[sailormoon21]

hi guys, i've been having a problem for four days now. My computer has been crashing and i've been getting this blue error screen with error codes like:

STOP 0x000000EA (ox81CEAB38, 0x81F45910, 0x81D12610, 0x00000001) ;"error cause by the following file: nv4_disp"
also something similar with the first code being 0x0000008E (...), without apparent erroneous file associated with the message
and also an error by win32k.sys address BF83BDE base at BF800000 Datastamp 3d6de5e5


I've read some related forums and the problem seems connected to the video card. First I thought that the problem was connected to the hard disk, but this is totally impossible since now i have installed a new hard disk and the problem is still there. It can't even be the processor or motherboard cos I upgraded my pc to a pentium 4, and has been working fine for the past two months.

Now i get an error message for every thing i do, sometimes windows wonte even start, because I get the error screen for a split second then the pc resets itself. The graphics seem a lot overloaded, sometimes windows opened with a 16bit colour resolution!!

Also very often whenever i open internet explorer or windows explorer windows i get the error message that "an error has been encountered by the application and needs to close". I tried installing the drivers but the pc won't let me because whatever i try to install i get an error message saying that the file may be corrupt and installation cannot continue, i got this with whatever i tried to install, from MS word to the drivers infact.

I can't even try to reinstall or repair windows because now when the pc restarts i don't even get asked to boot from the CD, it was working fine yesterday!! what the hell happened all of a sudden?!

I read on the microsoft online support guides that i may either need to install win xp sp2 or that it may be cause by a hex door virus or something like that; i didn't find any files associated to the virus in my pc, and when i go on the microsoft online updates the computer doesnt promt me to download the win sp2, so i'm stuck there as well. It seems like my pc is possessed by satan and his friends!! I'm really in a desperate situation, i need a deadline to meet very soon and i'm stuck with work, cos i can't even use ms word because after a while i keep getting this ****** blue error screen.
Please somebody help!!!!!

[Rollin' Rog]

If you are not getting a consistent driver file mentioned in the error, such as nv4_disp.dll, it is most likely a hardware issue.

If you can start in VGA mode (tap f8 promptly to access the boot menu), it is probably a video driver issue.

You should be able to boot from the CD if you enter the BIOS and ensure the CD-ROM is first in the boot order.

Faulty ram, overheating, a damaged or weak power supply are all possibilities.

Have you had the case apart and checked for dust build up and to see if the fan(s) are working?

Have you tested the ram?

Since almost all bugchecks can be caused by faulty ram, I would recommend you perform memory tests.

Beginners Guides: Diagnosing Bad Memory

Windows Memory Diagnostic
Memtest86 - A Stand-alone Memory Diagnostic

Further troubleshooting advice here:

http://support.microsoft.com/Default...314063&sd=RMVP

[sailormoon21]

i believe it has somethingto do with the video card but then i started gettng the same error screen for all sorts of files, like ntsf.sys (or how it's called..) and smilar *.sys files. This is very weird, it can't be the RAM because like i said i just upgradedit a month or so ago and its brand new, and was working fine until i started playing bloody warcraft which seemed to have put serious strain on the video card. The fans are working perfectly, there is no dust in the pc cos i checked personally, so what else to try??

[StumpedTechy]

It can't even be the processor or motherboard cos I upgraded my pc to a pentium 4, and has been working fine for the past two months.

This is very weird, it can't be the RAM because like i said i just upgradedit a month or so ago and its brand new, and was working fine until i started playing bloody warcraft which seemed to have put serious strain on the video card

Never assume new equipment works just the way it should....

I would start running hardware tests to find out what if anything has failed... according to you most everything is new as of 2 months ago so if its hardware related SOMETHING has to be the culprit

[Rollin' Rog]

What display card are you using?

Some of them generate a lot of heat under load (especially the newer high end ones) and some may overload the power supply as well.

I'd try testing and reseating the ram anyway.

[sailormoon21]

my graphic card is a NVIDIA TNT2 Ultra, most people have had similar problems with this card but seems noone knew what to do. At first, before this got to worse and before changingthe hard disk the pc was working fine, but then it like started to erase some files, like the preferences and files saved to my msn had been erased after the pc reset itself due to an error, and i've had similar problems, like marking some perfectly working word files as corrupt and unable to be opened. Then i started getting the ble screen and decided to remove the hard disk, now nothing has changed

[sailormoon21]

and how do i run hardware tests anyway? remember i can't even log into windows cos the bloody pc resets as soon as the computer finishes loading its memory test. I've been told by a friend of mine he had a similar problem and formattng the pc solved his problem, but that was because of a virus. I can't even try that because the dos disk made from windows is rather crappy and i don't know what the function has been put there for since i can only use the A: partition

[StumpedTechy]

memtest is a bootable CD you will have to use a functioning computer to make the CD but its bootable and runs on its own.

[Rollin' Rog]

I included the "Beginers Guide" link to answer most questions like that.

Essentially you only need to have a computer with burning software such as Roxio or Nero.

Then you put a writable CD in the drive and "open" the .iso file. The CD burning software should image the file properly from there.

Once done you need to ensure that the problem computer is configured to boot from the CD first in the BIOS boot order unless you have something like an f12 boot menu which allows you to choose which drive to boot from.

Alternately if you have a floppy drive you can chooe one of those to create the tester on.

[sailormoon21]

i manage to enter windows if i press F8 at the OS choice menu and select the load VGA mode, but windows loads only for a few seconds then i get the evil blue screen again, what does this mean?

[sailormoon21]

entering in debugging mode makes windows last a few seconds longer, hey that's progress

[sailormoon21]

nah, too nice to be true, was just coincidence apparently - guess im chained to this laptop for the moment then, my luck is out

[sailormoon21]

thank you guys, you were right, it was a memory stick problem. I ran memtest86+ on either stick at a time and i got errors for one and no errors for the other, using the same slot. Had i tried this earlier i could have saved myself the money for the new hard disk but well, i didn't know. Hope this helps other people with my same problem