PC Blue Screen of Death after 260GTX install

I recently bought a EVGA 260GTX SuperClocked along with an ASRock P45TS. I also bought 2x 2GB OCZ DDR 1066hz RAM two weeks ago. I bought this Mobo because it supported DDR2 1066hz and has a SPDIF optical out. I installed all of the Mobo drivers that were on the CD, Nvidia drivers that came with the CD as well, I even installed 185.85 right now (so far so good but I guess it will show the Blue Screen anyway soon). I'm constantly getting a blue screen of death with error code 0x00000A, and some IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error. I'm really getting tired of it.. sometimes the PC works for about an hour then turns off all of a sudden.

(Nothing is overclocked or anything except standard factory overclock)

Setup: Q6600 2.4Ghz

4GB OCZ DDR2 1066mhz

Evga 260GTX Superclocked 896MB Core 216

ASRock P45TS

PSU: Corsair HX520 Watt (260 requires 500W so should be okay..)

Anyone knows what the issue is?

Hey neat guy, that fixed my problem. Because I re-installed Vista earlier today, Vista copied the old files to a directory called windows.old.001. I thought I deleted all of the older video drivers, but apparently, I didn't delete the files in the old system. Finally, my PC has been running for 2 hours non stop without a single reboot. So I hope everything is okay now.

Hey neat guy, that fixed my problem. Because I re-installed Vista earlier today, Vista copied the old files to a directory called windows.old.001. I thought I deleted all of the older video drivers, but apparently, I didn't delete the files in the old system. Finally, my PC has been running for 2 hours non stop without a single reboot. So I hope everything is okay now.

royvanderhoorn

Just when I thought everything worked out.... about five minutes ago again the Blue Screen appeared and the PC just rebooted itself. I guess I'll have to check the memory, only thing is I'm afraid that's not the issue since I have the memory for 2 months now and it worked fine with my other motherboard +GPU setup.

I found an article on the issue at hand: link. The guy who posted the article gives a solution that's supposed to fix your registry (That could be the problem, since I re-installed Vista and have old files and registries all over the place now), but the most unfortunat thing is, IT"S FOR 32BIT ONLY. Does anyone know a good 64-Bit registry cleaner that can handle a HAL layer fix??

I found an article on the issue at hand: link. The guy who posted the article gives a solution that's supposed to fix your registry (That could be the problem, since I re-installed Vista and have old files and registries all over the place now), but the most unfortunat thing is, IT"S FOR 32BIT ONLY. Does anyone know a good 64-Bit registry cleaner that can handle a HAL layer fix??

royvanderhoorn

I use CCleaner (free) and Free Registry Fix (costs money for full version) on my computer. I used to also use Registry Booster 2, but last time I looked it isn't compatible with Vista 64bit, only 32bit.

Only real solution I see for you if it's not your RAM (which can crap out on you at any time, just like any other computer part) is to remove the partition your old OS is installed on. You should be able to do this by booting from your OS disk and then start through the process of installing Vista. You'll come across the part to decide which HDD you want to install it on - there should be a screen that looks like this:

Click on the Drive Options (advanced) and you should get several new options to pop up, one would be to Delete. You should be able to delete out the old partition that contains your old OS installtion. Be sure you're not deleting out your current partition, else you're erase all your current info. The old partition should be considerably smaller in size.

I'm just going from memory here, but I think that's how you do it.

Once you delete your old partition, click the "X" in the upper right corner to exit out of the installation process and then let your computer boot normally into Vista.

At this point you should see about running a registry cleaning program.

I suppose if all else fails, then a total reformat of your HDD (be sure to delete all partitions) would be required with a fresh install of Vista. Unless other folks out there have any other ideas.

I have already deleted the older Windows installations by using the Windows HDD cleaning utility (The standard program that comes with all OS, not sure what it's called in English). I have now installed the older memory 2 x 1GB 667Hz RAM from Corsair. So hopefully, it will work now. If my PC does run for more than six hours, I will return the (4GB OCZ) memory to the store and either ask for new memory or have my money refunded. I'm sure they will test their memory in the shop as well, and as always it will probably work there... anyways thanks for the help I really appreciate it!

