STOP Error Message

This isn't really a security related thread, it's more of a problem. I have a lappy, and every so often it decides to come up with a Blue Screen saying that Windows has had a problem and needs to shut down (or something like that) and I have to restart. That has been happening for about 2 yrs now, and I want it to stop, because I'm fed up of it. The past couple of times it has happened, I have noted what it said. Here are a few or the STOP messages:

Code:

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*** STOP: 0x0000008E (0xC0000005, 0x804E7440, 0xF3B63A40, 0X00000000)

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Code:

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*** STOP: 0x0000008E (0xC0000005, 0xBF9D903E, 0xF43EE6E4, 0x00000000)

*** s3gnb.dll - Address BF9D903E base at BF9D3000, DateStamp 3C17F0F6

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NB to above: my graphics card is S3 Twister K Graphics...

Code:

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*** STOP: 0x0000008E (0xC0000005, 0xBF814042, 0xF3933F0, 0x00000000)

*** win32k.sys - Address BF814042 base at BF800000, DateStamp 41107f7a

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All the above ones have just happened when I have been on the internet, looking at a large Word document, etc...
The one below happened when I was resuming Windows after hibernation:

Code:

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KERNEL_STACK_INPAGE_ERROR

*** STOP: 0x00000077 (0x00000001, 0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0xF46F795C)

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If anyone knows how to fix this problem, please let me know, because it is a real pain when you are doing something important and you computer restarts! I have found something useful here, which has stopped the error message restarting my computer automatically, so I have time to write it down. Here there is a more detailed description of each error message with links to M$' website but I haven't been able to find out how to fix it.

I emailed the editor of PcStats.com who gave me a few tips and also said it could be a memory corruption, with a link to an article on his website about "Diagnosing Bad Memory". I have used both MemTest86+ and DocMem but both have come up as "Pass". Can someone please tell me what to do?

Thanks in advance,

J_K9

Well, apart from having done some thorough research you haven't really told us what you have tried to resolve the problem, so please do not get impatient if some of my suggestions are "been there, done that" :D

1. Get AdAware SE and SpyBot Search & Destroy, update them and run them in safe mode.
2. Run PC-Cillin (Trend Micro) "Housecall" online AV scanner

That should eliminate the possibility of a malware cause.

3. It seems as if your RAM is OK but it could be overheating...............what are the temperatures inside the box?
4. The HDD could be defective, run chkdsk with surface scan. Then get the diagnostics tools from the HDD manufacturer and run those.
5. Try disabling the hibernate, sleep and power saving options.
6. Try to remove any unwanted programs from startup..........call them when you need them.
7. Shut down apps when you have finished with them.............less of a pain in the butt than have the system do it for you with a BSOD ;)

My gut feeling is that you may have a dodgy video card, and its memory is playing up...........that could be due to over heating.

Heat can be a cause of this sort of thing...............does it happen more frequently in summer, in a warm room?

I assume that you have made sure that the insides are clean and that the fans are free of dust & lint?

Does the problem happen when you are on Main or battery power or both? If it is only on main then your power supply could be on the way out.

As a wild card option , defrag the HDD and set the pagefile size manually...........try about 512Mb.

Good luck

Hey nihil, thanks for the help, I'll do exactly as you said, but the strange thing is that I have formatted my computer and reinstalled Xp several times and it is still there. So, as you suggested, it's probably a compatibility or overheating problem

J_K9

Google is your friend....

Issue: KERNEL_STACK_INPAGE_ERROR
=============================================
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;315266
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...d_stp_ogli.asp

Isse: STOP: win32k.sys - Address BF814042 base at BF800000, DateStamp 41107f7a
=============================================
http://www.experts-exchange.com/Oper..._20777929.html

Issue:s3gnb.dll - Address BF9D903E base at BF9D3000, DateStamp 3C17F0F6
=============================================
http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/1074965681


If you are too lazy to read through all of this info, here is the bottom line. Get new RAM, update the firmware/drivers on your soundcard and BIOS on your box and move the physical positions of your PCI cards. Slide them one over from your sound card. You have a hardware issue dude.

--TH13

Wow, thanks TH! At least I know what I need to do now - thanks. The only problem is that it's a lappy, so I don't know if I can slide them one over from my sound card.

J_K9

Hmmm,

What make and model of laptop is it? I think that it might be a good idea to check what is possible before you take it apart.............they are not the easiest of devices when it comes to that :(

EDIT:

Your error is STOP: 0x0000008E, whereas most of what Hoss is referring to is STOP: 0x00000009, which is a different issue.

I suspect that you probably don't have a soundcard as such.............something onboard like AC97 most likely, after all, a laptop isn't a music box.

Try updating video card drivers.

Sure it could be a hardware problem as we have suggested, but hardware driver problems often look much the same.

I would still follow the process of elimination, it could still be a boot sector virus (in theory). But that video card/drivers seem suspicious.

Let me know the make and model and I will look a bit further.

Also, is this the original OS you are running, and what patch (SP) status is it at?



EDIT#2 Sorry I forgot to explain my thinking:

Quote:

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That has been happening for about 2 yrs now

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If that were a "true" hardware problem I would have expected the device to have died by now, or at least the situation to have deteriorated drastically.

I am adopting a "least cost first" approach, as you are unlikely to have laptop spares readily available for testing.

It is a Compaq Presario 705EA (700), running XP Pro (real version, though laptop came with XP Home), Service Pack 2 installed. I have updated the graphics card driver and all others, but the error message still occurs.

[edit]

Also updated BIOS but it is still a really crappy Phoenix BIOS which has no advanced options. It is: PhoenixBIOS 4.0 Release 6.0

Oh, BTW, in the error message it says to disable caching or shadowing but tjose options aren't available in my BIOS.

[edit#2]

nihil: the error message appears whether the laptop is running off AC or battery power.

J_K9

Hi.
I saw one of the other replies mention that it might be an overheating problem, and I would just like to pitch in on that.
I had a similar problem with my "lappy", and it was caused by overheating. I run many high-demanding applications in my daily work-situation, and found I could solve the problem by simply aquiring a docking-station. It has extra cooling, water and fans, and it keeps the temp down to about 10 degrees centigrade, if it's not too hot in the room. Max is 15. Now, it cost a bit, but there are many simpler models that I'm sure are sufficient. (My employer paid for mine, so I didn't really care... ;-) )

Sincerely,
Murdockh

Guys- I have an answer to my own question - install Linux! Ever since I installed Fedora Core 2 it has been running like a beauty and it isn't getting as hot as it did with Windows. Thanks everyone for your help though!

J_K9

Good deal, man, and good luck with Linux. I've been thinking of switching to that myself, but I'm too lazy, it seems. :-)
Anyways, glad your problem worked itself out.

-M-