IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL bsod error

[sickness]

Ok simple problem. Windows refuses to start up every time I restart or shutdown my computer for a little bit. I think it started happening after I installed Service Pack 2. So anyways, only way I can boot into windows is if I wait about 30 minutes with the power off before I can turn on my computer again and successfully boot into windows. I get the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL bsod error right when my input devices get power (keyboard, mouse). After that, the blue windows loading bar freezes for a second and that's where I get the bsod.

I'm 99% sure this is a software issue since I upgraded my whole computer except my harddrive. But I don't know what software needs to be installed/reinstalled to correct this. My friend says its chipset driver related. Anyone else have any ideas?

[Vapor]

What temps do you get in BIOS?

[freecableguy]

9 out of 10 times this is mem related

[[timko]]

I'm 99% sure this is a software issue since I upgraded my whole computer except my harddrive.

If you changed everything bar the harddrive and also did NOT reinstall WinXP then that's where the problem is. Ok, so everyone says you should be able throw any kind of hardware change at it regardless how small or big, in your case with pretty everything changing, and that Windows will ask you for or auto install the appropriate drivers for the newer hardware but it never works out 100% clean. Don't ask me why, most likely because of resources WinXP expects to find but isn't there anymore cos you took it out, all I know is that I've tried it a few times and I get weird issues like the one you are experiencing.

Just give WinXP a reinstall and blame MS and then be happy :)

[Vapor]

9 out of 10 times this is mem relatedAgreed....but if letting the system power-idle for 30 seconds is actually helping it, there may be some sort of temp issue as well. Maybe it's just that the OS has corrupted itself (well, has been corrupted*) enough by now to be giving you fits and the 30 second power-idling is placebo.

[stone_cold_Jimi]

Memtest.

[sickness]

To everyone saying this is memory related: when I am finally able to boot into windows, everything is 100% STABLE. I even did 10 hours straight of heavy gaming, with games like Planetside and HL2, just to see if this was a hardware related problem. And if anyone has ever played Planetside, they would know that it's a very memory stressful game because it's a MMOFPS. I also ran 3dmark05 and it only crashed when overclocking my video card. I'm getting pretty good 3dmark05 scores too for the parts I have, 8500 on a slightly overclocked X1800XL.

Temperatures are very cool on my devices. I've actually never seen my cpu break 30c yet thanks to my watercooling. My video card is also watercooled and idles around 34c and at load the temperatures only climb to 40c.

[v0dka]

9 out of 10 times this is mem related

x2

It is a really general error message though... Like saying 'there's something wrong with your computer' lol

[TiTaNiUm]

it could be a number of things mem, cache, drivers. ya gotta google what the numbers are after (Stop). like Stop: 0x00000 bla bla bla.

[Plywood99]

Are you overclocking???

[dogsx2]

9 out of 10 times this is mem related

I sure agree with that statement.

[pcdoc1]

ya gotta google what the numbers are after (Stop). like Stop: 0x00000 bla bla bla You could google these 'til the end of time and not get an answer... Check/test mem... ;)

[sickness]

Problem solved, I reinstalled Windows XP Pro again and it fixed everything. Unfortunately I have to customize my windows all over again :(

[[timko]]

Problem solved, I reinstalled Windows XP Pro again and it fixed everything. Unfortunately I have to customize my windows all over again :(

Unfortunately that's they way it is. As mentioned previously, with such a big change in hardware there is no way around it. At least this way it clears out any old apps and settings in the registry etc that didn't get cleaned out properly before on your old install.

[dinos22]

9 out of 10 times this is mem related
what he said ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Daveb2012]

actually its usually not mem related with my experience as a tech I seem to see this blue screen on a regular basis, I had 2 computers today that had the exact same blue screen. one needed a chkdsk /r to fix the problem. it had bad sectors on HD from a bad PSU causing too many improper shutdowns. the other Im not sure what its from just yet. But IRQL_NOT_LESS or equal is a generic blue screen which could be any thing, most of the time a soft repair or reformat seems to fix it.

[politenessman]

i had this exact problem and it drove me insane. it would hang or bluescreen at the xp splash screen. after swapping out ram, psu and mainboard, and it still not working, i reboot with my 300gb maxline 3(data drive) disconnected and prob went away. the maxtor diag progs showed no errors, but sure as sht, when the drive was connected it would not boot. rma'd the drive with advance replacement. works fine now. i would have to say its one of your hard drives, possibly an optical drive. unplug your opticals and boot. if you still have prob, swap out your hd. you will be glad you did.
good luck

very truly yours,
politenessman