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Originally Posted by Brian Lesser
This is definately a memory error. Definately identifiable since it gives you the memory address as part of the error...
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It's not necessarily a memory problem; in fact, just about every
BSOD will put up a memory address. This only refers to the position in memory of the file (e.g. executable or kernel-mode driver) that was involved in the unhandled exception or illegal operation. I'd suggest trying some other things first, before you go for the memory.
Make sure that you have administrative access (not usually a problem on XP, since it runs as an administrator by default—which is not always such a good plan).
First thing: check for viruses and spyware; most antivirus companies have free web-based scanning tools. Though this doesn't really look like a virus, sometimes they can interfere with the interactions between programs. Also, spyware which integrates itself into Explorer windows can cause all sorts of problems. Try
Symantec's online scanner and
Ad-Aware.
Now, if that doesn't work, try a repair installation. (Boot with the CD, follow the instructions for a repair installation—
do not create new partitions or reinstall, and do not restore from a system restore point unless you know exactly what that restore point contains!) Surprisingly often, this is all that is necessary.
If that doesn't solve things, you can try to completely uninstall your video drivers, and install a version which you know to be compatible (some nVidia drivers use a modified version of sysfader.exe; consider ignoring this particular suggestion if you do not have an nVidia card).
If you really must test the memory, don't pull it out. Run
Memtest86+, which can, with a high degree of certainty, pick out repeatable hardware malfunctions in RAM. It should be invoked with a bootable CD, and left to run for a while; it will try to overlay specific patterns on regions of memory, and compare the retrieved values with what it wrote in the first place.
Note that these steps are reasonably complex processes that can involve considerable manipulation of system configurations; if you're not comfortable doing these according to the software and hardware vendors' instructions, don't, because there are numerous ways in which this can go wrong.
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Originally Posted by Fruity Pebbles
Might wanna dust it out while your in there.
your soposted to do that once a year.
just a side note....i'm a+ certified...and on my cert test they asked me how often to dust inside of a computer....
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For the love of all things holy, do not use a vacuum cleaner to do this. Moving air can cause static charges to build up. That, more than anything else, will ensure that you
do have a RAM problem. (If your vacuum cleaner has a metal hose, and is properly grounded, you might get away with it. I wouldn't try it. Just use a soft cloth.)