Blue Screen Error

[RealJimbo]

PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA

I had this then complete failure a few days later. Dell replaced HD under warranty, now have it again. Any techies know what the heck I'm dealing with here?

[mmonroe]

Do you have the stop error code? if your computer is still under warranty, you may have them look at your RAM.

[MadMonk]

Hard to tell with the limited info, but it's probably either memory or a corrupt system file - probably a .dll file.

If the same file is mentioned in the error time after time, that's likely the cause. You can try copying the file from another machine with the same OS, but it's a crap shoot. Sometimes it's just easier to wipe the OS and reinstall, depending on how good you are a backing up your data and how much time you want to spend reinstalling apps, drivers, etc.

If it changes file names every time, it's likely a memory hardware issue. Look in the system logs for possible clues. You can also download memtest86, boot to the CD and let it run over night to see if anything pops up.
Memtest86 - Download Page

[mmonroe]

Memtest86, my favorite program when I was in IT. Sure beet the RAM tester we had with blinking lights.

[MikeOKC]

Here's the "official" answer to your problem.

I've seen this error when page file is turned off and there's too little memory to be running the system with paging turned off. I am VERY surprised Dell would have replaced the hard drive. It's almost always defective RAM or what I mentioned above. It's a problem with finding the info in memory BEFORE it hits the cache on the drive so I am perplexed why they would have replaced the drive. I'm curious, did you talk to Dell Home support or Dell Business support? I always buy through Home/Small Business to get stateside support without the language barriers and it's also just much, much better.

Good luck!

[RealJimbo]

Here's the "official" answer to your problem.

I've seen this error when page file is turned off and there's too little memory to be running the system with paging turned off. I am VERY surprised Dell would have replaced the hard drive. It's almost always defective RAM or what I mentioned above. It's a problem with finding the info in memory BEFORE it hits the cache on the drive so I am perplexed why they would have replaced the drive. I'm curious, did you talk to Dell Home support or Dell Business support? I always buy through Home/Small Business to get stateside support without the language barriers and it's also just much, much better.

Good luck!

I have 4Gb of memory installed. Not savvy enough to know about turning page file on/off. I am running 2 sticks of 2Gb. Is there a better memory setup? Tech Info on the blue screen says something like (oxoooooo5, etc. etc.)

[RealJimbo]

I just spent another day on the phone and online with Dell. Hope it's fixed.

[RealJimbo]

BTW - after SEVERAL blue screen errors, all different, Dell says it was software conflicts. Really? Out of the blue? Heh heh heh...

[MadMonk]

Does it do it immediately at boot up? Have you tried going into safe mode?

[RealJimbo]

Yes, it does boot up immediately. I have been in safe mode several times, though, with Dell online with me. I think they may have overcome the condition last Saturday. Uninstalled remnants of an old video card driver. There is still one piece of an old ATI driver that won't uninstall.

[Euphoria]

Try using the microsoft removal tool on that piece of the ATI driver. It's MS's way of killing things with fire.

[RealJimbo]

You all know that I'm a rooky, so I don't need to tell you. Last night I spent another 3 1/2 hours on the phone with an Indian guy from Dell. No slam on Indian guys, but I can never get my problem fixed. I think it is more of a distance thing - they have no investment in American people, are too far away for me to go kick their butts, etc. - any way another blue screen this morning. I'm sick of Dell now and hope someone shoots me if I ever even think about buying another Dell. I have more than 24 hours of online and on-phone time in this, $130 "software solutions" time with Dell, $100 for a new graphics card and still i continue getting blue screen errors. I've been demanding a new computer - mine is still under extended warranty - but they shuffle me off to someone who starts a gotoassist session and gets nothing done other than cranking my blood pressure up a few degrees.

Any suggestions for a good shop who can wipe my HD, reinstall the OS and check all the hardware to make sure that isn't what is doing this?

How about the new graphics card - nVidia GeForce 9400 GT? It came packed with a thin little 2-conductor cable that can plug into a socket on the side of the card (I looks that way) and the other end looks as though it could plug into a block of 2-conductor connections on the mother board, near the back edge, in about the center of the board. Could that cause something like this?

I'm obviously clueless. Any ideas are appreciated.

[MikeOKC]

When anybody buys Dell, PLEASE, buy from the Dell Small Business section of the site. Anybody can buy there, you can be "Joe Blow and Associates" and you actually many times get a better deal than from the 'Home' section. But, the biggest reason is to get Dell Small Business support; it is based in the United States, no language problems and the techs are better. Don't waste time with Dell Home because when you need help, you end up just like RealJimbo. If I were him, I would be pulling my hair out too. Dell needs to get their **** together on 'Home' support.

[skyrick]

I'm sick of Dell now and hope someone shoots me if I ever even think about buying another Dell.

Possibly it's an OS problem (Windows), not hardware. Macs don't crash. At least, none of the four I've had over the last 10 years has.

