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Computer error (blue screen of death) - help!
EagerLearner
Posts: 4,976 Forumite
in Techie Stuff
Hi there I had the following message come up when I started my pc:
'Hardware malfunction
NMI parity check / memory parity error
Contact your hardware provider'.
Then I turned it off, left for 5 minutes and restarted - now seems fine.
Before I call Dell (who are useless at tech support) can anyone advise whether there is anythign I can do / check to see what caused the error?
Our old pc died in October 06 suddely one day and I want to make sure this current model gets saved before than happens! :T
'Hardware malfunction
NMI parity check / memory parity error
Contact your hardware provider'.
Then I turned it off, left for 5 minutes and restarted - now seems fine.
Before I call Dell (who are useless at tech support) can anyone advise whether there is anythign I can do / check to see what caused the error?
Our old pc died in October 06 suddely one day and I want to make sure this current model gets saved before than happens! :T
MFW #185
Mortgage slowly being offset! £86,987 /58,742 virtual balance
Original mortgage free date 2037/ Now Nov 2034 and counting :T
YNAB lover
Mortgage slowly being offset! £86,987 /58,742 virtual balance
Original mortgage free date 2037/ Now Nov 2034 and counting :T
YNAB lover
0
Comments
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Sounds like one of your memory sticks maybe faulty or overheating. Have you had any changes to your PC recently?0
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Hi TonyLisaP - no we haven't added anything since buying it, apart from an external hard-drive which we've had for a year now... we haven't moved the pc and nothing is sitting near fans etc...MFW #185
Mortgage slowly being offset! £86,987 /58,742 virtual balance
Original mortgage free date 2037/ Now Nov 2034 and counting :T
YNAB lover0 -
A memory parity error is usually a sign of a piece of RAM on its way out. How old is the machine? If it happens again I would get onto Dell to repair it.0
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Hi TonyLisaP & Expresso and thank you - we bought it October 06 and it isn't heavily used but yes maybe the memory is on it's way out... I am not very tecchie so will see if OH can work out how to download Memtest as there seem lots of links and I don't know which one to click, nor how to remove memory sticks.MFW #185
Mortgage slowly being offset! £86,987 /58,742 virtual balance
Original mortgage free date 2037/ Now Nov 2034 and counting :T
YNAB lover0 -
If the machine is running vista there is an inbuilt memory test utility.
Goto start, run and type in mdsched and hit ok. Select the option to test memory on next reboot.
Please note that the complete memory test may take upto 1/2hour.0 -
Hi there - we have XP - does it have some sort of similar test?MFW #185
Mortgage slowly being offset! £86,987 /58,742 virtual balance
Original mortgage free date 2037/ Now Nov 2034 and counting :T
YNAB lover0 -
No you will need to download and install memtest as detail by espresso.0
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You can download the ultimate boot CD which is a live CD that boots into a version of linux and has many tools including memory testing software.Since when has the world of computer software design been about what people want? This is a simple question of evolution. The day is quickly coming when every knee will bow down to a silicon fist, and you will all beg your binary gods for mercy.0
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Hi Proliant and TonyLisa - please be aware I have very little tech knowledge so some of the things you are saying may need to be clarified. I don't have Linux.
I have done what was suggested and downloaded memtest.iso then burned to dvd (we have no cd's at the moment) - however the pc did not boot from the dvd when I restarted. It just logs me on as normal.
I tried to go into F2 settings but saw nothing that allowed me to boot from the cd drive.
I tried to 'run' from the run command and it keeps opening in Roxio?MFW #185
Mortgage slowly being offset! £86,987 /58,742 virtual balance
Original mortgage free date 2037/ Now Nov 2034 and counting :T
YNAB lover0
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