Whirlpool

Hey guys recently my comp has been randomly shutting down and displaying the BSOD.

I copied down the STOP Error and it looks like this.

STOP: 0x0000008E (0xC0000005 , 0x00000000, 0xF4308178, 0x00000000)

I have googled it with no luck, can anyone shed some light on what it is and/or what I can do about it please?

In case anyone asks, I am usally doing most if not all of these things when it happens: listening to music, downloading BitTorrent, playing a PopCap game and surfing.

Thanks a lot for any help.

Do you have any heat issues? This could be a hardware problem rather than a Windows problem. Download Speedfan and check your computer's running temp. It could be possible issues with your PSU.

Gator writes...

This could be a hardware problem rather than a Windows problem.

Yep, likely hardware or driver issue. Probable cause is bad RAM, but have fixed this once by also reinstalling graphics card drivers. Can also be caused by overclocking or too tight timings on RAM.

Have you changed any hardware recently? Update your BIOS. Test RAM with Memtest86+ www.memtest.org

HeelTaker writes...

I have googled it with no luck

Just google the 0x0000008e bit. That will give you 242,000 results to look through.
This forum has some good suggestions:
icrontic.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50966

Gator writes...

Do you have any heat issues? This could be a hardware problem rather than a Windows problem. Download Speedfan and check your computer's running temp. It could be possible issues with your PSU.

Yeh I have done that a little while ago and it was SLIGHTLY over what it should be, so I don't think that is it, I will run it without the side on though just in case.

Boughto writes...

Yep, likely hardware or driver issue. Probable cause is bad RAM, but have fixed this once by also reinstalling graphics card drivers. Can also be caused by overclocking or too tight timings on RAM.

Have you changed any hardware recently? Update your BIOS. Test RAM with Memtest86+ www.memtest.org

Thanks for the suggestions I will try re-installing/rolling back my graphics drivers and try the memory test and post the results later.

I have not recently changed any of the hardware and in fact it has been the same configuration since about 3 years ago...and I don't overclock.

hartless1 writes...

Just google the 0x0000008e bit. That will give you 242,000 results to look through.
This forum has some good suggestions:
icrontic.com/forum/showthread.php?t=50966

Thanks I will look through that forum and see what I can find if the memory test and re-installing drivers doesn't work.

Thanks a lot for the help guys, very much appreciated, I hope something works cos it's getting just a tad irritating.

HeelTaker writes...

Thanks I will look through that forum and see what I can find if the memory test and re-installing drivers doesn't work.

Verify that your hardware is OK. If you are overclocking, then don't.

If you are still getting the same BSOD over and over again (and not different, random BSOD codes), then please locate the minidump files in c:\windows\minidump and make them available for analysis (or WHIM me for an email address you can send them to).

If you are getting random, different bugcheck codes on th BSOD screen, then you most likely have a hardware error.

HeelTaker writes...

I have not recently changed any of the hardware and in fact it has been the same configuration since about 3 years ago...and I don't overclock.

I should have expanded on this point. Also just check your BIOS hasn't reset itself to default which can sometimes effectively run your RAM too fast for it's own good. As a last resort you could also try using the "Safe Defaults" setting if it's still giving you trouble before replacing parts to troubleshoot.

If you haven't changed any hardware or installed anything new, RAM would be the first thing I'd check, then graphics card. As someone else suggested power issues can also cause numberous BSODs.

I will run it without the side on though just in case.

You will usually get lower temperatures with the side panel on, as your PC case should hopefully be acting similar to wind tunnel :) ...unless you have a desk fan pointing directly inside. Good luck, hope you find it too!

Boughto writes...

Test RAM with Memtest86+

That would be one of the first things I'd do.

Not long ago, I had a situation where a laptop was bluescreening, but only after a couple of years of trouble-free use. As it turned out, the RAM has become faulty during it's lifetime (probably due to heat). Normally if the RAM is good from day one, then it stays fairly reliable, however this case was an odd exception, where the RAM module failed long after day one.