Edit: Could it be that the newer (4GB OCZ) memory has to be manually configured in the BIOS because I replaced my motherboard? The older 2GB memory seems to be a lot faster, but that's really weird since it's speed is 667 and the new memory has 1066...

I have already deleted the older Windows installations by using the Windows HDD cleaning utility (The standard program that comes with all OS, not sure what it's called in English). I have now installed the older memory 2 x 1GB 667Hz RAM from Corsair. So hopefully, it will work now. If my PC does run for more than six hours, I will return the (4GB OCZ) memory to the store and either ask for new memory or have my money refunded. I'm sure they will test their memory in the shop as well, and as always it will probably work there... anyways thanks for the help I really appreciate it!

Edit: Could it be that the newer (4GB OCZ) memory has to be manually configured in the BIOS because I replaced my motherboard? The older 2GB memory seems to be a lot faster, but that's really weird since it's speed is 667 and the new memory has 1066...

royvanderhoorn

You should check any new RAM installation in the BIOS to make sure your MB is reading it correctly. My new MB reads my DDR2 800 (2 x 2GB kit) as 533MHz - which means the MB is automatically overclocking each stick by 133MHz. Voltage was correct and the timings were correct, it was the speed that was wrong. I have to set my BIOS to read the ram as 400MHz.

It could be part of the problem. I know if I don't set the RAM to it's correct speed, my system isn't stable enough to OC my CPU - which is the main reason I clocked the speeds correctly in BIOS so I can OC my CPU.

If your old memory works fine you can most likely only get your new memory replaced since you've opened the package - but I guess it totally depends on the store you purchased it from. I had a set of OCZ memory that didn't work right in the past so I tend to avoid their product...but that's just me.

I just played COD4 for three hours straight, went browsing on the internet (which usually caused the problem) but I don't seem to have it right now... I'm not too happy just yet, because it sometimes takes a few hours for the blue screen to appear. I'll call my store and see if they are okay with it if I can exchange it. I thought OCZ was a very good brand, and its value was something that appealed to me in the first place, along with the support of 1066hz.

Anyway, I do not notice any response difference with the old 2x1 GB RAM now though, so I'm not even sure the 4GB RAM was worth the update..

Also, my motherboard has 4 slots for DDR2 memory, can I put the OCZ and the Corsair in at the same time? (After I get the OCZ working RAM of course).

OCZ: 1066hz (2x2GB) 5-5-5@2.4V

Corsair: 667hz (2x1GB) (not sure about the timings)

I just played COD4 for three hours straight, went browsing on the internet (which usually caused the problem) but I don't seem to have it right now... I'm not too happy just yet, because it sometimes takes a few hours for the blue screen to appear. I'll call my store and see if they are okay with it if I can exchange it. I thought OCZ was a very good brand, and its value was something that appealed to me in the first place, along with the support of 1066hz.

Anyway, I do not notice any response difference with the old 2x1 GB RAM now though, so I'm not even sure the 4GB RAM was worth the update..

Also, my motherboard has 4 slots for DDR2 memory, can I put the OCZ and the Corsair in at the same time? (After I get the OCZ working RAM of course).

OCZ: 1066hz (2x2GB) 5-5-5@2.4V

Corsair: 667hz (2x1GB) (not sure about the timings)

royvanderhoorn

You could pair up the RAM, but it's generally not the best of ideas. You always want to try and pair up the exact type of RAM (brand name and speed) to avoid any issues. If you did pair up those two different sets, the OCZ would be down clocked to match the speed of your slowest RAM.

Just like if you were to SLI two video cards that are the same, but one is factory overclocked and the other is stock - the faster video card is going to be down clocked to match the speed of the slower one. So why pay more for something you are going to be forcing to perform under it's optimal performance level?

If the problem is the OCZ memory you have, be sure that BIOS is reading all the settings correctly. It could be under-volting it, setting the speed/timings incorrectly and that could be the problem....or the set you have is faulty...? It's hard to tell sometimes....could just be that it doesn't work correctly with your motherboard or BIOS?

