Kingston HyperX 1GB DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
HDD: Western Digital WD3200KS 320GB SATA 3.0Gb/s (x2)
Video: XFX PVT71JYHE9 GeForce 7950GT 512MB PCI Express x16
DVDRom: IDE 16x

So, my HDDs are Sata (eliminates the slave issue), but my DVD is IDE (set to master). the BSODs are pretty random. i thought i had a bad HDD since i also got 77 and 7a bsods, but i installed xp pro sp2 on the other drive, and the same thing happened. this problem started pretty much from day 1 of install. so i have no idea if it is a new driver issue, and if so which one. i cannot make the blue screen appear, so i am limited in my ability to test. i am getting a new stick of ram (another brand) and see what happens, bt i do not think it is memory. also, the blue screens never write to the minidump folder, so there goes my use of dump decoder software. i just got all the parts, and so i am pretty upset about spending this much money on a giant paper weight.

one thing that i DO have to mention is this, $$$ is tight, so i am using an old 20 pin ATX power supply. the Mobo is 20+4 pin. i read that you can still use a 20 pin, just not forever. i am hoping that that is the issue (ordered a new PS today), but i am not hopeful. i don't know if this info helps, at least letting you know i have SATA drives.

 

[hayt]

ok, here are the last 3 blue screens that i have gotten their parameters and their dates:

3/18/07
Stop 7A
0xC07B9B98
0xC0000185
0xF73733C5
0x31A79860

3/19/07
Stop 77
0xC0000185
0xC0000185
0x00000000
0x0087A000

3/21/07
Stop 77
0xC0000185
0xC0000185
0x00000000
0x0175D000


PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!

 

[gpalmer711]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315266

give the microsoft resolutions for the problem you are getting. As you don't have any SCSI devices I would say that the problem is probably that you have two or more devices trying to use the same IRQ.

Try going into the BIOS and reseting it to the safe defaults or take a look at the following article for further steps

http://kadaitcha.cx/irq_conflicts.html

Greg Palmer
Freeware Utilities for Windows Administrators.

http://www.palmersoft.co.uk

 

[hayt]

ok, i have a new PSU (600 watt 20+4pin). hooked it up. still get errors. the only things i have not yet tried are disconnecting the IDE DVD-Rom and changing out my memory (i am boring a stick). i did get some more Blue screens. here they are:

3/22/07
Stop 77
0xC0000185
0xC0000185
0x00000000
0x01A12000

3/22/07
Stop F4
0x00000003
0x863C3CA8
0x863C3E1C
0x805D1370

 

[gpalmer711]

hayt,

Did you follow the steps that I gave you for checking the IRQ conflicts?

Greg Palmer
Freeware Utilities for Windows Administrators.

http://www.palmersoft.co.uk

 

[linney]

This does seem to be a common reference when looking at your problem, "0xC0000185, or STATUS_IO_DEVICE_ERROR, is caused by improper termination or defective cabling on SCSI devices, or two devices attempting to use the same IRQ".

http://www.google.com/search?q=0000...ft:&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1

Do you have a Paging File managed by Windows, set manually, or none at all? A Paging File of at least 2MB in size is required to capture a Memory Dump.

Write debugging information . Options available for this setting are ;

http://xtreview.com/review31.htm

This will show you if you are able to create a Memory Dump at all. Unfortunately I don't think (or don't know) how you could use it at any of your Stops. At least it will show you whether the dumps work.

Windows feature lets you generate a memory dump file by using the keyboard

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/244139/

Overview of memory dump file options for Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, and Windows 2000

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/254649

 

[hayt]

Sorry, Greg. I didn't refresh my page and didn't see your post (for some reason i didn't get notified by email like usual).

I checked my bios, it automatically assignes IRQs, but it only shows the PCI slots if i set it to manual. is there another way that i can check to see what IRQ addresses are being used?

i read that article about manually assigning IRQs in windows, and updated my computer driver from ACPI to "Standard PC". when i did that, all hell broke loose as windows started updating all the hardware drivers on its own (i had to wait 5 minutes for it to see my usb mouse). nfortunately, my mobo uses nvidia drivers for the two onboard NICs, and windows could not find the drivers (even from the manufacturers CD), so i had to srap that idea and go back to the ACPI driver in order to connect the my network and type this.

i should also mention that my device manager (as i just discovered) does have a SCSI driver installed. it is from Alcohol 120%. but i should also say that i had these BSODs before i ever installed that program.

linney: my Windows Paging is 1536MB for all drives. i do not know if that helps.

