[Emper0r]

Ok guys, I just resolved the strangest problems I've ever had with a computer. And I have no idea why what I did solved the problem but it did, if anyone can figure this out I'll mail you a dozen donuts.

I have the specs of my computer listed at the bottom of the post because the list is very long. For now just know that the computer uses Windows 64-bit Let me start out with a little history:

I've had this computer for about five months now and it's the first computer I built myself. When I first got done building it, I tweaked the timings/voltages on the ram to meet what were called the premium settings on the corsair website. For some reason tweaking the voltages changed the CPU multiplier and I got blue screens a few times a day every day until finally I decided to set everything back to default.

After I set everything back to default my computer ran almost completely smoothly (I think I got one blue screen) within a three month time frame. Then about a week go I began getting a blue screen every day sometimes twice a day. Today, I was playing Counter-Strike and I got a blue screen, restarted my comp started playing again and within 5 minutes I got another blue screen, restarted and started playing again and got ANOTHER blue screen and then when I restarted Windows wouldn't start and I got the following error message:

System32\ntoskrnl.exe file missing or corrupt, please re-install.

So I'm like wow I must have a virus, I guess I'll re-install windows. I put in the windows CD, it gets past the first two F6 and F2 prompts and then hits the error message slightly altered to be:

AMD6ntoskrnl.exe file missing or corrupt, setup cannot continue.

So I think it must be a hardware problem. I try disconnecting each of my hard drives one at a time then booting up to see if I can install on that one, doesn't work. I try my roommate's hard drive. Same error.

So I look up other people who had the same problem, everyone who has recieved this error message was trying to install Windows 64-bit, not already had it installed.

So I decide to try my ram, I remove one stick and boot up with only one stick in the mobo. It worked! So I thought the stick was faulty. Initially both sticks were plugged into both blue slots(there's two blue slots and two black slots). I say what the **** and try plugging in the supposedly faulty stick into the black slot next to the blue one... the computer works again... when it started up, I got an error that said "Registry hive(file) ntuser.dat corrupted but recovered" not sure if that's significant, but there you go.

So can someone please explain to me how switching the ram stick to another slot fixes the problem? And could someone please explain to me how that paticular ram slot was messing up system32 files?

If you can figure it out, please PM me your address and I'll mail you a dozen donuts, thanks.


SPECS WARNING VERY LONG:

Motherboard: EVGA 122-CK-NF68-AR Socket T (LGA 775) NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel
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Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775
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RAM: CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit
Newegg.com - CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail


Power Supply: ENERMAX GALAXY EGA1000EWL-DXX ATX/BTX 1000W Gamers Edition Power Supply 100 - 240 V
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Hard Drives:

Primary:
Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB 10,000 RPM 16MB Cache Serial ATA150
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Storage:
Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 ST3500641AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s
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Video Card: eVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP
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Sound Card: Creative 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series
Newegg.com - Creative 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series - Retail


Case : Thermaltake Armor Series VA8000BWS Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Full Tower
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Fans: Case - Thermaltake Armor Series VA8000BWS Black Aluminum/Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case Newegg.com - Thermaltake Armor Series VA8000BWS Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail
2x120mm Case Fan - Thermaltake A2018 120mm Blue Case Fan---$12.99 Newegg.com - Thermaltake A2018 120mm Blue LED Case Fan - Retail
2x90mm Case Fan - Thermaltake A2017 90mm Blue Case Fan

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Cooling Fan/Heatsink - Thermaltake CL-P0310 120mm CPU Cooling

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Thermal Paste - Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound---$5.99 Newegg.com - Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM

Monitor: UltraSharp 2407WFP Wide-Screen Black Flat Panel Monitor, LCD with Height Adjustable Stand
Small Business: UltraSharp 2407WFP Wide-Screen Black Flat Panel Monitor, LCD with Height Adjustable Stand

DVD/CD Burner: LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM E-IDE/ATAPI DVD Burner with LightScribe Technology
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DVD/CD Player: ASUS Beige 16X DVD-ROM 52X CD-R 32X CD-RW 52X CD-ROM 2MB Cache E-IDE/ATAPI Combo Drive
Newegg.com - ASUS Beige 16X DVD-ROM 52X CD-R 32X CD-RW 52X CD-ROM 2MB Cache E-IDE/ATAPI Combo Drive - Retail

[DilutedImage]

If it's just that slot that's causing problems, then you've got a problem with the motherboard. Have you tried other sticks in that slot, to ensure that it's in fact the problem? If so, then just replace it.

As for corrupting files, it was probably just a result of the system trying to utilize RAM that was inaccessible (or had become so). The system can't always diagnose it's own problems properly (after all, it's not working properly), so it's very possible that it just didn't know there was a problem with the RAM.

2¢

This post has been edited by DilutedImage: 03 May 2007 - 02:14 PM

[max302]

Dear lord. If the XMS2 is dead, call me for the funerals, i"ll help you cry them off. These things are teh bombez!

As for your file problem, try wiping your drive clean with some live bootable distro. Logically, your disk should work since it worked once, so the problem must be that it's trying to read that file when recovering.
*never mind, just read the rest*

I really don't know how you are re-installing, but usually on a destructive reinstall you arent supposed to get messages that system32 files are corrupt.

If your getting that every time, try using another XP pro disk with your key, maybe its the cd thats bad.

[William_Wilson]

the error was not directly related to system32 files, but rather those which were loaded into memory. Many system files are loaded into a section of RAM ahead of all paging memory (for regular app use) if the slot was wrongfully allocatting the data it recieved or losing some of it, it is possible to have corruption in the loaded files... these are the sorts of things which could have caused the blue screens in older windows versions... or even XP if you try hard enough.
The System only knows where the files came from, not that they are loaded into memory. As long as the corrupted versions were not resaved (which shouldn't happen, XP is reasonable at protecting itself from this) the OS installation should be fine.

[KeyWiz]

Looking at the specifications for your memory PAIR, it seems that they must be installed in a particular order, ie. A in slot 0 and B in slot 1, if B is in slot 0, A can't be accessed as it has a lower ID number than B which is now the PRIMARY of a PAIR. Seems you weren't the only one with that problem.

[Thorian]

dead slot on the motherboard. What did the dump analysis of the blue screens tell you?

what did mem test tell you? Not to be a jerk or anything but if you "searched everywhere" you would have at least found a reference to memtest.

now that I am done playing the condecending jerk read this article I wrote on decoding BSOD's

http://www.dreaminco...wtopic17625.htm