**Edited to fix incorrect use of words**

[QUOTE="royvanderhoorn"]

I just played COD4 for three hours straight, went browsing on the internet (which usually caused the problem) but I don't seem to have it right now... I'm not too happy just yet, because it sometimes takes a few hours for the blue screen to appear. I'll call my store and see if they are okay with it if I can exchange it. I thought OCZ was a very good brand, and its value was something that appealed to me in the first place, along with the support of 1066hz.

Anyway, I do not notice any response difference with the old 2x1 GB RAM now though, so I'm not even sure the 4GB RAM was worth the update..

Also, my motherboard has 4 slots for DDR2 memory, can I put the OCZ and the Corsair in at the same time? (After I get the OCZ working RAM of course).

OCZ: 1066hz (2x2GB) 5-5-5@2.4V

Corsair: 667hz (2x1GB) (not sure about the timings)

neatfeatguy

You could pair up the RAM, but it's generally not the best of ideas. You always want to try and pair up the exact type of RAM (brand name and speed) to avoid any issues. If you did pair up those two different sets, the OCZ would be down clocked to match the speed of your slowest RAM.

Just like if you were to SLI two video cards that are the same, but one is factory overclocked and the other is stock - the faster video card is going to be down clocked to match the speed of the slower one. So why pay more for something you are going to be forcing to perform under it's optimal performance level?

If the problem is the OCZ memory you have, be sure that BIOS is reading all the settings correctly. It could be under-volting it, setting the speed/timings incorrectly and that could be the problem....or the set you have is faulty...? It's hard to tell sometimes....could just be that it doesn't work correctly with your motherboard or BIOS?

**Edited to fix incorrect use of words**

I just called the store, they said it's okay if I come and test it there, then if it's faulty they'll give me a new pair. If not, then it must be my BIOS settings. Is there a default setting because I'm not an expert on voltage levels and timings..?

[QUOTE="neatfeatguy"]

[QUOTE="royvanderhoorn"]

I just played COD4 for three hours straight, went browsing on the internet (which usually caused the problem) but I don't seem to have it right now... I'm not too happy just yet, because it sometimes takes a few hours for the blue screen to appear. I'll call my store and see if they are okay with it if I can exchange it. I thought OCZ was a very good brand, and its value was something that appealed to me in the first place, along with the support of 1066hz.

Anyway, I do not notice any response difference with the old 2x1 GB RAM now though, so I'm not even sure the 4GB RAM was worth the update..

Also, my motherboard has 4 slots for DDR2 memory, can I put the OCZ and the Corsair in at the same time? (After I get the OCZ working RAM of course).

OCZ: 1066hz (2x2GB) 5-5-5@2.4V

Corsair: 667hz (2x1GB) (not sure about the timings)

royvanderhoorn

You could pair up the RAM, but it's generally not the best of ideas. You always want to try and pair up the exact type of RAM (brand name and speed) to avoid any issues. If you did pair up those two different sets, the OCZ would be down clocked to match the speed of your slowest RAM.

Just like if you were to SLI two video cards that are the same, but one is factory overclocked and the other is stock - the faster video card is going to be down clocked to match the speed of the slower one. So why pay more for something you are going to be forcing to perform under it's optimal performance level?

If the problem is the OCZ memory you have, be sure that BIOS is reading all the settings correctly. It could be under-volting it, setting the speed/timings incorrectly and that could be the problem....or the set you have is faulty...? It's hard to tell sometimes....could just be that it doesn't work correctly with your motherboard or BIOS?

**Edited to fix incorrect use of words**

I just called the store, they said it's okay if I come and test it there, then if it's faulty they'll give me a new pair. If not, then it must be my BIOS settings. Is there a default setting because I'm not an expert on voltage levels and timings..?

If you're taking the RAM back to get tested there, you could always ask the folks at the store if they could show you what to look for in the BIOS to check the voltage and timings and such. It isn't that hard - only difference I had problems with was when I moved from my old motherboard to my new one because of the different BIOS they use - I had to get used to the new one, which has loads more options and is better suited for overclocking.

They'll most likely use a different MB then what you have (unless you're taking your whole PC with you) so you'd probably see a different version/looking BIOS then what your MB uses.

