Another IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL :(

[Blinky88]

Hello all,

What a nightmare!!!

I have been receiving frequent and inconsistent Blue Screens displaying IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL for split second (so fast that I can't work out what else is on the page).

However, before this I was receiving the blue screen displaying BUGCODE_NDIS_DRIVER at the top, but this seems to have stopped now.

It might be useful to know that this started occurring on the same night I installed "Hotspot Shield".

I tried uninstalling it, as well as doing a system restore to the point before I installed it, but the BSODs keep appearing.

I have also tried a full system scan using Malwarebytes, Avast and Hitman Pro and they found no infections (this was difficult because my laptop kept BSOD during the scans!!).

I have installed new drivers for my nVidia graphics card as I heard this could be a problem, have also run CCleaner to clean my registry.

I have also uninstalled a lot of programs including MagicIso and lots of games/other software I had.

To be honest I'm surprised I have managed to write all of this without a BSOD!

I am running:

Windows 7 Home Premium x64
Asus G51J
i7-720QM
nVIDIA GeForce GTX 260M
4GB RAM

Please let me know if there is any other information I can provide to help? I am fairly useless with computers so apologies for my incompetence!

The only thing I haven't attempted is a fresh reinstallation of Windows but I can't because my version came pre-installed when I bought the laptop.

Also followed the instructions on the forum and attached the file (No idea what it means??)

Thank you

James

 

[Blinky88]

Bump.

Does anyone have any ideas? These are becoming more frequent and my only option is to send it off to be repaired which I really don't want to do!

Thanks again

 

[Jonathan_King]

Hello,

Event[375]:
  Log Name: System
  Source: sptd
  Date: 2011-03-01T15:19:24.570
  Event ID: 4
  Task: N/A
  Level: Error
  Opcode: N/A
  Keyword: Classic
  User: N/A
  User Name: N/A
  Computer: James-Laptop
  Description: 
Driver detected an internal error in its data structures for .

SPTD is a driver used by Daemon Tools and Alcohol 120%, though I see neither installed. Did you remove it with the others? Please remove SPTD itself with this tool: http://www.duplexsecure.com/download/SPTDinst-v174-x64.exe

Next time you get a BSOD, could you quickly go to C:\Windows, and locate a memory.dmp file? If you see one, move it to the desktop, and then right-click > send to > new compressed folder. Then upload that dump to Rapidshare and post a link here.

Also, disable CCleaner for now; perhaps it is deleting your minidump files. If you see any files in C:\Windows\Minidump after your next BSOD, please upload them instead of the full dump.

 

[CarlTR6]

In addition to Jonathan's spot on advice, uninstall HotSpot Shield. It is known to cause BSOD's on some Win 7 systems. Here is an article on this: Gadgets Review: Hssdrv.sys causing blue screen error

 

[Blinky88]

Hello, thankyou so much for the replies!

Jonathan_King I have run that SPTD program. Am I supposed to click "update" or "uninstall" ?
Also, there doesn't appear to be a memory.dmp file anywhere. Although there is a minidump folder but it is empty (Even after my most recent BSOD which was about 5 minutes before this post).
Also, yes I have removed Daemon Tools and Alcohol 120%

CarlTR6 thanks for the article. I removed Hotspot Shield instantly when these BSODs starting occuring.

*EDIT

I also tried showing hidden files but I still cannot locate any .dmp files in C:WINDOWS

 

[Jonathan_King]

You'll want to select "Uninstall", because even the new versions of SPTD cause BSODs.

Perhaps CCleaner is deleting these dumps; be sure to disable it.

I notice you are low on disk space; some dumps are being deleted as a result. Do you have an external hard drive? If so, let's change the dump directory to that drive. Right-click on My Computer, and select Properties. In the left pane, select "Advanced system properties". Click on the settings for "Startup and recovery", and change the dump file path from "%SystemRoot%\MEMORY.DMP" to "E:\dumps\memory.dmp". You may need to reboot, Windows will tell you.

 

[Blinky88]

Hey,

I selected uninstall and it prompted a reboot.

I have also uninstalled CCleaner just in case it was deleting the dumps.

I have also followed your instructions and changed the path to my external hard drive which in this case is L:\dumps\memory.dmp

Thanks again!

 

[Blinky88]

Update: I have just had my most recent BSOD, and my L:\dumps folder is still empty. Hmm...

