PC Help

[TariqE]

Apologies for yet another 'help me my PC is fecked' thread, but it truly is.

My PC keeps crashing. Often to a blue screen of death featuring the message: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL but sometimes just to a straightforward re-start. Tends to happen when I'm trying to install stuff (doesn't matter what it is) but can happen any time. This is the 3rd time I've tried to post this message.

Tried everything (I think). Re-installing Windows. repairing Windows (XP SP2), reinstalling drivers. I lost patience and eventually formatted my C drive and re-installed Windows again but it keeps happening.

Anyone got any ideas?

[tortohibee]

youve probaly got a fooked hard drive . if youve reinstalled and its still happening i would go and buy a new hard drive to see if that fixes it

[TariqE]

Originally Posted by tortohibee

youve probaly got a fooked hard drive . if youve reinstalled and its still happening i would go and buy a new hard drive to see if that fixes it

Well, I've got 2 HDDs on in my machine. I could try formatting them both and re-installing windows on the D drive rather than the C drive where it was before. Worth a shot?

Also, you know any sites that sell PCs? Gotta be pretty customisable and cheaper than Dell.......

[PILTONSTANY]

After Googling it

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pro....mspx?mfr=true



http://www.tweaksforgeeks.com/IRQL_N..._OR_EQUAL.html

[TariqE]

Originally Posted by PILTONSTANY

After Googling it

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pro....mspx?mfr=true



http://www.tweaksforgeeks.com/IRQL_N..._OR_EQUAL.html

Thanks. Overheating could be the problem. Anyone know what an acceptable CPU temperature is?

[KABULHIBBY]

Originally Posted by PILTONSTANY

After Googling it

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pro....mspx?mfr=true



http://www.tweaksforgeeks.com/IRQL_N..._OR_EQUAL.html

I would say as a general rule of thumb that the Microsoft advice is Lillian Gish, check out the CPU fan first, then memory if possble, THEN newly installed progs, then system critical stuff that has just updated ie Firewall/Anti Virus.

[KABULHIBBY]

Originally Posted by TariqE

Thanks. Overheating could be the problem. Anyone know what an acceptable CPU temperature is?

Totally dependant on what type of CPU/MB load your running, anything putting over 75o should flag a small concern, best bet is to try and google temps for your motherboard/cpu load first just to see what normal is.

Try this link below for ball park figures

http://www.pantherproducts.co.uk/Art...eratures.shtml

[TariqE]

Thanks. I'll check it out

[garethni]

Originally Posted by TariqE

Apologies for yet another 'help me my PC is fecked' thread, but it truly is.

My PC keeps crashing. Often to a blue screen of death featuring the message: IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL but sometimes just to a straightforward re-start. Tends to happen when I'm trying to install stuff (doesn't matter what it is) but can happen any time. This is the 3rd time I've tried to post this message.

Tried everything (I think). Re-installing Windows. repairing Windows (XP SP2), reinstalling drivers. I lost patience and eventually formatted my C drive and re-installed Windows again but it keeps happening.

Anyone got any ideas?

Hey Tariqe,

This error is generally down to your Power Supply being well....over-whelmed, i guess is the best way to describe it, ie: you may have 2/3 * CD/Dvd drives running of it, 2 * Hdds and a shit load of USB devices.... there are two ways to overcome the problem 1) Get a greater power supply installed 2) get rid of E/IDE devices (CD/DVD/HDD's) and/or USB devides.

Sometimes however it can be related to your MbRam being to small to cope with huge prog's/games, occassionally it can also occur whenever you are running your monitor through integrated graphics thus eating away at your MbRam (integrated = built into your motherboard....if your monitor cable plugs into your tower vertically then its integrated, if it plugs in horizontally then its independant)

Hope this helps

p.s. to get more info on, the best tech help support site is called Open Tech Support, if your enter that into google plus your error message it should give you lots more help

[Kenny]

Originally Posted by TariqE

Thanks. I'll check it out

Hey Tariqe,

also look out for dodgy memory.

have you added any memory recently - is it all the same speed.

memory that used to be good can go bad....

[TariqE]

Thanks for the info guys. Looks like it could well be overheating- I'd downloaded some monitoring software to see how hot the system was/is. One of the temps (which I presume was the CPU) was operating between 75-80 degress but I didn't know if this was bad or not.
Anyway, I took the CPU fan off and gave it a clean before cleaning the heatsink- which was crammed full of crap. Now the monitoring program is showing me a temp of between 58-65 degrees which is a hell of a lot cooler.

No crashes so far after about half an hour (including the installation of a game which took the temp up to 75 on occasion). So, fingers crossed, looks like the prob could be solved.

Thanks again for the help.