Author Topic: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death  (Read 3573 times)

brimic

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Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« on: June 26, 2009, 10:29:49 AM »
last night I tried booting up my computer and got the dreaded BSOD. Tried booting from safe mode and from last good configuration and still had the same probllem.

I did a google search on the particular problem (on another computer obviously) and found pretty much the same information on each site:

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Stop 0x00000050 or PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA

The Stop 0x50 message indicates that requested data was not in memory. The system generates an exception error when using a reference to an invalid system memory address. Defective memory (including main memory, L2 RAM cache, video RAM) or incompatible software (including remote control and antivirus software) might cause Stop 0x50 messages.

Possible Resolutions:

• If you added new hardware recently, remove and replace the hardware to determine if it is causing or contributing to the problem. Run diagnostics software supplied by the hardware manufacturer to determine if the component has failed.

• Stop 0x50 messages can also occur after installing faulty drivers or system services. If the file name is listed, you need to disable, remove, or roll back that driver. If not, disable the recently installed service or application to determine if this resolves the error. If this does not resolve the problem, contact the hardware manufacturer for updates. Using updated drivers and software is especially important for network interface cards, video adapters, backup programs, multimedia applications, antivirus scanners, and CD mastering tools
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I couldn't find much helpful information anywhere except to run MEMTEST86+ program on bootup to check for memory problems. I figured out how to do this, and found the memory to check out OK.  Still can't boot XP.

I haven't installed any new hardware or software on the computer in ages, (the computer is about 7 years old) I use it mainly for storing family pictures and playing video games.

Can anyone give me a clue as to what to do next?  I've already considered buy a new PC, but will still need to get the pictures and tax records off the hard drive (Yes I know, I should have made backups, but at least I burned everything to CDs up until february of this year). From the reading I did on this subject I couldn't seem to find much success in fixing this problem and on some forums, it sounded like the people who had this problem also had problems recovering data- but they didn't sound much more technically inclined than I am (which isn't saying much).
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Sindawe

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Re: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« Reply #1 on: June 26, 2009, 10:37:29 AM »
If you've another PC if similar vintage in the house, one option to recover the needed data would be to hook the hard drive up a slave to the working drive and seeing if the working OS can see the drive and them grab the files.

If the hard drive interfaces on any new machine don't match, you can pick up an IDE to USB adaptor to get the files.

http://www.microbarn.com/details.aspx?rid=101531&source=gadwords&gclid=CO7-qI-UqJsCFQ4MDQodWCAtCg
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Racehorse

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Re: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« Reply #2 on: June 26, 2009, 10:41:04 AM »
Since you're posting here, I assume you have access to the internet. I would suggest you download a copy of Ubuntu (http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download) that lets you run the OS directly from the CD. If it boots up fine, then you probably just need to reinstall windows. If it won't boot into Ubuntu, then it's probably a hardware problem.

brimic

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Re: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« Reply #3 on: June 26, 2009, 10:57:15 AM »
Quote
If you've another PC if similar vintage in the house, one option to recover the needed data would be to hook the hard drive up a slave to the working drive and seeing if the working OS can see the drive and them grab the files.

If the hard drive interfaces on any new machine don't match, you can pick up an IDE to USB adaptor to get the files.

http://www.microbarn.com/details.aspx?rid=101531&source=gadwords&gclid=CO7-qI-UqJsCFQ4MDQodWCAtCg

That sounds like a simple solution to getting the data. Question: I have a laptop to work with, how would I power the drive? Does that USB gizmo have a power supply for the drive? Or could I just leave the drive in the machine its in, connect the IDE to USB adaptor between the drive and the laptop and fire everything up?

Quote
I would suggest you download a copy of Ubuntu (http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download) that lets you run the OS directly from the CD.

I'll have to look into that one too, seems like another simple solution I'll give that one a try too.

If I reinstall XP, do I do a repair install or a new installation? I've doen a repair install in the past, but would a new install wipe out my files?

