Another BSOD Issue

[Slytod]

Not tried it yet. The manual is at my place so I’ll have to find one on the net.
Will update when I have something to report. (May try a test with all in first.)

Dash it ! Have now twice installed memtest on my USB drive and tried to boot from it. Both times I get a screenful of info come up, limited time to read it before it tries to reboot, then a blank screen. Disheartened.

Actually the data is PC info. Lots of items on PCI or PCIE. And info on ATA(PI) Devices. Nothing clearly interesting.

[Slytod]

Given no suggestions as to why I’d just get a blank screen and not indication of a memory test I’ll try re-downloading the programme again and reinstalling it on the USB drive. Not sure I’m that hopeful though.

BTW does anyone know why Microsoft Defender, when asked to scan a single file, opens up a window insisting one selects a whole directory. without showing all the files in the directory (and then takes so long scaning the whole directory that one gives up and takes the downloaded file to another PC which isn’t relying on Defender) ?

edit
Downloaded the programme again; once more wrote the image to the USB drive; exactly the same thing when run. Info on the PC followed by a blank screen.

Found a different programme named memtest (no 86) which is meant to run from within Windows. Doesn’t sound quite as effective in that case. Tried it and it says it can only look at part of the memory unless one buys the pro version. Would have liked to have tried it but the box where one specifies which memory to test dislikes anything I type into it; the manual for it is on the upstairs desktop, the one I’m testing is downstairs. Not sorted that yet but already disillusioned.

Any alternative memory checking software folk could recommend ?

[Slytod]

As update. It appears that the memtest86 instructions seem not to create a bootable USB drive. Tried many times in different ways. Lastly by actually changing the BIOS to make the removable drive 1st boot priority. Just sails past in that case, into Windows on the C: drive.

It seems as if memtest86 has forsaken BIOS for some other thing. Had to get an old version 4 memtest86 before it would boot. One would have thought they’d keep it backwardly compatible with the older PCs that are more likely to develop an issue and so need to run memtest86 in the first place.

0059562ca58 - 22870.1MB
0062fcfcd98 - 25340.9MB

Lowest & highest error addresses. Now need to work out which memory board these are.

[jmarket]

Keep us updated

[Slytod]

Trying to convince my girlfriend to take the PC back to hers today, and over Xmas. She’s less than keen to have my large PC hanging around her place, but we’ll see.

[Slytod]

Been testing each of the 6 RAM boards in turn today. For a moment I thought I’d found one that wouldn’t test, so I went on to the next board. Finally I had tried all so plugged in the suspect board to retry, and it started testing instead of just showing a blank screen ! Unsure why. Maybe I’d put it in the wrong slot, or something. It will be offputting if it passes along with the other 5.

edit
Yes, it did exactly what would cause most confusion. The 6th board ran 2 passes without error so out that came and the suspect 5th board put back. As one might guess, this time it showed no errors. So, I installed all 6 boards back into the slots that they came from, the test was running all night, no errors. Still running in fact.

Unsure whether this is good or bad. On the one hand it seems to be working, but all that’s occurred is the boards have been removed, then put back again. No idea why they’d need that after years of being ok. On the other hand, if there’s still an issue it’s gone into hiding and so I can’t see how we can chase it further. (Knowing my luck the memory will prove to be a “red herring” and it’ll crash out on something else when going back to Windows.)

[Slytod]

OK, I’m loathe to claim it’s fixed only to find later that it isn’t but: it’s been on a few days now, admittedly mainly behind the screen saver but, no BSOD during that time. It may be that simply pulling out the boards and putting them back, achieved something; but for the life of me I can’t imagine why, after years of working ok undisturbed, it was suddenly in need of some movement. Maybe the contacts oxidised or something. In any case, as long as I can reopen the thread if it starts failing again, I guess this could be considered solved ?

[jmarket]

We can keep this open until Christmas day and if no problems arise, then we can consider it solved

[Slytod]

Can only say that, although I’ve not had the need to use my PC at my girlfriend’s place, it has been left on continually and is still going behind the screensaver; no crashes.

[jmarket]

Sounds like it might be solved

I’ll go ahead and mark it as so

Happy Holidays!