If you're taking the RAM back to get tested there, you could always ask the folks at the store if they could show you what to look for in the BIOS to check the voltage and timings and such. It isn't that hard - only difference I had problems with was when I moved from my old motherboard to my new one because of the different BIOS they use - I had to get used to the new one, which has loads more options and is better suited for overclocking.

They'll most likely use a different MB then what you have (unless you're taking your whole PC with you) so you'd probably see a different version/looking BIOS then what your MB uses.

neatfeatguy

I did see the options in the BIOS, they're quite detailed actually I believe I saw an entire list of options for each RAM slot, it's just a bit overwhelming. I'm sure they could show me or tell me what settings to change it to, if the RAM works okay in their store. Quite confusing that my 2GB RAM works even better than my new 4GB currently.. I'll post the results next wednesdays since I'm going cross the country for work. And thanks again, I wouldn't be able to figure things out I'd probably stuck with replacing endless amounts of driver versions.

I have installed the new 4GB OCZ memory yesterday, and it's been running for more than 12 hours straight without any BSOD. So I guess it was the faulty memory. Thanks for the help guys :).

After some more computing time, the PC has rebooted four times. Strange detail is that every time I get the BSOD, the PC automatically reboots, then turns off, and back on. The new memory is in there, so chances are this one is faulty about 0,0001%? I gathered some info from my BIOS, might help?

==================================

Vcore= 1.2Volt

CPU Freq= 266

PCIE = 100

DRAM = 533 (1066)

EPP = Auto

Profile 1 = 5-5-5-15 @ 2.1V

CPU Voltage = Auto

DRAM = 2.14V

===============================

Edit: Some more details on the BSOD:

Probleemhandtekening: (Translate: problem autograph)
Gebeurtenisnaam van probleem: BlueScreen (Problem name)
Versie van besturingssysteem: 6.0.6001.2.1.0.256.1 (OS version)
Landinstelling-id: 1043 (Land-id)

Extra information regarding this problem:
BCCode: a
BCP1: FFFFCA7FFFFFFFD0
BCP2: 0000000000000002
BCP3: 0000000000000001
BCP4: FFFFF80002086058
OS Version: 6_0_6001
Service Pack: 1_0
Product: 256_1

I hope I don't need to buy myself a new PSU.. seeing the 750TX from Corsair is about 115 euros..

its not the psu its 100% hardware clear your dmi bank/cmos and reinsall windows

its not the psu its 100% hardware clear your dmi bank/cmos and reinsall windows

kemar7856

most mobos have the giant watch battery and i used to just pull them out and wait like 15-20 min and it clears everthing but idk if they have changed it for diff mobos

The PC just rebooted, then turned back on, and off for five times, then it stayed on. I guess it's the PSU then.. Is there a cheap way to check if it is indeed the PSU instead of just buying a 100$ PSU and finding out if that was the issue?

I know it's my RAM since my old memory (2GB) runs just fine... Anyone else who knows what BIOS settings to alter? Or could I just remove my HDD and buy a new one and install all new drivers? If that would solve problems then that is what I would do, because I am getting pretty tired of all this stuff. My temperatures look good right, and so does my memory info?

Properties:
Modulename OCZ XTC Platinum OCZ2P10662G
Serial number: -
Module size 2 GB (2 ranks, 8 banks)
Moduletype Unbuffered DIMM
Memorytype DDR2 SDRAM
Memoryspeed DDR2-800 (400 Mhz)
Modulewidth 64 bit
Modulevoltage SSTL 1.8
Errordetection method - none
Refreshing frq. (7.8 us), Self-Refresh

Memory settings:
@ 400 Mhz 5-5-5-15 (CL-RCD-RP-RAS) / 24-54-3-6-3-3 (RC-RFC-RRD-WR-WTR-RTP)
@ 333 Mhz 4-5-5-13 (CL-RCD-RP-RAS) / 20-45-3-5-3-3 (RC-RFC-RRD-WR-WTR-RTP)
@ 266 Mhz 3-4-4-10 (CL-RCD-RP-RAS) / 16-36-2-4-2-2 (RC-RFC-RRD-WR-WTR-RTP)

