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#1
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Blue Screen of Death
My in-laws just purchased a Dell Dimension 2400 and are getting the Blue
Screen of Death and a mem dump error whenever they open Internet Explorer or Outlook Express. Numerous calls the tech support and reinstalling XP Home have not helped. Any ideas where to look to solve the problem besides calling tech support. Does Dell provide in home service under warranty? Thanks |
#2
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CJL wrote:
My in-laws just purchased a Dell Dimension 2400 and are getting the Blue Screen of Death and a mem dump error whenever they open Internet Explorer or Outlook Express. Numerous calls the tech support and reinstalling XP Home have not helped. Any ideas where to look to solve the problem besides calling tech support. Does Dell provide in home service under warranty? 1) Dell provides in-home service if you purchased it. 2) Your BSOD is, more than likely, a software problem, not a hardware one, and probably not something Dell's going to take responsibility for. Notan |
#3
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Well, let's get to the easy question first: Dell's warranty includes in-home
service, but that applies to hardware problems. For example, if the hard drive failed and needed to be replaced, you could convince Dell's technical support to send someone to the house to have it replaced. But in-home service doesn't apply to software problems. If the computer is still within the free return period, you may want to just send it back. XP's BSOD consists of a lot of text and some important information right at the bottom. The two key pieces of information you are looking for are 1) the hexadecimal number right after the word STOP, which usually begins with 0x, and 2) a cryptic looking name for the problem, which is usually in caps separated by underscores (LIKE_THIS). For help with the problem, you can search Microsoft's knowledge using either of those bits of information, and you can also try them in Dell's own knowledge base. Another good place to look for an explanation of what they mean is Jim Eshelman's Windows Support Center. Here is a link (look for "STOP Error Messages at Shutdown): http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/shtdwnxp.htm Once you know what the problem is, you can start to work on a solution. Sometimes the blue screen flashes by so quickly that you can't read what it says. That is Windows automatically restarting, since a restart sometimes cures a temporary problem. To prevent Windows from restarting, so you can read the BSOD, go to Control Panel System Advanced Startup and Recovery 'Settings' button, and under System Failure untick Automatically restart. -- Ted Zieglar formerly "Rocket J. Squirrel" "CJL" wrote in message news:y2wLc.4986$_K2.2629@lakeread02... My in-laws just purchased a Dell Dimension 2400 and are getting the Blue Screen of Death and a mem dump error whenever they open Internet Explorer or Outlook Express. Numerous calls the tech support and reinstalling XP Home have not helped. Any ideas where to look to solve the problem besides calling tech support. Does Dell provide in home service under warranty? Thanks |
#4
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have your tried using system restore to a time before the problem started?
start-allprograms-acessories-systemtools-systemrestore if you want good answers then you have to provide much more detail of what lead up to the problem and what you have already done to troubleshoot. otherwise, short of trying system restore, all that can be suggested is that you reload all the software on your system. "CJL" wrote in message news:y2wLc.4986$_K2.2629@lakeread02... My in-laws just purchased a Dell Dimension 2400 and are getting the Blue Screen of Death and a mem dump error whenever they open Internet Explorer or Outlook Express. Numerous calls the tech support and reinstalling XP Home have not helped. Any ideas where to look to solve the problem besides calling tech support. Does Dell provide in home service under warranty? Thanks |
#5
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Thanks for the tips, now I have somewhere to start. "Ted Zieglar aka "Rocky"" wrote in message .. . Well, let's get to the easy question first: Dell's warranty includes in-home service, but that applies to hardware problems. For example, if the hard drive failed and needed to be replaced, you could convince Dell's technical support to send someone to the house to have it replaced. But in-home service doesn't apply to software problems. If the computer is still within the free return period, you may want to just send it back. XP's BSOD consists of a lot of text and some important information right at the bottom. The two key pieces of information you are looking for are 1) the hexadecimal number right after the word STOP, which usually begins with 0x, and 2) a cryptic looking name for the problem, which is usually in caps separated by underscores (LIKE_THIS). For help with the problem, you can search Microsoft's knowledge using either of those bits of information, and you can also try them in Dell's own knowledge base. Another good place to look for an explanation of what they mean is Jim Eshelman's Windows Support Center. Here is a link (look for "STOP Error Messages at Shutdown): http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/shtdwnxp.htm Once you know what the problem is, you can start to work on a solution. Sometimes the blue screen flashes by so quickly that you can't read what it says. That is Windows automatically restarting, since a restart sometimes cures a temporary problem. To prevent Windows from restarting, so you can read the BSOD, go to Control Panel System Advanced Startup and Recovery 'Settings' button, and under System Failure untick Automatically restart. -- Ted Zieglar formerly "Rocket J. Squirrel" "CJL" wrote in message news:y2wLc.4986$_K2.2629@lakeread02... My in-laws just purchased a Dell Dimension 2400 and are getting the Blue Screen of Death and a mem dump error whenever they open Internet Explorer or Outlook Express. Numerous calls the tech support and reinstalling XP Home have not helped. Any ideas where to look to solve the problem besides calling tech support. Does Dell provide in home service under warranty? Thanks |
#6
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Tried a restore and no luck, then did a complete reinstall of all Dell
