Goofy Windows Problem -- Input Requested

[devynal]

Hello --

I'm currently working on a client's computer -- it's identical to the one in my sig save she has a 5900FX card. EDIT: (She has onboard sound, not an audigy card, and has a plextor cdrw, no dvdrw)

She just noticed yesterday that it began giving blue-screen of death messages with different errors. When I began working on it, sometimes it was ntfs.sys, another time it was a usb***.sys, etc.

I ran it through the basics steps; spyware, virus removal etc. Some spyware was found, and I got rid of it but the errors persisted. I re-installed Windows after some more blue-screen errors. It STILL gives me blue-screen errors and sometimes just reboots without notice or errors. I unchecked "auto restart" on system failure without success.

I ran the memory through memtest thinking it was it since it gave me memory allocations in each error message but it passed 100%.

I ran stinger to see if a blaster worm or variant was lingering and nothing was found.

I'm really at a loss of what to do! My last step is a complete format and reinstall but that is the last resort. Any thoughts?

 

[Mainframeguy]

...
I ran the memory through memtest thinking it was it since it gave me memory allocations in each error message but it passed 100%.
...

I have had problems like this and memory has passed all tests - yet swapping memory has resolved it. In my case I believe the memory would only fail when the whole rig was running hot also or somesuch - anyway, IMO memtest is not infallible and you could try swapping memory if it is an easy option for you.

 

[devynal]

I have had problems like this and memory has passed all tests - yet swapping memory has resolved it. In my case I believe the memory would only fail when the whole rig was running hot also or somesuch - anyway, IMO memtest is not infallible and you could try swapping memory if it is an easy option for you.

I'm thinking that it is the memory. I switched out my memory for hers (exact same stuff) and I was able to put SP2 on the machine with no BSoDs. I put hers back in and got three errors off the bat. But now it has been running 12 hours with no errors at all. It's really confusing. Thanks for the help.

 

[Mainframeguy]

no surprises there - this is common with memory problems, all depends when you access the bad part, which may only fail intermittently anyway - so I should nto be confused unless problem NEVER recurrs!

 

[Lee]

Hope her memory is under warranty, it seems like a problem with memory i encountered when I used ME (I know, I know should have stayed with Win98SE) could not even install from d.o.s. as it kept causing all sorts of errors. Tried a smaller piece 64 megabytes instead of the 3 pieces of 64 originally in the board and worked like well 'clockwork'. Felt greedy put the old bits back in and dead as a Dodo.

Ahh and as for norton system works 2000 telling me my memory was in luv with my machine, ha, that app got it wrong.

 

[devynal]

It ran fine for a few days now, no sweat. Now it crept back when it printed something. Weird...

EDIT: I booted her machine with my own hard drive and hooked hers up via the 2nd SATA controller. I now remember I still received BSoDs with mine hooked up so I know it's not a faulty driver or software because my system has never experienced these errors. This is giving me an almost 99% certainty that it's the memory.