Troubleshooting Windows STOP Errors (BSOD) and Freezes
Last Updated: 26 Sep 2004
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*** PLEASE NOTE: Link(s), If Provided, May Be Wrapped ***
The following issues are easily responsible for 99% of
all system instability issues, particularly with Windows:
• Bad or Flaky RAM
• Failing Hard Disk
• High CPU/Case temperatures (Insufficient cooling)
• Bad Drivers (usually with el-cheapo hardware)
• Inadequate or Dirty Power
• Overclocking (some devices cannot run out of spec)
• Improper Permissions/Rights (results in Access Denied)
• Dirty Upgrade from Win9x/ME to 2000/XP
• Virus Infection (can result in a wide variety of problems)
• Spyware Infection (can result in a wide variety of problems)
• Incorrect jumper settings on your hard drive
• Improperly terminated drivers and controller
• Disabled or Misconfigured Services
SYMPTOMS OF COMMON ISSUES
• Bad Drivers ............ BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) or Spontaneous Reboot
• Failing Hard Disk ...... BSOD or System Freeze or Application Crashing
• Overheating ............ Spontaneous Reboot or System Freeze
• Bad/Flaky RAM .......... Spontaneous Reboot or System Freeze or Failed Install
• Dirty Power ............ Spontaneous Reboot or System Generated Errors
• Inadequate Power ....... BSOD or Spontaneous Reboot or System Freeze
• Overclocking ........... BSOD or Spontaneous Reboot or System Freeze
• Improper Permissions ... BSOD or System Generated Errors
• Dirty upgrade .......... BSOD or System Errors or Slowness or Erratic Behavior
• Virus Infection ........ Inexplicable slowness or Highly Erratic Behavior
• Spyware Infection ...... Inexplicable slowness or Highly Erratic Behavior
• Wrong Drive Settings ... Inexplicable slowness or Failed Install or Long Boot times
• Bad SCSI Termination ... Inexplicable slowness or Failed Install or Long Boot times
• Disabled Services ...... Poor System Performance or Installation Problems or Limited OS Functionality
UNDERSTANDING STOP ERRORS
No-one likes to receive a BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death),
but STOP errors indicate a problem, often with a drivers
or a Kernel component, that needs to be rectified.
Despite their reputation as cryptic, annoying messages,
STOP Error messages are very informative, and the links
below will have you well on your way to resolving the
majority of them. You can usually find enough info to
solve your problem by having just the first part of the
STOP message (i.e. "STOP 0x0000001E" or "STOP 0x1E")
Disk related STOP errors are in the 0x7* series, and are
often an early sign that your hard drive is failing...
How to Troubleshoot Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 STOP Errors:
• http://www.xptuneup.com/xptuneup_stopmessages.htm
• http://oca.microsoft.com/welcome.asp
• http://windows.about.com/library/weekly/aa030599.htm
• http://www.win2000mag.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=16425
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=216206
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=103059
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=174630
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=183169
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=216446
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=271274
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=271965
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=314466
• http://www.microsoft.com/TechNet/winnt/winntas/tips/techrep/bsod.asp
• http://www.microsoft.com/TechNet/win2000/win2kpro/manuals/progs/pgsappb.asp
• http://resourcelink.mspress.microsoft.com/reslink/common/article/defaultNT.htm
• http://www.campbellspcrepair.net/windows/errors/stop.htm
• http://aumha.org/kbestop.php
• http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/Monitoring-Troubleshooting-Event-Logs.html
CREATING DUMP FILES FOR DEBUGGING
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=254649
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=303021
VIEWING/CAPTURING THE STOP MESSAGE
If you wish to capture BSOD info, but you don't want to
set aside RAM+12MB of space on your C: drive, then you
should take a look at BlueSave from SysInternals
• http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/bluesave.shtml
Even if you don't save the STOP info, or get to see the
actual DUMP message, you can check the EventLog for the
gist of the message. By default, the first line of the
error message is preserved there.
CHECK THE EVENTLOG
One of the first places you should check if you begin to
have problems in Windows (NT/2000/XP) is the Event Log.
START --> RUN --> EVENTVWR
The info you find here can be invaluable in helping you
troubleshoot problems. An easier way to see the messages
that are stored in the EventLog (as opposed to digging
around for them) is to download the latest UPTIME utility
and run the following command at a CMD prompt:
UPTIME /P:30
This will give your system's uptime over the past 30 days
including any Blue Screens, with the STOP ERROR #
• http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/nts/downloads/management/uptime/
The UPTIME executable is also available in various Windows
Resource Kits.
VIEWING THE .DMP FILES
If you're interested in examining the MEMORY.DMP file for
yourself, you can use DUMPCHK or other, older tools. You
will need to have the relevant symbol files installed for
all tools other than DUMPCHK.
See the following articles to obtain the appropriate info:
DUMPCHK
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=156280
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=315271
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=314084
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=160655
OTHER UTILS
• http://www.win2000mag.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=16425
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=148658
• http://support.microsoft.com/?KBID=119490
• http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/nts/downloads/management/uptime/
XP ONLINE CRASH EXAM
If you're running Windows XP, you can have your .DMP
files examined online by Microsoft:
• http://oca.microsoft.com/welcome.asp
It would have been nice to have this available for
previous versions of Windows.
MEMORY MODULE TESTER
• Memory Tester .......... http://www.memtest86.com/
• SIMM Tester ............ http://www.simmtester.com/PAGE/products/doc/docinfo.asp
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT POWER SUPPLY
• http://firingsquad.gamers.com/guides/power/
• http://www6.tomshardware.com/howto/20021021/powersupplies-05.html#practical_advice_the_perfect_power_supply
PERSONAL NOTES
• Bad drivers are more likely to result in a BSOD, while
bad RAM or overheating will more likely result in a
system lockup, or spontaneous reboot.
• Searching GOOGLE for the STOP error number is a very
fast way to find a resolution (or at least get a good
description of the problem).
• You can also obtain DUMPCHK in Windows 2000 and later
on the installation CD as part of the Support Tools
(SUPPORT folder)
• I find that the most common STOP Error are 0x0A and
0x1E, the former tends to be a bad driver, while the
latter represents flaky memory, an overheating system,
or an inadequate power supply, or a fluctuating power
source (get a UPS or Surge Suppressor).
• Hardware that was fine in Win9x may cause lockups
or crashes in Win2K/XP simply because it is border-
line or the drivers are different. NT/2000/XP tend
to stress hardware more than their low-end siblings.
• System overclocking, particularly of the Front-Side BUS,
can also lead to STOP 0x0A errors as not all peripherals
can deal with altered timings on the PCI bus.
• The over-aggressive tweaking of system services can
often result in many hours of troubleshooting down the
road. Turning off services you "don't need" today can
undermine your performance or ability to install various
programs at a later point. Exercise extreme caution
when tweaking your system.
• Good installation practices (of both hardware and
software) will virtually eliminate BSODs and system
lockups. This includes clean installs, rather than
upgrades when moving from Win9x/ME to 2000/XP.
RELATED SCRIPTS (ALSO IN THIS ARCHIVE)
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/Scripts/?File=Debug.BAT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/Scripts/?File=IPDebug.BAT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/Scripts/?File=CheckDisk.BAT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/Scripts/?File=CleanTemp.BAT
RELATED TOPICS (ALSO IN THIS ARCHIVE)
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/?File=Diagnose.TXT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/?File=Uptime.TXT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/?File=OSBasics.TXT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/?File=Troubleshoot.TXT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/?File=RepairNT.TXT
• http://KB.UltraTech-llc.com/?File=~Searching.TXT