 

[Jonathan_King]

Could you please upload a new jcgriff2 report?

http://www.sevenforums.com/crashes-debugging/96879-blue-screen-death-bsod-posting-instructions.html

 

[Blinky88]

Phew, just managed to finish the report before it BSOD'd again!

Also, checked my external hard drive again, still no .dmp file.

 

[Jonathan_King]

Now I am seeing no true BSODs being recorded, just random, unexplained reboots. If you are seeing actually bluescreens, it means Windows is shutting down before it has time to record the info. Typically, this is caused by hardware failure, such as RAM and hard drive.

I'd expect to see some errors if the hard drive was failing, but we can't rely on that. Run SeaTools for DOS, since Windows may not be stable enough for the other version.

Run Memtest86 as well, for the RAM. See here: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/105647-ram-test-memtest86.html

 

[Blinky88]

I see, are there any programs you recommend which will run a diagnostic on my RAM and hard drive?

Edit - whoops just realised you had already posted them! Will download and run them now.

Thanks again

 

[Blinky88]

Update: I have ran MemTest86 and received the message "Pass complete, no errors found, press ESC to reboot"

Unfortunately I have no blank CDs to be able to run SeaTools for DOS. Are there any other ways of checking my hard drive for errors?

Thank you

 

[Jonathan_King]

Just to make sure: did you run Memtest86, or the built-in Windows Memory Diagnostic?

To test the hard drive, we can try using chkdsk. Boot up the Windows DVD or repair disc, and select "repair my computer". Open a command prompt, and enter chkdsk c: /r.

 

[Blinky88]

Yes I followed the instructions you posted. Downloaded Memtest86, executed it and chose my USB drive for the boot drive, reset notebook and it ran the program for about 30 minutes and it was finished.

Annoyingly, my Windows 7 came preinstalled and the vendor did not provide me with a disk, nor does there seem to be any recovery partition on my hard drive!

I have emailed Asus and the vendor to see if they can send me one. Hope they do!

 

[Blinky88]

Alternatively,

My friend has a Dell XPS notebook running Windows 7 Home Premium x64 like I am, and one of his hard drives has a recovery partition folder. If I was to copy and paste this onto mine, would it work? Or is it completely different because his is a Dell?

Thanks again

 

[Zardoc]

Hi there,

IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL is most often a memory issue. If you have 2 sticks run one at a time. Yes, it slows the system but the test is better than memtest. Or, if someone has a few spare sticks of mem, try it out.

I would also check vid card drivers are up to date.

 

[rannjvr]

to fix that problem

If you receive this error message, follow these steps to resolve the issue:

1. Restart the computer and see if you receive an option to revert back to a previous operating system. Choose this option if it is displayed. If you do not receive the option to revert to a previous operating system, skip to step 3.
2. When your computer starts Windows 98 or Windows Me, uninstall any antivirus software and boot manager software (such as Roxio GoBack), and then "clean boot" your computer by using the information in one of the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles:267288 (How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows Millennium Edition ) How to Perform a Clean Boot in Windows Millennium Edition
   192926 (How to Perform Clean-Boot Troubleshooting for Windows 98 ) How to Perform Clean-Boot Troubleshooting for Windows 98
   After your computer starts in the "clean boot" environment, try to upgrade to Windows XP again. If the upgrade procedure does not work and you receive the same error message, the problem may be a hardware problem.
3. Remove any unnecessary hardware from the computer. Disconnect any Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices and printers, and remove the network adapter, sound card, serial adapters, and so on.
4. If you continue to receive this error message, you may need to flash the BIOS on the computer's motherboard. Refer to the manufacturer of your computer or the Web site for the motherboard for information about how to do this.

NOTE: If you need assistance with steps 3 or 4, contact your hardware manufacturer. Note that making hardware or BIOS changes to your computer may invalidate your warranty. If you do not want to make hardware changes to your computer, you can take your computer to a repair center.

 

[Zardoc]

I'm sorry but that article is almost 4 years old. What's the purpose?

 

[Blinky88]

Zardoc, thanks for your reply. Should I simply dismantle my notebook to remove a stick of RAM, then run my laptop to see if it BSODs again? Also, I my video card drivers are up to date.

rannjvr, the articles you have provided are for Windows ME and 98? How do I go about removing network adapter, sound card, serial adapters etc?

Thanks guys

Edit - would just like to mention my BIOS are up to date as well.