[mugofbeer]

You all know that I'm a rooky, so I don't need to tell you. Last night I spent another 3 1/2 hours on the phone with an Indian guy from Dell. No slam on Indian guys, but I can never get my problem fixed. I think it is more of a distance thing - they have no investment in American people, are too far away for me to go kick their butts, etc. - any way another blue screen this morning. I'm sick of Dell now and hope someone shoots me if I ever even think about buying another Dell. I have more than 24 hours of online and on-phone time in this, $130 "software solutions" time with Dell, $100 for a new graphics card and still i continue getting blue screen errors. I've been demanding a new computer - mine is still under extended warranty - but they shuffle me off to someone who starts a gotoassist session and gets nothing done other than cranking my blood pressure up a few degrees.

Any suggestions for a good shop who can wipe my HD, reinstall the OS and check all the hardware to make sure that isn't what is doing this?

How about the new graphics card - nVidia GeForce 9400 GT? It came packed with a thin little 2-conductor cable that can plug into a socket on the side of the card (I looks that way) and the other end looks as though it could plug into a block of 2-conductor connections on the mother board, near the back edge, in about the center of the board. Could that cause something like this?

I'm obviously clueless. Any ideas are appreciated.

OK, I know very little about computers so I'm just spouting something that happened at my office. Our systems were running just fine until they installed some new check processing software at the customer branch downstairs. Suddenly blue screens, 5-10 times a day. Several different messages. No one could figure it out for weeks until someone figured out some sort of directions within the software for this check processing system conflicted with the regular network and caused the blue screen.

Moral, it may have nothign to do with your computer but may have more to do with the software installed. Any new software or downloads? Could even be a virus.

[Bunty]

You all know that I'm a rooky, so I don't need to tell you. Last night I spent another 3 1/2 hours on the phone with an Indian guy from Dell. No slam on Indian guys, but I can never get my problem fixed. I think it is more of a distance thing - they have no investment in American people, are too far away for me to go kick their butts, etc. - any way another blue screen this morning. I'm sick of Dell now and hope someone shoots me if I ever even think about buying another Dell. I have more than 24 hours of online and on-phone time in this, $130 "software solutions" time with Dell, $100 for a new graphics card and still i continue getting blue screen errors. I've been demanding a new computer - mine is still under extended warranty - but they shuffle me off to someone who starts a gotoassist session and gets nothing done other than cranking my blood pressure up a few degrees.

Any suggestions for a good shop who can wipe my HD, reinstall the OS and check all the hardware to make sure that isn't what is doing this?

How about the new graphics card - nVidia GeForce 9400 GT? It came packed with a thin little 2-conductor cable that can plug into a socket on the side of the card (I looks that way) and the other end looks as though it could plug into a block of 2-conductor connections on the mother board, near the back edge, in about the center of the board. Could that cause something like this?

I'm obviously clueless. Any ideas are appreciated.

Have you tried to eliminate your two sticks of ram as the problem? In other words, pull out one stick and see if computer runs normally. If not, take the last stick out and replace with other. I would have tried doing that by now.

[RealJimbo]

Have you tried to eliminate your two sticks of ram as the problem? In other words, pull out one stick and see if computer runs normally. If not, take the last stick out and replace with other. I would have tried doing that by now.

I may try this, Bunty. I've had those two sticks of memory in the box for a couple of years, though. The newest stuff are a HD monitor, the nVidia graphics card (& drivers), I get games from Dell's game distributor, of course updates for all the software I have and at this point, since Dell replaced my hard drive, only Adobe Elements, MS Office, and the suite that is on the Dell drivers disk.

[RealJimbo]

Have you tried to eliminate your two sticks of ram as the problem? In other words, pull out one stick and see if computer runs normally. If not, take the last stick out and replace with other. I would have tried doing that by now.

Ran diagnostics with the Dell rep last night and it seems you are right! One stick of 2Gb is bad. In fact, the Dell rep says my box won't support more than 1Gb in a dimm. They are sending me 4 sticks @ 1Gb each. I hope that fixes it.

Good call, Bunty.

[gmwise]

Now if only the user can be "fixed".



lol

[MikeOKC]

After my post #5 I am glad Bunty caught on that you hadn't checked all RAM issues. I assumed you had. Dell's doing all this other stuff before checking this BASIC thing (with that particular error) is ridiculous.

[RealJimbo]

After my post #5 I am glad Bunty caught on that you hadn't checked all RAM issues. I assumed you had. Dell's doing all this other stuff before checking this BASIC thing (with that particular error) is ridiculous.

Sad to say, I worked for Dell for a couple of years (sales) and didn't get the significance of getting "gold" level warranty coverage. That's in the US and higher level techs.

GMwise...should be gmwiseguy...lol

[gmwise]

I have heard so many "original" takes on my name.
But the greatest problem is living up to it.
The pressure would have crushed lesser men..


lol

[RealJimbo]

Got 4 sticks of 1Gb each, RAM, yesterday courtesy Dell. Installed, works great, but I won't relax until it has run without a blue screen for a week.