"now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb" -Dark Helmet

"AK47's belong in the hands of soldiers mexican drug cartels"-
Barack Obama

Nick1911

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Re: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« Reply #4 on: June 26, 2009, 11:06:44 AM »
That sounds like a simple solution to getting the data. Question: I have a laptop to work with, how would I power the drive? Does that USB gizmo have a power supply for the drive? Or could I just leave the drive in the machine its in, connect the IDE to USB adaptor between the drive and the laptop and fire everything up?


Every one I've used has had power built in.

AZRedhawk44

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Re: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« Reply #5 on: June 26, 2009, 11:28:44 AM »
Quote
If I reinstall XP, do I do a repair install or a new installation? I've doen a repair install in the past, but would a new install wipe out my files?

There's a couple of nasty words to avoid in order to protect your data:  "partition" and "format."

Don't delete a partition, and don't format.

Windows XP installation will allow you to install over the top of an existing installation.

One thing that will be different however, is the folders in the "C:\Documents and Settings" folder.  The new profiles under the new installation will be created with a "username.computername" format, and the old profiles from the old installation will remain as simply "username" there.

You'll need to go fish around in the old profile(s) to salvage data and bring them over to the new profile.  Internet bookmarks, documents, stuff like that.
"But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain - that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist."
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brimic

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Re: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« Reply #6 on: June 26, 2009, 11:41:47 AM »
Quote
One thing that will be different however, is the folders in the "C:\Documents and Settings" folder.  The new profiles under the new installation will be created with a "username.computername" format, and the old profiles from the old installation will remain as simply "username" there.

You'll need to go fish around in the old profile(s) to salvage data and bring them over to the new profile.  Internet bookmarks, documents, stuff like that.

I've been too lazy to use any sort of file system, I always saved my photo files to the desktop. Where will these go in a re-install?
"now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb" -Dark Helmet

"AK47's belong in the hands of soldiers mexican drug cartels"-
Barack Obama

brimic

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Re: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« Reply #7 on: June 26, 2009, 11:42:46 AM »
Whoa! Ubuntu= biggie download. I think I'll wait until I get home from work to try that one again. :O
"now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb" -Dark Helmet

"AK47's belong in the hands of soldiers mexican drug cartels"-
Barack Obama

BryanP

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Re: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« Reply #8 on: June 26, 2009, 11:57:16 AM »
Every one I've used has had power built in.

And if it doesn't, I've had to leave a hard drive mounted in an old pc, getting power from the problem PC but with a data cable strung over to a different machine.  Works fine in a pinch.
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AZRedhawk44

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Re: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« Reply #9 on: June 26, 2009, 12:15:33 PM »
I've been too lazy to use any sort of file system, I always saved my photo files to the desktop. Where will these go in a re-install?

The "desktop" is actually a subfolder of the user profile.  Different users have different desktops.

It will be located at C:\Documents and Settings\Username\Desktop.
"But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain - that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist."
--Lysander Spooner

I reject your authoritah!

Azrael256

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Re: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« Reply #10 on: June 26, 2009, 08:07:15 PM »
A reinstall at this point is unwise.  It could very well be a disk issue if the memory is good.

Plug the drive in somewhere else and get your stuff off, and go from there.  If you're configured for a crash dump (look for a .dmp file in the windows directory), I can tell you pretty easily if it was memory, disk, or something like A/V.

brimic

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Re: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« Reply #11 on: June 28, 2009, 10:47:28 PM »
Can I use ubuntu to get my stuff off?

I just ran it now, my computer is running, I seem to be able to access the files on my harddrive, though the organization of it all is going to take me some time to figure out- I'm finding stuff that I lost a long time ago, but cannot find my current files yet. The HDD isn't making any weird noises.

I'm guesssing that something on my XP startup is corrupted?

Could I install Ubuntu and use it instead of XP to retrieve my files and replace my OS?
"now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb" -Dark Helmet

"AK47's belong in the hands of soldiers mexican drug cartels"-
Barack Obama

brimic

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Re: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« Reply #12 on: June 28, 2009, 11:58:33 PM »
Ok, took awhile but found my files.

