Solved Win7, 64bit - BSOD within minutes of startup - IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

cheatcloth · May 3, 2012

Hi there, newbie here.

I've been getting the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error. Originally the computer just froze and had to be restarted about once or twice per day, but it soon became the BSOD resulting in multiple freezes, restarts and system restores... If it doesn't happen within 10 minutes it won't happen until I next turn on the computer.

Windows 7, 64bit, full retail version. About 2-3 years old. I haven't installed any new devices recently.

Sorry if I've made a mistake in the details. I kinda struggle with much of the technical stuff. :/

Thanks for any help in advance.

writhziden · May 4, 2012

Spybot and McAfee Security Scan Plus should be removed. Spybot is a bit antiquated and is not the best security. McAfee Security Scan Plus does not provide real-time protection and may cause conflicts with the system. I recommend either of these two setups:

Download and install the security setup of your choice, update the software, and then run a full scan of your system for viruses and malware. If you only install MSE, I would also suggest installing and updating Malwarebytes : Free anti-malware, anti-virus and spyware removal download, but do not start the free trial/full version of Malwarebytes. Run a full scan with Malwarebytes after updating it. Post back the results.

The crashes are indicating your network drivers. Your drivers are out of date. Unfortunately, I am unable to find more up to date drivers for your chipset. You could try going through all nForce drivers in Drivers - Download NVIDIA Drivers and seeing if one works. Make sure to create a system restore point before attempting to install any of those drivers.

cheatcloth · May 5, 2012

Thanks for the response writhziden!

I had installed MSE and Malwarebytes shortly after my post because of the recommendations of forum members here

, but now I've uninstalled Spybot and McAfee.
Neither MSE nor Malwarebytes found any problems.

I downloaded the nForce Series 9 drivers (as well as something called "ForceWare Network Access Manager"). So far nothing bad has happened even with the computer restarts to install the software, so fingers crossed it worked. I guess I'll report back in the next few days or if another crash happens.

writhziden · May 5, 2012

You're wecome. Let us know if the problem is solved in a few days, as well.

Best of luck!

cheatcloth · May 9, 2012

Unfortunately, the problem isn't quite fixed. It has been four days so I've turned the comp off and on four times.

On the first day since downloading the new drivers, the screen froze after I opened firefox so I forced a restart. When I opened firefox, again it froze and this time the screen became badly pixelated. After another restart it was fine, and I noticed nothing strange except some things like pictures were loading differently or failing to, but I don't think that was driver related?

The two days after that were fine, no problems on startup, and I didn't notice the same problems with pictures I thought all was good.
Today I got a BSOD, with the error PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA.

I attached the minidumps from that crash. So, have I installed the wrong drivers or is something else wrong? :/

writhziden · May 10, 2012

Please fill in your system specs to get better help. Do you have a laptop or desktop?

Fill in your specs in your profile (not in a post in this thread). http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/180324-system-info-see-your-system-specs.html can help with filling them in.

cheatcloth · May 10, 2012

I have updated the system specs, though not every field has been filled in, is that all right? It's a desktop.

writhziden · May 10, 2012

Thank you for filling in your system specs. Now we will have an idea of what troubleshooting steps we can recommend safely.

The latest crash .dmp file indicates hard disk errors.

If you are overclocking any hardware, please stop.
Run Disk Check with both boxes checked for all HDDs and with Automatically fix file system errors checked for all SSDs. Post back your logs for the checks after finding them using http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/96938-check-disk-chkdsk-read-event-viewer-log.html.
For any drives that do not give the message:
Windows has checked the file system and found no problems
run disk check again as above. In other words, if it says:
Windows has made corrections to the file system
after running the disk check, run the disk check again.

cheatcloth · May 11, 2012

Great, anything that will help

I ran Disk Check and attached the reports. Corrections were made in the C drive so I ran it twice.

Also, do you think the new drivers I installed earlier are fine to keep, since I don't seem to have had problems with it?

writhziden · May 11, 2012

The new drivers should be fine if they installed without error. Normally, if drivers are not supported, the driver installation will give a message that it did not find appropriate hardware for the installation. Your crashes also did not indicate them as a likely problem.

Disk checks look good. See how the system behaves for a while and post back how it is responding or if you need help.

cheatcloth · May 16, 2012

Argh, this is so persistent.

Everything was fine for a couple of days, then I had a random restart. Was all fine again until today when I got another BSOD. The disk checks seem to have helped a lot, but the problem is still there.