Enhanced Performance Profile:
Profilename High Frequency
Optimal Performance-profile Yes
Memory speed DDR2-1066 (533 Mhz)
Voltage 2.1 V
Mem. Settings 5-5-5-15 (CL-RCD-RP-RAS)
Row Cycle Time (tRC) 26T
Command Rate (CR) 2T
Write Recovery Time (tWR) 6T

Memorymodule- properties
Analysis Probe - Not there
FET Switch External deactivated
Weak Driver Supported

Memory firm:
Firm name OCZ Technology
Product Information http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/memory/

(TRANSLATED FROM EVEREST DUTCH)

I know it's my RAM since my old memory (2GB) runs just fine... Anyone else who knows what BIOS settings to alter? Or could I just remove my HDD and buy a new one and install all new drivers? If that would solve problems then that is what I would do, because I am getting pretty tired of all this stuff.

royvanderhoorn

[QUOTE="royvanderhoorn"]

I know it's my RAM since my old memory (2GB) runs just fine... Anyone else who knows what BIOS settings to alter? Or could I just remove my HDD and buy a new one and install all new drivers? If that would solve problems then that is what I would do, because I am getting pretty tired of all this stuff.

neatfeatguy

Yeah if I knew before that ASrock is not compatible with some OCZ memory modules I would have bought Asus instead. I'll try to set it to 400Mhz. If that doesn't help, I guess I'll try a new PSU like the Corsair 750TX.

[QUOTE="neatfeatguy"][QUOTE="royvanderhoorn"]

I know it's my RAM since my old memory (2GB) runs just fine... Anyone else who knows what BIOS settings to alter? Or could I just remove my HDD and buy a new one and install all new drivers? If that would solve problems then that is what I would do, because I am getting pretty tired of all this stuff.

royvanderhoorn

Yeah if I knew before that ASrock is not compatible with some OCZ memory modules I would have bought Asus instead. I'll try to set it to 400Mhz. If that doesn't help, I guess I'll try a new PSU like the Corsair 750TX.

[QUOTE="royvanderhoorn"]

[QUOTE="neatfeatguy"] Try lowering your RAM MHz from 533 to 400. See if downclocking your RAM solves your problem. I had issues with trying to use OCZ memory before and it conflicting with my ASRock MB. I pulled it and put in my old RAM and things worked just fine. I gave the OCZ memory to my little brother because he wants to put a new PC together and I figured it was just something less for him to have to purchase.neatfeatguy

Yeah if I knew before that ASrock is not compatible with some OCZ memory modules I would have bought Asus instead. I'll try to set it to 400Mhz. If that doesn't help, I guess I'll try a new PSU like the Corsair 750TX.

So if I keep having this error there's really nothing I can do other than to accept I wasted €60 and need to buy myself new RAM.. great. Well I still hope I can fix it. I didn't have any errors so far, but as you know it sometimes takes up to a day for the BSOD to appear.

Have you already tested the ram with Memtest x86? If not, start there. You will need to make a bootable cd and let it run for about 8 hours to see if it comes back with errors. Even 1 error is a BSoD event and will tell you without a doubt that it is in fact the ram. If you are getting errors with 2 sticks, try it with one at a time.freesafety13

I tried downloading Memtestx86 but it gives me an error the program will not run with my version of Windows (64bit).

You have to make a bootable cd. I have Vista x64 and have no issues getting it to work for me.freesafety13

Sorry to bring up this thread again, but I keep getting the sudden shutdowns of my PC at random it seems. Although it usually happens when playing a game, sometimes I can go on for hours, other times it restarts after one hour or so. It triest to restart, but fails and shuts down again, then starts back up, then fails again. I have to manually switch off my computer at the back of my PC because pressing the on/off button on the front doesn't respond if it's in the process of being off/on.

I really need some help here, I found a cheap Corsair 850TX and I want to know if that will solve my problem? I currently have the Corsair HX520 in combination of the GTX 260 Core 216 SuperClocked. My other specs are in the first post of this thread! Help me out guys :)

Could it be the PSU cable that I used? I didn't use the one that Corsair had coming with the PSU, I just another one. Is there difference between them?

Enjoy the GTX 260, it's a beast. ;) I suggest overclocking your Q6600 to 3.0ghz!