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Blue Screen of Death



 
 
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  #1  
Old July 21st 04, 04:35 PM
CJL
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Default 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  
Old July 21st 04, 04:45 PM
Notan
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Default

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  
Old July 21st 04, 05:14 PM
Ted Zieglar aka \Rocky\
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Default

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  
Old July 21st 04, 06:47 PM
Christopher Muto
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

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  
Old July 21st 04, 08:46 PM
CJL
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


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  
Old July 21st 04, 08:52 PM
CJL
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

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  
Old July 21st 04, 09:12 PM
Ben Myers
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

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  
Old July 21st 04, 10:06 PM
Notan
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

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  
Old July 21st 04, 10:30 PM
Clint
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

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  
Old July 21st 04, 11:51 PM
Ben Myers
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

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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