BSOD during ghosting

[leeor1]

Hi

In the past few months I've been getting many random BSODs (IRQL NOT EQUAL etc.). After trying quite a few tactics to fight them (including replacing my cheap PSU with a new Enermax one), I am pretty sure by now they are caused by some hardware issue, and not by a driver or Windows, because the last BSOD I got was when I was restoring a Ghost image, after booting with the Norton CD!
I didn't know it was possible to get a BSOD outside of Windows.. I guess the Norton boot CD is still based on some form of Windows).
First thing I suspected after this was the HDDs. So I did a full test on both with Spinrite, and got zero errors.
Then I tested the RAM with Memtest86+ 1.60 (4 sticks of 256mb in dual channel) and got many errors after 20 passes. So I tested each stick separately and got zero errors for each one after 100 passes..

I think the biggest hint is the BSOD while ghosting while using the boot CD. After testing the memory sticks and HDDs, I guess the only suspects left are the motherboard and CPU, right?

All BIOS settings are at default, no overclocking.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Leo.

 

[sieistganzfett]

hi. With 4 sticks of ram you have a problem with bsod. however do you still have that problem when there is only 1 or 2 sticks of ram when you go to restore the ghost image? Also, this image was done on this exact hardware set up correct? winxp doesnt like major changes in hardware such as a different mobo. what happened that you needed to go restore an image anyway? did windows start giving blue screens? Just wondering.. Does a fresh install of xp the long way (not using an image) solve the blue screen problem?

 

[leeor1]

 

[leeor1]

I did get a BSOD with only 2 sticks of RAM installed.
The image was done on the exact hardware setup.
The reason I needed to restore was not related to the BSOD problem - I accidentally deleted an important file.
First thing I tried after I started getting the BSODs was formatting the boot HDD and installing XP again. Didn't help.

 

[sieistganzfett]

ok.. if all you need is a file. you can restore the image? but cant boot. take the hdd to another pc connect it and retreive the file if possible. if this is an image with that file you need.
*now for this pc.
even a fresh install of xp off of the retail cd left you with a bsod on startup? it goes through the entire setup though? have you looked up the 0x... error code in the blue screen on microsofts site and gone through what they say?

 

[leeor1]

I guess I wasn't clear enough about the Ghost issue: I did manage to restore the image in a second attempt, and got the file I needed. I just felt it was important to share the fact that I got a BSOD during a ghost process, after booting from the Norrton CD. I think it could serve as a big hint (for people smarter than me) in telling what is the cause of the BSOD, as it didn't even happen in Windows!
I went through the Microsoft site, but it wasn't much help, as they say it could either mean a driver problem or a hardware issue.

 

[sieistganzfett]

lol. i know thats their ans for all bsod. it interesting though that it bsod after booting off the ghost image. that uses their boot thing with dr dos i think and it bsod while actually dropping the image. wierd.