Taryn
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OK, starting yesterday or so, my computer has been very frequently getting a Windows 7 blue screen that shuts down the computer. It says something like "A crucial process has suddenly stopped working, Windows was shut down to prevent damage to your computer" (I don't have the exact words).
Usually I'm just clicking on a link in Firefox and suddenly Firefox goes "Not Responding" for a while and Ctrl-Alt-Delete often even becomes unresponsive. I haven't noticed anything odd in Task Manager otherwise.
Seriously, WTF? No problems like this at all until very recently, and now it seems to do it more and more often. ____________________
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Danika
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| 00:00:00 | Illumina Prevue Guide Emulator | POST #
5080 | Hard drive or RAM problems? Try checking the hard drive for errors, etc., have you dropped it recently? Also reseat RAM, CMOS battery, etc. 
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Xkeeper
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 Try running something like memtest86 too -- it sounds like something goes critically wrong, which could fairly easily be caused by foul RAM.
Doubly so if it only crops up after it's been running for a while. Make sure it's not overheating and do all the usual tests.
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Taryn
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1987-2014
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Sintendo
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Have you checked your Event Viewer yet? Check for events that occurred right before you got a BSOD.
Also, try checking for viruses, so we can rule that out. |
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 Originally posted by Terra
Originally posted by Illumina Also reseat RAM, CMOS battery, etc. 
It's a laptop
I got the ISO for memtest86, so I will try that later, too. I backed a lot of my files up 
RAM can still need to be re-seated. Usually that (and sometimes the CMOS battery/hard drives) are relatively easy to access.
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Taryn
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| Posted on 12-14-10 01:14:07 PM (last edited by Terra at 12-14-10 10:23 AM) |
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Surlent
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If your system is set to save minidumps, which should be enabled by default, you can open those using Windows Debugging Tools. Sometimes it just may help, if it is some file not mentioned in the STOP code error itself. There is a good, easy and comprehensive tutorial for that below. Note that the symbol path setting obviously only needs to be done once, so every other time you just open up WinDbg, select File -> Open Mini Dump and select the .dmp file you want to load.
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/221510-crash-dumps-analyse-bugcheck-process.html
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Lyskar
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| Stats | Time/Date
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| | Metal_Man88's Post | Using something to determine what temp your system is would also be good--overheating can cause BSODs too.
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Taryn
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Originally posted by Sanky You don't really have to do that, just copy the profile from %APPDATA%/Firefox (Or Mozilla, not sure) over to your new Firefox.
Yeah, but I'd like to have a hard copy in case this computer dies before I can set up the new one or whatever. I live alone, so nobody will look at the passwords.
Originally posted by Surlent If your system is set to save minidumps, which should be enabled by default, you can open those using Windows Debugging Tools. Sometimes it just may help, if it is some file not mentioned in the STOP code error itself. There is a good, easy and comprehensive tutorial for that below. Note that the symbol path setting obviously only needs to be done once, so every other time you just open up WinDbg, select File -> Open Mini Dump and select the .dmp file you want to load.
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/221510-crash-dumps-analyse-bugcheck-process.html
I tried installing it and it said it was missing a .cab file.
Originally posted by Metal_Man88 Using something to determine what temp your system is would also be good--overheating can cause BSODs too.
It's in about the 50°C-55°C range currently. ____________________
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Lyskar
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| | Metal_Man88's Post | Temperatures seem safe--unlike my Laptop, which liked 80+ C.
Yeah. It melted the hard drive reaaal fast.
Sounds more like a component/memory error with yours, then.
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neotransotaku
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You know...if the laptop dies, you can always access the data (as long as the HD is intact) by pulling the HD out and putting it into one of these
Only costs like $10 or so.
Also, it it is cheaper to buy the enclosure and hard drive than it is to by the combined parts |
Taryn
Passed away.
Thanks for being a part of us, even if it wasn't always on the best of terms.
1987-2014
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Since: 09-01-09
From: Seattle
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| Posted on 12-15-10 05:40:11 PM (last edited by Terra at 12-15-10 02:41 PM) |
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Ah, it is a STOP error, number 0x000000F4. I ddin't get them for a while so I wasn't able to note the number. Then, the computer booted up but couldn't detect the hard drive  It tried to boot from the network and then said there's no bootable device. I think my hard drive might be failing.
Edit: After that happened, I checked the hard drive and took it out and put it back in, and it was rather hot. I let the system cool down for a while, then it worked again.
Another Edit: I did the first pass of memtest86+ and it found no errors. I stopped after that because just the first test took almost an hour, so I may try to run the full test another time when I'll be away from home for a while. ____________________
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Liliana
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Yep, overheating hard drives can cause that sort of thing. It's especially an issue with laptops. Improving the cooling isn't really possible on a laptop... but make sure the openings are not covered.
My friend has a similar problem and he used those cooling tabs from the freezer and put them under his laptop. He says this works perfectly, but he's a bit crazy at times. 
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Rick
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Boy, knowing this now, I'm going to try for a third time to make a CD backup.
Why the hell the laptop folk didn't bother to toss one in with my new laptop is a mystery to me. >>;
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