factory supplied software Twice and still the same BSOD. Spoke with Dell support in India and then was transferred to somewhere in South America. No help from those people at all, completely clueless. I will get back to this group with more details. Thanks "Christopher Muto" wrote in message ... have your tried using system restore to a time before the problem started? start-allprograms-acessories-systemtools-systemrestore if you want good answers then you have to provide much more detail of what lead up to the problem and what you have already done to troubleshoot. otherwise, short of trying system restore, all that can be suggested is that you reload all the software on your system. "CJL" wrote in message news:y2wLc.4986$_K2.2629@lakeread02... My in-laws just purchased a Dell Dimension 2400 and are getting the Blue Screen of Death and a mem dump error whenever they open Internet Explorer or Outlook Express. Numerous calls the tech support and reinstalling XP Home have not helped. Any ideas where to look to solve the problem besides calling tech support. Does Dell provide in home service under warranty? Thanks |
#7
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If reinstalling all the Dell software from scratch did not take care of the
problem, I have to suspect some sort of low-level hardware problem. I've worked with many new-in-the-box Dells, connected them to the internet and not experienced any BSODs. The EXACT text of the BSOD may give a clue as to the malfunction. How much memory on the system? If it's 128MB, this is barely enough to run Windows XP adequately, but does not cause BSODs, which really have gotten less common with 2000 and XP. On the possibility that the system memory may be bad, download and run MEMTEST-86, possibly the best (and free) memory tester. You can download what is needed to make a bootable CD image which boots and runs MEMTEST-86 automatically. Since I've been running MEMTEST-86 regularly, I have not encountered any issues with memory upgrades installed in clients' computers. And, yes, you can get bad memory even from the most reputable source and the best brand names... Ben Myers On Wed, 21 Jul 2004 15:52:57 -0400, "CJL" wrote: Tried a restore and no luck, then did a complete reinstall of all Dell factory supplied software Twice and still the same BSOD. Spoke with Dell support in India and then was transferred to somewhere in South America. No help from those people at all, completely clueless. I will get back to this group with more details. Thanks "Christopher Muto" wrote in message . .. have your tried using system restore to a time before the problem started? start-allprograms-acessories-systemtools-systemrestore if you want good answers then you have to provide much more detail of what lead up to the problem and what you have already done to troubleshoot. otherwise, short of trying system restore, all that can be suggested is that you reload all the software on your system. "CJL" wrote in message news:y2wLc.4986$_K2.2629@lakeread02... My in-laws just purchased a Dell Dimension 2400 and are getting the Blue Screen of Death and a mem dump error whenever they open Internet Explorer or Outlook Express. Numerous calls the tech support and reinstalling XP Home have not helped. Any ideas where to look to solve the problem besides calling tech support. Does Dell provide in home service under warranty? Thanks |
#8
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Ben Myers wrote:
If reinstalling all the Dell software from scratch did not take care of the problem, I have to suspect some sort of low-level hardware problem. I've worked with many new-in-the-box Dells, connected them to the internet and not experienced any BSODs. From the OP: "Numerous calls the tech support and reinstalling XP Home have not helped." "Reinstalling" and "reinstalling from scratch" are not the same thing. I'd suggest a reformat and fresh OS install, before moving to the possibility of a hardware problem. Notan |
#9
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BTW, I had a "BSOD" experience with my new Dell laptop (Inspiron 9100). The
cause was mostly my fault, as I wiped out the machine and installed Server 2003 on it. The root issue was the Sonic software that came with the machine is crap, and the "DLA" drivers are flakey. Not just on Server 2003, but in general (from what I picked up on the web). I don't have the exact error message, but it was something about "ssltrn.dll". Not positive about the name of the DLL, however, but it was something with that combination of letters. Anyway, I would get the BSOD on every boot, unless I booted into Safe Mode. Found the stuff on the web through Google, and ended up deleting that directory in the Program Files, as I couldn't un-install it while in Safe Mode (and since I BSOD'd on a regular mode, it made life difficult). I'd give that a try if you've got a DVD burner and that software. It seems that I'm not the only one with a similar experience. So far, I haven't missed having the software. The rest of the Sonic software works for burning DVD's, but just not that DLA software (for me, anyway). Clint "CJL" wrote in message news:y2wLc.4986$_K2.2629@lakeread02... My in-laws just purchased a Dell Dimension 2400 and are getting the Blue Screen of Death and a mem dump error whenever they open Internet Explorer or Outlook Express. Numerous calls the tech support and reinstalling XP Home have not helped. Any ideas where to look to solve the problem besides calling tech support. Does Dell provide in home service under warranty? Thanks |
#10
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Agreed, "reinstalling" and "reinstalling from scratch" are not the same thing.
Nevertheless, it costs little or nothing to run extensive memory tests and maybe even the manufacturer's hard dirve diagnostics. But, yes, re-partition, reformat, and reinstall may nail the problem... Ben On Wed, 21 Jul 2004 21:06:29 GMT, Notan wrote: Ben Myers wrote: If reinstalling all the Dell software from scratch did not take care of the problem, I have to suspect some sort of low-level hardware problem. I've worked with many new-in-the-box Dells, connected them to the internet and not experienced any BSODs. From the OP: "Numerous calls the tech support and reinstalling XP Home have not helped." "Reinstalling" and "reinstalling from scratch" are not the same thing. I'd suggest a reformat and fresh OS install, before moving to the possibility of a hardware problem. Notan |
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