Edit: I've been looking around on other threads- apparently AVG causes problems sometimes? I actually have that installed but I've had it for ages without trouble..

writhziden · May 16, 2012

Almost all antivirus software causes problems sometimes. Microsoft Security Essentials is the least invasive to the OS because it is designed by the same company that made the OS. However, in most cases, the other antivirus software can be uninstalled and then re-installed to resolve problems. You would want to use the AVG Remover to uninstall AVG. I am not saying you need to; as of yet, I have not seen anything to implicate problems due to AVG. I was just giving the options available if you are concerned about it.

The crashes indicate a hardware concern.

Warning

Before you proceed with the following, answer these two questions: Are you still under warranty? Does your warranty allow you to open up the machine to check hardware? If you are unsure of the answers to these questions, contact your system manufacturer. :warn:WARNING: The steps that follow can void your warranty!!!

If you are overclocking any hardware, please stop.
Monitor temperatures during the following tests.

Use the following programs to monitor the temperatures.
- Real Temp is a good CPU temperature monitor.
- Speccy - System Information - Free Download will monitor all hardware temperatures.
- HWiNFO, HWiNFO32 & HWiNFO64 - Hardware Information and Analysis Tools can be inaccurate for CPU temperatures, but is a good program for GPU temperature monitoring.
- Use FurMark: VGA Stress Test, Graphics Card and GPU Stability Test, Burn-in Test, OpenGL Benchmark and GPU Temperature | oZone3D.Net to test the graphics card GPU. Let it run until the GPU temperatures even out or until the GPU temperatures reach a dangerous level (you can find the max temperature for your card on either the nVidia or AMD sites; if you are not sure, ask us). The goal is to get a steady temperature, find out if the GPU is overheating, or to see if there are any artifacts present in the test itself: look for strange pixelated patterns on the screen or colors that do not look like they belong. Then use the |MG| Video Memory Stress Test 1.7.116 Download to test your graphics card memory. Let the memory test run for at least seven passes; the more the better.
- Run http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/100352-hardware-stress-test-prime95.html to determine any hardware problems. Run all three tests for a few hours each. If you get errors, stop the test and post back here.
- Follow the steps for doing CPU stress test using IntelBurnTest
Run the boot version of Memtest86+ paying close attention to Parts 2 and 3 of the tutorial. Also, in case Memtest86+ misses anything and comes up with no errors, run the extended version of the Windows Memory Diagnostics Tool for at least five passes. These you may want to run overnight since they take a long time to complete (run them an hour before bed each of the next two nights and check before going to sleep that they are still running).

For Part 3: If You Have Errors: If you swap any memory components, follow these steps for ESD safety:
1. Shut down and turn off your computer.
2. Unplug all power supplies to the computer (AC Power then battery for laptops, AC power for desktops)
3. Hold down the power button for 30 seconds to close the circuit and ensure all power drains from components.
4. Make sure you are grounded by using proper grounding techniques, i.e. work on an anti-static workbench, anti-static desk, or an anti-static pad. Hold something metallic while touching it to the anti-static surface, or use an anti-static wristband to attach to the anti-static material while working.
Once these steps have been followed, it is safe to remove and replace components within your computer.

Also, since your previous crashes indicated hard disk problems, it may be a good idea to run the Hitachi Drive Fitness Test to make sure the hard disk is not failing.

cheatcloth · May 28, 2012

Hi, sorry for the delayed reply. My computer is still under warranty, so I guess I should take further problems to Acer before trying what you suggested. Although, I haven't had a single problem since my last post, for some reason. But I want to say thanks for your assistance and clear instructions.

writhziden · May 28, 2012

You're welcome. Let us know if you need anything further. Also, keep us updated how Acer responds and whether they are able to resolve it if you do take the system to their support.

cheatcloth · May 30, 2012

Sure. Well seems I jinxed it, the crashes returned two days in a row, lol. So in the next few weeks I'll send the computer in and tell you if they could fix it or not.

writhziden · May 30, 2012

Good idea. Thanks for posting back.

cheatcloth · Jul 27, 2012

Hello again! I've got my computer back, Acer fixed it in a bit over three weeks (though they forgot to keep me updated, heh). Apparently one or two of the cables were faulty. So there ya go.

Solved Win7, 64bit - BSOD within minutes of startup - IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

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