The beginning is usually a good idea though. A little over a month ago, my system started to have problems. It seemed to begin with Desert Combat crashing to my desktop during gameplay, without explanation. Also but unrelated, my dual blue cold cathodes from FrozenCPU burned out around that same time (but as I've said, I don't think they have anything to do with each other).
My problems got worse. Other programs (everything from Windows Explorer to IE to Trillian gives me error messages, locks up and closes) I've also had a few BSODs (Page fault in non paged area, Driver IRQ_L Not less or equal to, and a couple others I couldn't read before the system restarted), and a few times my system has blue screened with no text.
To me, this all pointed to Windows going south, which isn't a big problem in and of itself. I backed up my data (I use Acronis True Image, make a total system backup, then explore the image after and pull out the files I want).
A couple weeks ago I made a backup image, then reloaded a fresh image (nothing but XP Pro and the Service Pack installed). I started reinstalling software on it, but I didn't get very far before it started having the same problems.
I then waited until last weekend, when I bought 2 new hard drives (2 250gb Maxtor SATA HDDs which are now in RAID 0 running off my mobo's built in Promise 376 controller).
Seeing as the image restore didn't work, I then reinstalled Windows the old fashioned way. Once again, errors began cropping up very soon after I began installing software.
This of course points to a hardware problem somewhere. Either that or the software I'm installing is causing the problems (I wonder if it might be Systemworks 03, or perhaps even Acronis True Image, but I haven't tested my theory).
Also (and even worse), something seems to have happened to the backup image I made which had all my important files on it (tv shows, movies, music, old versions of programs which used to have all the features but that I'd have to pay for now) seems to have become corrupted, because the My Documents folder in the image is empty with 0 bytes and 0 folders.
What's a guy to do? Any advice?

well, some sata controllers have had issues with nvidia chipsets?

Have you checked your voltages?
system instability is often related to a poor power supply...

that's a start anyway...

man that sucks, well, you might have an error somewhere on your hard drive but i doubt it, all that in Windows XP?

What are your system specs?

System specs:
480Watt Antec True Blue PSU (Highly doubt there's a problem with the power)
MSI KT4 Ultra FISR mobo
Barton 2500+ (Formerly OCed to 2800+, but since the problems started I clocked it back at stock levels)
Koolance PC2-601 case (everything but the video card is watercooled. The waterblock for the video card is resting on top of the card, because it won't fit on the card).
Tyan Tachyon G9700 Radeon 9700 Pro (while I've never been certain, I've always wondered if my videocard was causing me problems).
1GB Corsair DDR333 Ram (2x512mb)
2 x 250GB Maxtor Serial ATA HDDs w/ 8mb cache running in RAID 0 off a built in Promise 376 controller (the drives are a week old today).
Hercules GameTheater XP sound card
Built in Broadcom ethernet adapter.
Toshiba SD-M1502 16x DVD ROM
Lite-On 52x24x52 CDRW
Atech flash PRO III 7in1 media card reader.
Floppy drive.


The voltages are automatically controlled by the mobo, and at the moment there is no nVidia hardware in my system.

you did set your pci divider back to normal

The first place I always start with errors like that is the ram. You can download memtest here. And check it out.

Quote: Originally posted by AntiM The first place I always start with errors like that is the ram. You can download memtest here. And check it out.

I agree with AntiM...Based on what you said, I do not think it is an OS issue at all...it's hardware related for sure and based on your messages, I would try the memory first.

Memtest link didn't work. Anyone have another download source? I'm off to check google right now.

try a different PSU.......i had an issue with a Antec PSU and a 9700AIW. something with the way the Antec does there power supplies. i had to use a Enermax to get my system working after i switched cases (again),

Thanks to everyone's suggestions; I downloaded Memtest (for some reason I have to restart ZoneAlarm for IE to work) and after 13 cycles it told me I have faulty RAM. I'm going to power down and pull one of my DIMMs, wish me luck that that's all my troubles.

My guess would have been the PSU but you seem to have an aftermarket one, still, try a normal one just for ha-has. Hey, at least it narrows down the problem.

I pulled one DIMM, Windows didn't load all the way (stopped responding at the Windows is now loading screen). Pulled that DIMM and put the other DIMM back in, Windows loaded normally. However, I get into Windows and I still get a crash from explorer, and BF1942 locks up at a black screen when I try to load it.
Doesn't seem to be my RAM (at least, not alone); what else could it be? I don't have another PSU to try, and are there any other diagnostic utilities that you'd recommend I try?

Try different ram and psu. Buy both and return them if the problem persists since you dont have spare.
The problem is the ram or psu I can smell it.

with memtest ya have to have a floppy, and boot from it, sorta loads its own OS. Neat program.

I think its the RAM myself. Those problems happened to me alot during the first days of my system. Turned out to be faulty RAM. Either that or the powersupply like everyone else seems to have suggested. Are your temps in the system staying pretty normal?

The temps I've had reported (from my CPU only, but pretty representative of the case as a whole) were the same with the problems as they were before (average about 37C normally, 41C under a full load and never above 43C).
I've got some Crucial DDR266 that I'll try, and if that doesn't work, I'll get a new PSU and try it (I've now got enough parts for a second PC except for case and PSU, so when I buy the case/psu for the new PC I'll try it in this one and see if it works.) However, the case I'm going to get is an Antec Sonata (with a 380watt Antec PSU), so if its a problem with Antec PSU's it won't help me.
Thanks for all the advice, I'm off to swap ram again.

RAM RAM RAM! ITs the ram those are all classic cases of RRS(retarded ram syndrom)! So my suggestion is to borrow a friends memory and try it and maybe a new PSU. If all of those fail my next guess is the mobo.

More problems: I installed older video drivers to try and fix the fact that 3D games would lock up the system. It worked, and I was able to play BF1942. Unfortunately, my problems did not disappear by removing the DIMM that memtest found errors in. While playing BF, my PC blue screened (blank blue, no text), and when I restarted, the computer locked up at the "Win XP is now loading" screen. I hit the reset button, and the computer locked up while posting. I did a soft reset, and the computer got slightly further in the POST process (still on the first screen it displays for my mobo - MSI KT4 Ultra) before locking up. I left my PC alone for the night, and as of now its working alright (still got the annoying program crashes). Is there any way it isn't my motherboard now?

More blue screens:
kmixer.sys (What the hell is that)
win32k.sys (the most common blue screen right now)
Page Fault in Non paged area (I reinstalled the DIMM that memtest said had errors, could be that).
Any more ideas?

I'm having almost the exact same problem. I got Page Fault errors since I've had my system for almost 2 months. recently kmixer.sys and win32.sys have started to show up as well. My PC is now at the shop where i purchased it from and they've looked at it for 2 days and can't find out what the problem is. I still believe the main culprits are the RAM, mobo or PSU. The memory has been checked, but nothing faulty was found.

My rig:
AMD XP 2500+
Spektek 512 DDR2700 RAM
Antec Sonata Case with Antec PSU
Soltek nForce 2 mobo
ASUS GeForce FX 5200
2 x HDD (80 WD and 40 Maxtor)