Well I THINK I ran memtest, I didn't do anything accept restart my comp after I d/ld memtest and then when it started up again there was a blue screen that looked a lot like Scan Disk so I left it for a while cos I thought it was going to take a long time but when I checked on how far it had gotten my comp was at my login screen.

Was that memtest doing that and if so does it usually go that fast or did it crash or something? Also if it did finish why wasn't there a results screen?

AnonymousCoward writes...

If you are still getting the same BSOD over and over again (and not different, random BSOD codes), then please locate the minidump files in c:\windows\minidump and make them available for analysis (or WHIM me for an email address you can send them to).

If you are getting random, different bugcheck codes on th BSOD screen, then you most likely have a hardware error.

Sorry for misleading you, I have only actually seen one BSoD after my computer crashing a few times I was advised to make the BSoD appear in my settings, before I did it was just crashing and automatically restarting.

If/when I see another one (haven't yet, keeping fingers crossed) then I will compare the error codes and take it from there.

Boughto writes...

I should have expanded on this point. Also just check your BIOS hasn't reset itself to default which can sometimes effectively run your RAM too fast for it's own good. As a last resort you could also try using the "Safe Defaults" setting if it's still giving you trouble before replacing parts to troubleshoot.

How would I go about checking if my BIOS has reset itself and how and why would it do that? What are these "Safe Defaults" and how do I turn them on, is that Safe Mode?

Thanks again guys!

HeelTaker writes...

Was that memtest doing that and if so does it usually go that fast or did it crash or something? Also if it did finish why wasn't there a results screen?

No, memtest is run from a boot CD or boot floppy disk, not through windows, depending on howmuch memory you have and how fast it is memtest can take anything up to 5 minutes for the first pass through the tests, usually run the extended tests overnight to get a good idea.

a blue screen that looked a lot like Scan Disk

Was probably scandisk.

What are these "Safe Defaults" and how do I turn them on, is that Safe Mode?

Usually press del to enter BIOS, sometimes F2, look in your motherboard manual for a description of the BIOS functions, safe mode is just a reduced functionality mdoe of windows, press F8 while booting to get to the windows diagnostic boot menu to access safe mode.

Steve the (original) name pirate

Steve writes...

a blue screen that looked a lot like Scan Disk

Was probably scandisk.

Oh man do I feel dumb! (Insert embarrassed smiley here).

Okay so I burn it to a CD, leave it in the drive THEN restart (I have already got my comp set to boot from CD due to the many re-installs I do to keep this POS from really making me snap).

Will I know when it works like does it have "MEMTEST" written anywhere or anything or is it just a DOS looking thing that is hard to notice unless you know what you are looking for?

Thanks for the help man.

HeelTaker writes...

Will I know when it works like does it have "MEMTEST" written anywhere or anything or is it just a DOS looking thing that is hard to notice

It will be obvious, amd yes it will have memtest written on it.

Steve the (original) name pirate

Steve writes...

It will be obvious, and yes it will have memtest written on it.

There are screenshots on the download page www.memtest.org/#screen

Okay so I finally got it working and then it doesn't do anything, it gets to a certain point within seconds of testing and then shows an error message "Unexpected interrupt – halting" and hangs until I exit...

What the heck do I do now?

The crashes are becoming frequent now with different codes every time.

HeelTaker writes...

STOP: 0x0000008E (0xC0000005 , 0x00000000, 0xF4308178, 0x00000000)

I had the same error message with my Laptop. It had been happening on and off for a couple of months (once every couple of days), but a couple of weeks ago it started happening every hour.

I had two sticks of ram in there and when I took one out the problems stopped. It was obviously faulty.

I've since bought another couple of sticks and it's been running fine for the past 12 days.......fingers crossed.

Hmmm...maybe I'll just do that and hope for the best too.

Sounds like a plan, thanks man and good luck with yours.