BSoD error code help. I need diagnostic software!

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elendil850
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BSoD error code help. I need diagnostic software!

Post by elendil850 » Thu Apr 20, 2006 7:04 am

Help!

I'm an avid Age of Empires III player and sometimes when I play AoE III, my computer crashes, throwing up a BSoD and then reboots.

After this occurs, I send the error report in. (hoping my problem may be resolved in the future) When the error report is sent, Microsoft loads up IE and takes me to a webpage where I am informed that one of my components may be failing, listing:

CPU
RAM
Motherboard
Power Supply

Is there any way that I can test these parts to see if they are failing in any way?

I don't believe that this is being caused by overheating, but I wouldn't rule it out 100%.

quikkie
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Post by quikkie » Thu Apr 20, 2006 8:03 am

memtestx86 - extensive testing of your memory
prime95 - testing of cpu and memory

run both (separately) for a minimum of 4-12 hour period each (peferably 24 hours) and if there are any errors post back :)

Groovealufagus
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Location: Hollywood, CA

Post by Groovealufagus » Thu Apr 20, 2006 11:00 am

You'll need a multimiter to check the voltage on the power supply, so I'd run through the memory and CPU tests first.

Slaugh
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Post by Slaugh » Sat Apr 22, 2006 8:43 pm

You should get yourself something like the Ultimate Boot CD, it contains numerous diagnostic tools to help you pinpoint hardware problems. I suggest that you first check your memory using memtest86, then check your HDD with the diagnostic tool of your HDD's manufacturer. The Ultimate Boot CD contains all the utilities to test your RAM and your HDD.

I strongly suggest that you disable the automatic reboot feature of Windows. In the control panel, open the system applet (or press the Windows + Pause keys), click on the "Advanced" tab, then the "Settings" button in the "Startup and Recovery" section, uncheck "Automatically Restart", and you're done. Next time a BSOD will occur, you'll have plenty of time to read it and write it down, Windows will hang, but will no longer reboot.

To troubleshoot BSOD's, this page is a very good reference.

Live
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Post by Live » Sun Apr 23, 2006 2:56 am

I would use this MemTest instead. It runs in windows so its easier to run and also more prone to showing errors that occur in windows then memtest86+. The same settings can run fine in memtest86+ but error in MemTest.

What kind of components do you have? Describing them makes it easier to diagnose your problem.

If the problem only occurs after playing for a long time it might be temperature related. Monitor your temps and log them so you can see if they are exceptionally high at the time of failure.

Upgrading DirectX and ensure you have latest drivers for your graphic card might also help.

elendil850
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Post by elendil850 » Tue Apr 25, 2006 10:51 am

All of my components are listed in my sig.

The BSoD is one of the 'Machine_Check_Exception' variety, but it restarts to quickly for me to see what else it says.

Slaugh
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Post by Slaugh » Thu Apr 27, 2006 11:32 pm

elendil850 wrote:The BSoD is one of the 'Machine_Check_Exception' variety, but it restarts to quickly for me to see what else it says.
Did you disable the automatic reboot feature in Windows?

A MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION is usually caused by a faulty hardware component. However, some nForce motherboards have major issues with the nForce IDE drivers and the nForce Network Access Manager/Active Armor (nVidia built-in firewall). If the Network Access Manager was installed when you installed the nForce drivers (it's optional), it can be easily uninstalled using Add/Remove Programs in the control panel. You could also try to roll-back your IDE drivers and see if it fixes the problem. This could also be caused by a bad video driver. Try updating your ForceWare drivers for your GeForce 6800GS.

Also, you could take a look at the event viewer to see if hardware issues are reported. But first, you should definitely check your memory and both of your HDD's. What did you try so far?

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