[Samantha0101]

Hi,
Well since re-formatting our custom built desktop we've been getting check disk errors at start up which go away after a couple of hours and then just now i, apparently, have just seen the 'blue screen of death' - i'd never had it before - saying windows had to be stopped so i restarted and inserted the windows disk and booted from there but nothing came up it just loaded windows up.

[Carbon]

Seems to be pointing in two different directions - chkdsk would seem to indicate HDD failure, and the BSOD would seem to indicate your RAM's faulty.

What I'd do now is run memtest, and backup any important files to an external medium just in case. Memtest will tell you if the problem is your RAM or not - if it's not, your hard drive is dying.

[pete21]

i installed new ram a few months ago..and i got blue screen of death..i wos soo sure it wosent ram as it wos brand new..terns out it wos..it dos happen :)

[mrdaveyk]

what OS you got and how much ram?

too much ram has caused me BSOD

[kanoakavirus]

pete21, no disrespect but could you try and type in english please I'm positive short text isn't allowed here.
Also Samantha , do you still have your old ram installed in your computer? if so is the new ram the same make as the old ram? if you have your old ram take out your new ones and see if there's still a problem if so then you could back up your files and re install your os. one last thing go to start right click my computer and click properties to check if your computer has recognized your ram i once installed 2gb on a friends comp and it said it still have 512mb ram until i switched them around weird but possible.

[Samantha0101]

Nope, no old RAM installed and new RAM is different make to old.
Computer did recognise new RAM and after typing this post last night my computer died again and we reformatted (again).
Have Windows XP and 2x1GB RAM.
Will try memtest.

[evilfantasy]

Any error numbers would be helpful also.

[philthomas]

Try removing the new Ram and putting the old Ram back in.
If this solves the issue, it's probable that the new Ram is incompatible with your motherboard.

[Samantha0101]

Ok, computer is still not working.
Took out the new RAM and replaced it with the old and at first it worked but then started freezing up again and now won't start up again.
Before we re-formatted, the other day, we got messages such as (i wrote them all down but forgot to bring the paper!) hal.dll missing, system missing from system32, an .exe file missing and a couple of others (this was when it came up as 'do you want to start windows in safe mode, normally, etc - but at this screen our usual keyboard doesnt work to select or enter an option however plugging the old keyboard allows me to).
Now when i try to start up the computer it just comes on to 'read disk error, press ctrl, alt + del to restart' (and it only restarts with the old keyboard..and comes back to the same screen).
Aswell i've had it freezing up on the Welcome Screen and it just going upto the Windows screen and loading forever.

Help needed ASAP, as i'm only at this computer for an hour and obviously i can't get on at home (used to have a back up system but that broke).
Thanks

[philthomas]

As you have already reformatted the Hard Drive and reinstalled XP, it's beginning to sound like the problem may be a faulty Hard Drive.

[Samantha0101]

[Stayed back to check this]
So the only solution would be to get a new hard drive??


I'll try and get someone to check back on answers to this

[kanoakavirus]

i agree with phill on the hd

[Samantha0101]

Computer is working at the moment.
Ran check disk and it all went through fine?

[Samantha0101]

Also, forgot to say this before. Before re-formatting we tried to repair with windows disk, tried chkdsk - didnt do anything and also fixboot which did nothing too.

[philthomas]

If it's working after a successful chkdsk run, then see how it goes.
The point to bear in mind is .... chkdsk will hide bad sectors on the HDD, but it wont get rid of them and if the drive is going bad, more will appear and cause future problems. If this happens, you will certainly need to consider a new drive.
In the meantime, I would back up any important files regularly.

Now you have the PC running, you could also try going to the drive manufacturers website and download their diagnostic utility to check out the drive.

Are you running with the new Ram now ?