Bad RAM is bad RAM......right?

[hech54]

I've been having BSOD issues. Once each day. About 10 minutes after startup.
I thought I solved the issue by updating my video drivers. It helped for a little while but now it's back(all errors at that time, reported via BlueScreenViewer pointed to video drivers).
Putting the computer in Standby instead of shutting down used to also stop the problem....now even after coming out of Standby in the morning it is going to BSOD.
I downloaded the bootable CD version of MemTest and it found 473 errors. Is that it? Is that my problem here?

Thank You for reading!!!

[DB83]

Maybe not.

I do not know about that program you are using to report the issue. It may just be providing a standard report based on the error code.

You can read more about these error codes here:

http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/topic/43519-windows-xp-blue-screen-of-death-stop-codes/

When I had BSOD issues I downloaded some utilities from MS which analysed the memory dump that you should create rather than just a 'stop'

My issues were hardware incompatability/bad video card rather than the drivers or RAM itself.

[betwixt]

If that was Memtest86 you used, I've found it to be very accurate. 473 errors indicates either a bad RAM or one of the devices interfacing the RAM to the processor. Run it several times and look at the address(es) and bits it fails at. If these are consistent and you have more than one RAM stick in the computer, swap them around and run the test again. If the fault is still consistent but at different addresses or in different bits, you have a faulty RAM, otherwise start thinking in terms of a new motherboard.

Brian.

[hech54]

I still cannot get my head around the fact that it happens at the same exact time every morning after startup. I keep coming back to the idea that "something is phoning home to momma"....yet the RAM test filled the screen with red errors.

[betwixt]

It should pass the RAM test regardless of the time and even which operating system is loaded. Memtest86 has it's own minimal OS and can relocate itself so the very memory it's runnng in can be checked. Possibly you have an application which uses a timed operation, even if you aren't aware of it, which is loading into a bad RAM area. An example may be a program that checks for updates or a disk clean-up program.

Anyway, you have a memory problem. How it manifests itself is a different issue. You should be able to leave Memtest86 running 24/7 without any errors showing up. Try my earlier suggestion of noting where the errors are then swap RAM sticks if you can. If the fault is actually a dud memory it will move to a different address or bit failure. If it stays at the same address/bits you have a mother board fault.

Brian.

[hech54]

I have the bare minimum running in both startup and services. I went through and shut down all but the essentials.
But yea....I guess I just need to bite the bullet and test one RAM stick at a time.

[jagabo]

I downloaded the bootable CD version of MemTest and it found 473 errors. Is that it? Is that my problem here?

Most likely. But it could also be a bad memory controller, CPU, or motherboard. Even some DMA device could corrupt memory randomly. If you have four sticks try using only two. Or if you have two sticks try only one.

Possibly you have an application which uses a timed operation, even if you aren't aware of it, which is loading into a bad RAM area. An example may be a program that checks for updates or a disk clean-up program.

Or the Windows Search service which has a delayed start.

[AlanHK]

The timing could be related to heat.

Anyway, pull the RAM, clean the contacts with an eraser. Might even fix it, can't hurt.
If you have more than one RAM chip, put one in at a time and see which is/are bad.

[TreeTops]

Hech54, noticed that you are using XP SP2. Isn't it up to SP3 now. Maybe worth a try.

[JimmyS]

A couple other sugggestions.

Test each memory slot with a good module. Run in safe mode for a while to see if problem persists, or better yet, run the machine from one of the CD/DVD bootable Linux distributions.

[hech54]

I have SP3.
I'll take the side of my computer off tomorrow, hook everything back up and start doing some RAM testing.
The computer runs absolutely perfectly the rest of the day. I capture with it, convert with it....everything. I can play
any file through various players and editing software....it's flawless except for that BSOD one time each day.
PISSES me off.

[DB83]

Same time each day and only then ? Hmmn.

Take a look at the event viewer under Admin Tools. See what big red-X's appear at that time.

[hech54]

How do I go backwards in time with Event Viewer?

[hech54]

Never mind...I was in the wrong program.

[DB83]

How do I go backwards in time with Event Viewer?

I have 6 days of events on mine - the latest is at the top.

But even so, if you had a BSOD today something might show there.

[jman98]

The BSOD may reference an error code. You should write that down as in some cases it actually is helpful to find out what is causing the issue. I'm not saying that it helps even 50% of the time, but it could be useful to post that here. The error code will be some kind of maybe 8 or so characters in a row consisting of numbers and the letters A-F.

I don't want to suggest that this is likely but I throw it out if all else fails. I have seen bizarre PC errors that defied explanation that in fact were power supply problems and went away when the power supply was changed.

[lordsmurf]

I had a recent RAM error.
It turned out to be the slot on the motherboard.
I had open slots, so I just reorganized the RAM. Problem solved.

[Seeker47]

The timing could be related to heat.

Anyway, pull the RAM, clean the contacts with an eraser. Might even fix it, can't hurt.
If you have more than one RAM chip, put one in at a time and see which is/are bad.

That occurred to me. Standard procedure would likely involve also ruling out heat buildup (a utility like Speedfan might help there), dust buildup, or a PSU problem, as part of one's diagnostic efforts.

