Random BSODs

Hi there,

For about a month now, I have been experiencing random BSODs. I have tried to find something constant about when they happen, but to no avail. It sometimes happens after my computer has been on for 2 days with no problems - sometimes only after an hour. The message of the BSOD is quite different from a time to another, though the most common are BAD_POOL_HEADER and BAD_POOL_CALLER. I also once had MEMORY_MANAGEMENT and a few times NO_MORE_IRP_STACKS. The BSODs contain no driver information. After doing some research, everything lead to think my RAM was faulty, so I ran memtest86+ on each of my 4 RAM sticks on its own, but no error was found. The other possible cause I could find was a driver problem, so I updated the drivers I could think of - video card, sound card, a few USB devices... still didn't help. Now I am rather clueless, I am thinking maybe one of my HDs has a problem, or maybe my power supply, or CPU, or.......

It is important to mention that some other side-problems have also been affecting me. For a period of time (maybe 2 weeks), booting windows would take like 15 minutes. Then, once, my USB ports stopped working in 2.0 mode though they used to, and shortly after, my computer wouldn't boot at all, remaining stuck at the first step, before I could even access the BIOS. So in a last hope attempt I opened my computer, cleaned all the dust, removed all devices and put them in again, making sure everything was tight and clean (I also changed the thermal paste in the CPU, though it wasnt really dry), tried again, and magically, it booted fast enough and the USB issue was solved. First thing I did after getting in again, was backup everything and update the BIOS...

Another side-problem, which started maybe 1 month before all the rest, is that once in a while when rebooting, after windows has loaded, my screen starts showing everything with flashing lines making it impossible to read or use. This is always solved by a new reboot and only happens about 1 time out of 10. This hinted me towards a video card problem, but then again, now I am quite puzzled, I updated its driver and it didn't change anything, and most of the time it seems to be working just fine, for extended periods of time.

I guess all of this could be both software or hardware related, and I'm having a really hard time to pinpoint where it could come from. The only thing I can remember having changed before this started is adding a 4 ports USB hub, though I'm not sure it actually was before. I tried disconnecting the hub and rebooting to see if it caused the problem, but it still crashed with a BSOD, so I guess that's not it (I had to install no drivers to use the hub).

Here are my specs:
CPU: Intel Pentium 4 640, 3200 MHz (16 x 200)
Motherboard: Asus P5LD2-VM
RAM: 2048 MB (DDR2-533 DDR2 SDRAM)
Video Card: All-in-Wonder X1900 (256 MB)
Monitor: HP w2207 Wide LCD
Sound card: Creative SB X-Fi Platinum
Other PCI: None
HDs: WDC WD2500JS-00MVB1 (232 GB, IDE) + Maxtor 6 L250R0 SCSI (250 GB, 7200 RPM, Ultra-ATA/133)
Drives: Floppy drive, LITE-ON DVDRW SHW-160P6S, SONY DVD RW DRU-810A
Router: Apple Airport Extreme, though it is only linked to the computer through the Ethernet wire.
USB:
- WD 10EAVS External HD (931 GB)
- M-Audio FastTrack USB
- USRobotics USR809600
- iPod (not always connected, BSDOs happen also when its not connected)
- Printer, Canon MX850
- 2-ports USB hub which is part of my screen
- Apple Mighty Mouse
- The 4-ports hub which is now disconnected.
- 3 other external HDs which, however, I have disconnected already 1 week ago as I don't need them right now, in case they might be the problem.
- Logitech Dual Action, but I also disconnected it, 3 weeks ago.
Power supply is 450w (I always thought it was quite low as 500 is recommended for my X1900, but I've had it for 2 years with no problems before...).

I am used to google my computer problems and solve them myself, but I have been trying to fix this for 2 weeks now and I'm getting nowhere. Thanks in advance to anyone who reads and tries helping!!

 

Does the problem happen when you are doing a something specific? (ie gaming)

 

No, that's the most frustrating part because that makes it hard to narrow down. It can happen while I'm doing anything, or overnight while there is no activity on the computer.

 

Do you have a digital multimeter to check the power from your PSU, or do you have or can you borrow a higher watt PSU?

 

Actually, as I was checking for the exact model of my PSU, I noticed it wasn't a 450w as the seller told me it was when I bought this computer, but 350w!!! That's most frustrating, because I had even told him I needed 500, and he said it'd all be fine. :mad Though it worked fine for a long time, it probably has to do with my current problems... I just ordered a new PSU, 550w. I'll post here again if the problem isnt solved after installing it.

Thanks a lot for the answer!

 

Good luck! I hope you ordered a good PSU. Cheap ones can give you fits. :-D

 

Thanks! I got a Roswell RP550V2-D-SL 550W RT. I don't know much about PSU brands, so I went with the user ratings on newegg, sounds like a fair one?

 

I don't have any experience with Rosewill PSU's. According to the specs it does have a 'Black Shiny Finish' :-D It should work ok, maybe someone who has used the Rosewill PSU's can advise you futher.

You could always start a PSU thread in the hardware area.