I cannot burn thme to a disc because I'm running ubuntu from a CD and it won't allow me to eject it to put a blank CD in. I might have to install ubuntu to the HDD anyhow...
"now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb" -Dark Helmet

"AK47's belong in the hands of soldiers mexican drug cartels"-
Barack Obama

Ben

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Re: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« Reply #13 on: June 29, 2009, 09:37:56 AM »
If the HD is dying, you're taking a chance by installing the Ubuntu to the drive. Can you borrow an external drive from someone to temporarily transfer the files to? Or do you have a thumb drive? If you're moving files to CD, I'm guessing you don't have gigs and gigs of data.

Else if you have to buy a new drive anyway, You could get it now and stick that in the machine, put your new OS of choice on, and then grab the files off the old drive.
"I'm a foolish old man that has been drawn into a wild goose chase by a harpy in trousers and a nincompoop."

brimic

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Re: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« Reply #14 on: June 29, 2009, 09:52:54 AM »
Quote
If the HD is dying, you're taking a chance by installing the Ubuntu to the drive. Can you borrow an external drive from someone to temporarily transfer the files to? Or do you have a thumb drive? If you're moving files to CD, I'm guessing you don't have gigs and gigs of data.

I have maybe 15 gigs of stuff to recover- too much for a thumb drive. I might just the route of buying an external drive- been thinking about getting one for some time now- storing photos on CD is a PITA- I already have close to 30 CDs full of photos.
"now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb" -Dark Helmet

"AK47's belong in the hands of soldiers mexican drug cartels"-
Barack Obama

AZRedhawk44

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Re: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« Reply #15 on: June 29, 2009, 10:19:03 AM »
I don't think you can install Ubuntu AND have your files still remain in place.

Windows runs on a file system called NTFS, while Linux runs on EXT3 (usually... there are other systems too). 

Ubuntu will likely blow away the entire file system before recreating it.

You'll need to either get an external drive to transfer your stuff, or (better idea) get a new internal drive to run either Ubuntu or Windows from... disconnect your old drive for the install process just so you don't accidentally wipe it instead of the new one, then plug the old one in once you're done with install.  Get your data back over from the old drive, and you'll have a bright shiny big new drive in your computer.
"But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain - that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist."
--Lysander Spooner

I reject your authoritah!

brimic

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Re: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« Reply #16 on: June 29, 2009, 10:26:06 AM »
Quote
I don't think you can install Ubuntu AND have your files still remain in place.

Windows runs on a file system called NTFS, while Linux runs on EXT3 (usually... there are other systems too). 

Ubuntu will likely blow away the entire file system before recreating it.

Ok, that was a no-go that I was looking for. Thanks!

"now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb" -Dark Helmet

"AK47's belong in the hands of soldiers mexican drug cartels"-
Barack Obama

Vodka7

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Re: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« Reply #17 on: June 29, 2009, 08:22:14 PM »
By default Ubuntu SHOULD want to repartition your drive.  Basically, it'll take all the free space on your drive and install Ubuntu there, without touching any of your existing data.  The next time you reboot, it SHOULD give you the option to either try XP, or go into Ubuntu.  From Ubuntu, if the new partition has enough free space, you could transfer your old files onto the new partition.  Then you could nuke the old partition, and fold the newly-created unused space into your Ubuntu partition, erasing all traces of XP and leaving your install intact.

That's more "shoulds" and "ifs" than I'm comfortable with though, especially on someone else's machine =D.  The idea is sound, but if something goes haywire...  Could be a lot less effort to just buy a new hard drive.

Ben

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Re: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« Reply #18 on: June 29, 2009, 08:44:14 PM »
Also, sorry, I was mixing your thread up with whichever one has the clickity clackity HD problem, hence the reference to the dying drive. Nevertheless Vodka7 speaks true. Ubuntu (as most Linux flavors) is usually really slick at installing as dual boot over Windows. However, when you're getting blue screens and error messages it's just not worth taking the chance. Drives are dirt cheap and a second drive is the safest way to go.
"I'm a foolish old man that has been drawn into a wild goose chase by a harpy in trousers and a nincompoop."

brimic

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Re: Need XP guru- Blue screen of death
« Reply #19 on: June 30, 2009, 08:14:39 AM »
Picked up an external drive last night, going to give it a try tonight.
"now you see that evil will always triumph, because good is dumb" -Dark Helmet

"AK47's belong in the hands of soldiers mexican drug cartels"-
Barack Obama