[p_l]

Anyway, pull the RAM, clean the contacts with an eraser. Might even fix it, can't hurt.

Definitely worth trying. I cleaned mine with 70% isopropyl alcohol on a Q-tip.

[Nelson37]

The test results point to a hardware problem but the timing and frequency strongly argue against this.

What happens if you shut down and boot up a second, and third time? Does the error re-occur? Or is it only the first boot?

If you do not have a UBCD, or bootable Windows live disk, get one. Testing by booting Linux is nice, and would be really good if what you wanted to do was run Linux. If you want to run Windows, then testing by booting a Windows CD is much more useful.

Swap the RAM as mentioned. If you have two matching chips, you can not discount the possibility that BOTH have developed errors. Try one chip, then the other, then try a different slot. Takes dramatically less time than running a memory tester, which is why I never bother with such programs. You have your answer in minutes, and it is absolute and certain.

The simple act of removing and replacing the RAM can sometimes solve such a problem. Blow out the slot.

Booting in Safe Mode might be a useful test.

The ease of re-creating the error should make for an easy diag and repair.

[hech54]

What happens if you shut down and boot up a second, and third time? Does the error re-occur? Or is it only the first boot?

The BSOD only occurs once, within 10 minutes of the morning start and does not happen again....but it didn't happen this morning.....no BSOD.

If you do not have a UBCD, or bootable Windows live disk, get one. Testing by booting Linux is nice, and would be really good if what you wanted to do was run Linux. If you want to run Windows, then testing by booting a Windows CD is much more useful.

I have a "Windows Repair CD set"....it's bootable/live and looks exactly like Windows as it's running. I used it to fix a laptop once. I also have a couple of Linux Live CDs but after it loads I would just stare at my monitor and ask myself "Now What?" because I'm a Linux idiot.

[Nelson37]

That is bizarre. Where ANY changes made to the PC yesterday? ANYTHING AT ALL? USB stick or printer disconnected, cables removed and replaced, case opened, box moved, do you have a cat?
Did the PC run later in the evening than usual? Possibly allowing a scheduled virus scan or update to occur, rather than at the next boot up?

This 10-minute time frame, how precise is that? 10 minutes is a bit too long for any hardware or software initialization at startup to still be happening, 5 minutes or less should cover this. Do you have a virus scanner scheduled which would run at startup if scheduled time was missed?

Is the morning startup at the same time every day? Within a 10-minute window?

How about if you let it sit OFF for a couple hours, then do a cold boot later in the evening?

It's either time-of-day related, unusual but not impossible, or cold electronics reacting badly to their first power-up, which is much more common, or it's a start-up software issue. That the problem can no longer be considered reliable or consistent complicates life.

Booting with the Windows CD guarantees it is not start-up software. I would go so far as to disconnect the hard drive, as that is one component likely to have cold start-up issues. Multiple, cold, successful boots are now required to give useful information. This now applies to EVERY test, as the problem has now, at least once, failed to occur for no apparent reason at all (see paragraph 1). If you get 3-5 successful, cold, boots with the CD, then re-connect the hard drive and do 3-5 more.

[hech54]

Startup this morning resulted in a complete computer freeze(it's back to it's old trick)....again within the 10 minutes after startup. This morning I removed/stopped two Google Updates(gupdate) that were in my Scheduled Tasks folder(they were the last thing to show up in the Event Viewer before the last BSOD).....then I powered down the computer, took off the side and blew out some dust.....then removed the RAM, cleaned the contacts with an eraser and re-installed the RAM.
Connected everything back up and here I am. Once I get some other work done I'm going to reboot to the MemTest CD again and re-check the RAM.

[RabidDog]

Could be a crack fault on the Mobo, once it heats up a certain amount it creates a fault. then when re booted it has alrady heated up. Happened to me once, I shot the mobo.

[johns0]

Did you take out one of the ram and tested it and see if the problems stopped?If that didn't work then its a mb that Rabiddog suggested.Ram errors on memtest usually mean a hardware failure on the ram and then the motherboard.

Once in a while its a psu problem or a flakey video card can cause bad ram testing.

[hech54]

Testing will have to wait a little while. The Mrs. is working from home today and there just isn't enough room in our "computer room". I told my wife NOT to give our spare monitor away so I can do this stuff in the dining room!!!!

[hech54]

RAM testing complete.
Stick A "passed" in both slots.
Stick B "failed" in left slot. Didn't feel the need to check the other slot just to see it fail there too.
Now I'm running on 1GB of RAM.....for now. Just replace the bad stick or upgrade.....Hmmm....?

[DB83]

Upgrade !!. Better ask the boss first

[hech54]

Better ask the boss first

You got that right...

[bigass]

I might be offering a red herring, but does the OP have a SSD?

I installed some new RAM not too long ago and started having unexplained BSODs and reboots.

I suspected the new RAM but testing the new stick and the old stick solo turned up no problems with either. My mobo manual revealed I couldn't have dual-channel sticks in both slots. Damn. But that WASN'T the problem.

Turns out it was the SSD. It needed a firmware update because of a firmware bug that caused BSODs once the drive reached a certain hours-of-use threshold. It was just a coincidence that I hit that threshold at the same time I installed the RAM.