Need advice, help. please...

Until recently I was running Windows 2000 pro, but my son, a qualified techie, serviced my machine and loaded XP pro, so I now have to get used to the new system.

However, unfortunately Son has now returned to his home in Johannesburg - far from here - and I suddenly got the following message on a blue screen:

A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

Check to make sure hardware or software properly installed.

If problems continue, disable or remove any newly-installed hardware or software. Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing.

If you need to use safe mode to remove hardware or software…..

TECHNICAL INFO:

*** STOP: 0X0000000A (0X805A4644, 0X000000FF, 0X00000000, 0X805A4644)

Beginning dump of physical memory
Physical memory dump complete.

I phoned him to ask whether he could tell me what was going on and he replied it's a memory problem, advising me to get another 1Xddr 256 RAM chip to double my memory.

Wrong? Right? Of course, it's difficult to diagnose a problem via the phone, but I hope it is nothing more than that.

Thanking you in anticipation,

®KIM

 

Hi ®KIM and Welcome to MG,
You would probably be better off posting this in the Software forum, get more responses.
If your current system has only 256 MB of RAM, it would run better with the additional RAM as suggested by your son. XP uses more RAM. I would try that first and if you continue to get blue screens then investigate further.
If you do post again, please give some system specs also. (Processor, RAM, Operating System, etc.)
Hope this helps.

 

Thanks, LBMest, for the welcome! And sincere apologies for posting in the wrong section, but then, old ladies like me (I'm a 72-year old pensioner!!!) can unintentionally be very stupid!

Anyhow, I did mention having "graduated" from Windows 2000pro to XP pro; I have BitDefender pro AV plus NoAdware and XoftSpy SE installed to keep my system clean - which they seem to to beautifully - I already have 256 RAM that Son installed when he built my machine 3 years ago (and yes, by your standards it would be considered obsolete), but further than that I don't know what else makes it tick!

So, thank you so much for your advice so far - I'll certainly try extra RAM, and if any further problems crop up, I'll knock on your door again.

Best wishes!

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311564/

 

Hello, Tim, had a good look but neither !, X or ? showed up anywhere. I also bought and installed an extra 256 RAM chip today and my machine SEEMS to have settled down now, but I'll keep my eyes and ears open, nonetheless.

To one and all, thank you for rallying around me and my problems - I hope they are now something of the past, but if not, I'll certainly be knocking on your door/s again!

Bless you, one and all!