Driver_irql_not_less_or_equal (iastor.sys)

[boweasel]

Haven't really been able to find a suitable solution to my friend's PC problems. He gets the BSOD on boot referencing the file iastor.sys.

I really don't know if he is running a 64 bit version or not. Since it is Windows 7, I assume so. I have no idea of his processor, since I've never actually seen it boot cleanly.

Safe mode, last good...etc.., all give the same BSOD. Startup repair either fails to find a problem, or indicates that it cannot repair the PC. System restore failed to help. From the repair console I ran BootRec /fixmbr and BootRec /fixboot, and even bootsect /nt60 ALL, commands that ran successfully, but failed to stop the BSOD.

I went into the system32 folder from the repair console command prompt, and renamed iastor.sys, thinking that if I kept the driver from Intel Matrix Storage Manager from attempting to load, then I could download a new driver.

That didn't work. I now just get a generic BSOD.

My friend does not have an OS Windows 7 disk from Dell, but I have one from Microsoft. However, I can find no sticker on his laptop with a product code, and I'm not sure if an MS disk can be used to install 7 on a Dell.

Right now its in the repair console, accessed w/ my disk. It initiated a startup repair, which now has been running for about 45 minutes.

Any help? At this point he doesn't care if the OS is reinstalled, but I'm concerned about the lack of a code sticker.

 

[Maguscreed]

The lack of a sticker shouldn't happen, unless he got it second hand and the previous owner took it off before selling it.
Looking in the battery space with the battery removed would be the only additional place I could think it would be hiding but that would be extremely atypical in and of itself.

Odds are actually against you being able to use the OEM dell key with your retail windows disc anyhow.

 

[boweasel]

Looking in the battery space with the battery removed would be the only additional place I could think it would be hiding but that would be extremely atypical in and of itself.

Oh my gosh... that's where it is. I never thought to look there. Of course that doesn't help me with your following caveat.

Odds are actually against you being able to use the OEM dell key with your retail windows disc anyhow.

So what am I supposed to do? Windows 7 is supposed to be this incredible OS that enables you to recover easily from PC crashes without a disk. Well I've got a disk, and I've got Windows 7, and it doesn't look like I'm going anywhere with either one.

Anybody else???

 

[Maguscreed]

Well OEM with retail disc is about the only installation scenario with win 7 I'm not sure on as I haven't done it myself.
Theoretically it should work though you may have to call in for activation.

activation is not exactly a special area of mine, I believe there are several threads here on the subject though.

 

[boweasel]

Well, I'm a little dubious about reformatting the drive and attempting to install 7 from my MS disk, only to possibly find out that I cannot activate it, if you see my quandary.

I was rather hoping for a solution to the DRIVER_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL - iastor.sys problem.

 

[wish]

Also possible that it was caused by rootkit.
Try to scan with TDSSKiller in safe mode.
Sometimes you'll need several attempt until get into safe mode. (because of the BSOD)
Anti-rootkit utility TDSSKiller

 

[boweasel]

Look, I CANNOT boot into safe mode. I've tried it dozens of times. I'm fairly sure that the problem is caused by a bad iaStor driver from Intel Rapid Storage Technology. .I can boot using my Windows 7 disk, and I can boot using an Ubuntu disk. I even have a 2005 Winternals ERD disk (which boots to a blue screen).

I just need someone to give me some help on how to solve this problem, either by fixing the BSOD or by reinstalling the OS.

There are smart people on this forum, and I'm great at following direction. Please. A little practical help.

 

[boweasel]

At this point I even attempted another restore - I had done a restore to about 2 weeks ago, but that failed to help. Now i tried a restore to the newest restore point, which was just a few days ago (when the PC was working). I get a restore error - so I can't even get it back to where it was.

The blue screen I'm getting now is the 0x7b.with the 2nd parameter 0xfffff880009a98e8.

I can use the Ubuntu disk, but I don't really know what to do to repair Windows 7 from Ubuntu.

