BSOD BAD RAM?

[dunklegend]

I get a BSOD with the following technical information:
STOP: 0x0000007F (0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)

How do I know if it´s caused by bad RAM?

 

[Scooby2]

More info please. Pc hardare specs, what you are doing when it to happens...

 

[dunklegend]

I was transfering some files from one hard drive to another.
I just finished building my machine I installed windows XP then I installed Ubuntu. I was doing the file moving in Windows XP.

 

[dunklegend]

Here are the specs of my system:

LIAN LI PC-V1000BPLUSII W
AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+
EPoX EP-MF570SLI Socket AM2 nForce 570 SLI MCP ATX AMD Motherboard
G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit
NEC DVD Burner Model ND-3550A
Geforce 6600 256MB DDR PCI Express x16 Video Card
BenQ Lightscribe DVD Burner
MITSUMI 1.44MB 3.5" Internal USB 2.0 digital card reader w/Floppy Drive
3 WD 320GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache IDE Ultra ATA100 Hard Drive
1 250 GB Sata Hard Drive

 

[advcomp2019]

What PSU specs are you using to make sure it is not that?

 

[dunklegend]

I´m using Memtest from my linux installation and it´s giving me some failing addresses how can I correct this and is it possible to RMA the RAM if I don´t have the original box. I bought it in newegg!

 

[dunklegend]

I have a Fortron 500W bluestorm

 

[advcomp2019]

Try testing each stick of the memory.

 

[sailer]

Try pulling the ram sticks and then test one at a time. Its possible that one stick is bad and the other is good, so you only have to RMA the bad one. Be aware, though, that there have been a number of compatability problems between the ram and motherboards. You may have to RMA the ram and get Corsair brand, which so far seems to be the most stable. Doublecheck with Epox for its recommanded ram companies.

 

[dunklegend]

How long should I run Memtest?
Is there a way to fix the errors found?
I was going to get corsair but it was out of stock and I got some Geil sticks

 

[phreejak]

Take a look at this:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=814789

 

[sailer]

Memtest86 recycles itself, looking for errors that show up over time. I'd run it for about half an hour. Some people might recommend more, others less. Usually there's no way to correct the errors, but rather it shows a failing part that needs to be replaced.

Keep trying for the Corsair for the moment. You might try returning the Geil sticks and getting Corsair at a different place if its still out of stock. I'm not saying that the Geil is the fault, only that it can be. This is one of the bugs that needs to be worked out, and it will be as the systems mature.

 

[sweetpants]

I get a BSOD with the following technical information:
STOP: 0x0000007F (0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)

How do I know if it´s caused by bad RAM?

This is what I'm showing when I use a site that I use at work. Unfortunately it's not very specific.

0x0000007F: UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP
(Click to consult the online Win XP Resource Kit article, or see Windows 2000 Professional Resource Kit, p. 1558.)
One of three types of problems occurred in kernel-mode: (1) Hardware failures. (2) Software problems. (3) A bound trap (i.e., a condition that the kernel is not allowed to have or intercept). Hardware failures are the most common cause (many dozen KB articles exist for this error referencing specific hardware failures) and, of these, memory hardware failures are the most common.

 

[dunklegend]

I'm going to do a fresh install of windows just to eliminate the possibility of the BSOD having a software cause.

But I think that either my RAM is BAD or not very compatible with my Epox board.

BTW my RAM is G Skill I thought it was Geil but I was wrong!

 

[sailer]

At the moment, I'd guess you have a motherboard problem, at least in the sense that it isn't compatible with the ram. I have been reading that a number of motherboard companies are having problems with the new boards and ram. Don't know who is at fault, the mobo company or the ram companies, but for the moment, us customers are the guinea pigs to find their problems.

As for your ram being G Skill instead of Geil, I haven't heard of problems there yet, but you may be among the first to try that ram with a new motherboard and then find failure. Welcome to being an unwilling beta tester.

 

[Mondoman]

I'm going to do a fresh install of windows just to eliminate the possibility of the BSOD having a software cause....

This is a bad idea, because you have already shown (using memtest) that your memory is giving errors. Thus, you have already shown that there is at least one hardware cause. If you already know there is a hardware problem, you can't identify any possible software problem *until* you fix that hardware error.

Trying to install Win under these conditions will likely produce a *corrupt* installation. This corruption may not be obvious at the beginning, but will cause problems down the road.

 

[apesoccer]

What specific tests are you getting errors on?

Depending on the test it failed on, the failure can tell you:
A. Bad Ram
B. Not enough voltage to the ram
C. Not enough voltage to the cpu
D. Bad at the current settings (which may mean you just need to change the setting)

I'll edit this later with more information, and/or a website address.

edit: Sorry i don't have a good address, i'll try to get back to this some time later.
Here's what i have for you now...not very helpful really.
http://www.memtest86.com/#display

 

[phreejak]

In the September '06 issue of MaximumPC there is a section written about BSODs. In it, they devote a page to the very problem that you are having ( it's on page 48 ). If you have a copy of the magazine OR can get on it explains quite alot about that error - and gives you numerous causes for your symptoms - overclocking the CPU, bad ram, a faulty motherboard or a corrupted BIOS (although, they do explain that this particular BSOD can be generated by an overheating PC).

 

[dunklegend]

I downgraded the RAM's speed to 400MHz and I was able to run Memtest86+ for about an hour (at least 1 pass) without any errors.

 

[dunklegend]

Before lowering the speed to 400 MHz from the original 800 the failing test was #5.

I saw on newegg's page for my RAM that it was rated for 2.0-2.1V and when I see my VDimm on the BIOS it says 2.38V that much voltage could be what's causing the errors?

Should I lower it?

The only problem is that the BIOS won't let you change the VDimm with the current version.
I looked on Epox website and it looks that the newer version of the BIOS corrects the missing VDimm menu.

 

[dunklegend]

What temperature could be considered as overheating?

My CPU is an Athlon 64 X2 3800+
And my GPU is a GeForce 6600

 

[dunklegend]

I changed my BIOS and now I'm able to modify the VDimm.
I changed it from 2.38 to the recommended 2.1.
I changed the speed in the BIOS from 800 to 400 MHz.
It doesn't give me errors in memtest with the lower speed but I still get BSODs, they vary in code number and they can't be easily reproduced sometimes the blue screen appears when doing one thing and sometimes when doing a completely different one.

What can I do to troubleshoot these problems.

 

[Mondoman]

Start fresh now that you've got a new BIOS. Make sure you cleared the CMOS after you installed the new BIOS. Then, using only *one* memory stick at a time, run memtest86+ for a couple of hours. If it works OK, swap in the other memory stick and run memtest86+ again. If that works OK, install *both* memory sticks at the same time and run memtest86+ again. If that works, your system should be stable.
I wouldn't trust your current installation of Windows, since you did it while the system was unstable, and BSODS could be caused by previous corruption of the Windows install. So, reinstall Windows. Then, run PRIME95, one copy per core, in the stresstest mode that stresses the CPU and some memory (I think that's the 2nd of 3 choices). Let that run for a few hours at least to see if you get any errors. If not, you should have a stable system.

BTW, what brand and model power supply are you using?

 

[dunklegend]

It's a Fortron Bluestorm 500W power supply.
I'll try what you suggested and post what happened.
Thanks