 

[hayta]

it is me (hayt). my account got all screwed up, and i can never seem to get my accounts fixed when it happens (this is the third time i have had to do this).

anyway: i was a little slow in looking up IRQs (i am a sys admin turned programmer and i seem to have forgotten a lot of things i thought i used to know). here is my IRQ list. seems like quite a few conflicts.

http://tinyurl.com/296gy2

any ideas on what i should change first?

 

[hayta]

(Hayt)

ok. there is a chance that the problem has been fixed. i tried the one test i knew that would cause a blue screen, and there was no blue screen!!!!! my mobo manufacturer put out a new bios. i updated, and turned off all of my startup process (in msconfig) and the machine seems to be running smoothly. i will be trying some new things and keep you all updated as to whether or not it is actually fixed.

 

[linney]

I hope you have solved your problem.

I didn't see any errors in that list you posted. IRQ Sharing is quite normal.

A general description of IRQ sharing in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314068

I believe (read, not sure) that there are 16 IRQ's (of which 15 are used) in XP, any additional IRQ's are only virtual IRQ's.

 

[eriela]

Hi,
it looks like I have a very similar problem, but I'm using the latest mobo bios (it's an MSI 865PE mobo). Hayt, does your sata disk fall off completely after a bsod? Mine does, I cannot restart it even with the reset switch, I have to turn off and on the system. I replaced everything, but the problem remains, but if I insert an IDE HDD and install XP, it works fine, only sata drives do bsod for me.

 

[hayta]

well. my problem was not fixed, although i am leaning to a solution. i reinstalled everything, and started testing. i would update about 15-20 ms updates then test the system (again, transfering large amounts of data from one drive to another). i did this abot 4 times, and everything seemed to go great, until the last batch of updates. then i started getting that wonderful stop 77 again. i uninstalled the updates that i last installed, but it didn't make a difference. the updates i last installed were:

KB886903
KB929399
KB925720
KB922770
KB917283
KB911564
.Net 1.1 framework
.Net 1.1 SP1

i am still getting the BSODs, and i am rather angry about it. i tried calling Microsoft for support, but since i have an OEM they want $$$.

Eriela - No, my bios still sees my sata drives. i originally tried to install everything on an IDE drive, but the drive i had was a Maxtor, and i have had that drive go bad about 3 or 4 times. the install never worked right, and after i installed windows, it would fail and give me the familiar ntldr missing error for a drive that did not have windows installed.

i have switched the SATA ports that i was using, and no luck so far. i called my MOBO manfacturer, and they were actually very helpful in testing out my MOBO. i am now convinced that this is strictly a software issue, i just can't figure out in what way.

if anyone has any other suggestions, i would greatly appreciate it!!!

 

[eriela]

well, then my problem is just "similar" to yours... by the way I have a lot of disk and atapi errors in the system event log also.
So my story started with replacing cables, and playing with BIOS settings, then I replaced disks, then bought a new PS, then I exchanged my mobo with someone with the same mobo, the proc and the memory is the same only. I played with the OS also a bit: installing with normal NTFS format (not quick) seemd to be solving the problem, but it was only temporary, (I think the disk errors caused by the bsod-s were repaired during normal format, so errors in the event log become rare, but the problem remained). So I will run a Memtest and Proc test, and next week I will bring my PC to get repaired for $$ :-(
Which diagnosting tools do you recommend for memory/processor/mobo? (Its a Northwood@3Ghz, and an MSI865PE with 2x512DDR, and an old Geforce 440, with SAMSUNG SATA disk and a Pioneer IDE-DVD)

 

[linney]

hayta,

I see you removed those last few Windows Updates, perhaps you could also try a System Restore point before you installed them in the first place.

A unpalatable suggestion is to repeat that whole re-install and update of XP again. This time make full Image backups after each group of Windows Updates, so that when the problem of a bad update occurs you have a working image to restore to.


eriela,

RAM checking.

XP PRO upgrade installation failed due to error
thread779-1295421

Other diagnostic software.

Check out

http://www.pcpitstop.com

for some tests you can run on your PC.


SiSoft Sandra

http://www.benchmarkhq.ru/english.html?/sandradl_e.html

SIW.exe

http://www.downloadjunction.com/product/store/11380/index.html

Your hard drive manufacturer will have free diagnostic software on their web site.

 

[phillid2]

My son's laptop had a similar problem about two years ago - his computer's could not support XP SP2 and a separate firewall. Uninstalling the third party firewall and letting XP use its own fixed that problem. My laptop had a similar problem, although my desktop and Server Small Business Server 2003 worked find with that firewall.

Don Phillips

http://worthingtonengineering.com