 

[Jonathan_King]

Hello,

That seems typical of an MBR infection going around. Extract the Kaspersky TDSS Killer tool onto a USB drive, and then use your Windows DVD to boot the laptop. Select "repair my computer", and open a command prompt. Enter the path of the tdsskiller.exe
file, and press enter. Let it clean out anything it finds.

You should also test the hard drive; I recommend SeaTools for DOS.

 

[gregrocker]

Follow Jonathan's expert advice first. Iastor is Intel Storage Manager which points to possible boot sector corruption.

You can indeed clean install using your Win7 Installation DVD (unlocked if necessary) with the Product Key on COA sticker. You may need to do this in order to wipe the HD if you don't have Recovery DIsks which were made off the Recovery partition. http://www.sevenforums.com/installation-setup/125874-re-install-windows-7-a.html#post1086729

But first I would try running a full factory Recovery following these steps as it is very good with Dell, although the bloatware will be restored along with useless factory utilities which many don't feel are optimal for Win7 best performance: Restoring Your Computer´s Software to the Factory Settings | Dell

If you haven't copied out your files yet you can do so using the Repair CD or your Installation DVD: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/93347-copy-paste-windows-recovery-console.html I assume you've been running Startup Repair from the DVD/Repair CD also so that it doesn't depend on possibly corrupted OS files.

Will be watching the thread.

 

[boweasel]

Extract the Kaspersky TDSS Killer tool onto a USB drive, and then use your Windows DVD to boot the laptop. Select "repair my computer", and open a command prompt. Enter the path of the tdsskiller.exe
file, and press enter. Let it clean out anything it finds.

For some reason I did not think that a USB drive was accessible from the repair console. So I've learned something. But at any rate, when I go to the path on the flash drive and type tdsskiller.exe I get the following msg:

The subsystem needed to support the image type is not present

I even tried copying the exe file to the windows directory and running it from there, but I got the same msg.

 

[Jonathan_King]

Are you using a 32-bit or a 64-bit Windows DVD? If 32-bit, download the 64-bit Windows Repair Disc ISO and try using that instead.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html

 

[boweasel]

Are you using a 32-bit or a 64-bit Windows DVD? If 32-bit, download the 64-bit Windows Repair Disc ISO and try using that instead.

Don't know how I can tell - it's an iso disk I created about a year ago for someone else. I simply made 2 copies and gave them one. The guy whose PC is having the problem did find a Dell Reinstallation DVD - 64 bit - Home Premium. I'll give that a try.

I also notice that the time seems to be constantly off by an hour or 2 or 3 every time I go into the BIOS.

 

[Jonathan_King]

Is it ahead or behind?

 

[boweasel]

This last time it was 3 hours ahead

 

[boweasel]

Got the same msg when trying to run TDSSKiller
The subsystem needed to support the image type is not present
using the 64 bit Dell DVD

And I typed in Time on the recovery prompt and got 21:30 instead of 18:30 (we are in Eastern Time).

I have to go out for the evening - will check back in about 4 - 5 hours

 

[DeanP]

Can't you use System Restore and restore to a point before the problem started?

-- Doesn't affect documents, files. Only Programs, Drivers, etc...

 

[boweasel]

Can't you use System Restore and restore to a point before the problem started?

System restore now gives an error, no matter what restore point I choose.

 

[DeanP]

Try this KB article from Dell.. Stop Error in IASTOR.SYS - KB Article - 311881 | Dell

 

[boweasel]

Have initiated BIOS change to ATA (as per the Dell article), and also downloaded the Intel Matrix Storage Driver (using my old reliable Window XP PC - a quality OS - why didn't they just leave well enough alone?) onto a USB drive, but when I put the flash drive into the Windows 7 laptop, and boot that PC using the Dell Windows 7 64 bit disk, and get to the command prompt, and type in R130119 (the driver previously downloaded).....whew....

I get the same old msg:
The subsystem needed to support the image type is not present

Later today I will click on the Load Drivers option from the CD boot and see if I can get it to work that way...