Blue Screen of Death

[Drezell]

So yesterday I had to restart my computer about 10 times...each time thinking I can figure out what went wrong on my own. But I think I need some help...I kept getting a blue screen and was laughing because I was like "Hahaha...like that blue screen of death everyone always talks about" and then it hit me...it actually WAS the blue screen of death that everyone talks about.

Apparently I don't have a system restore point from before whatever happened, because I tried the earliest restore point I had (Monday ) and I still got the BSoD ...even though I haven't gotten this screen until yesterday. So I figured it had to be something I downloaded within those days. So I uninstalled and deleted everything that I installed in the past few days, including updates for adobe and windows and such. But obviously it didn't work.

I am using windows 7 starter on my ASUS Eee PC netbook. I had my boyfriend take a short look at it, but we were actually in the middle of hanging out with a bunch of friends, so he didn't really look at it much...he is usually pretty good with computers and helped me with a virus on my laptop before, but I guess the fact that the "lovely" blue screen kept popping up no matter what I did told him that he should tell me to just go to where I got it and have them do something about it since I'm still under warranty.

I don't have TOO much on this netbook yet, so I can grab my pictures, videos, songs and documents off of it and let geek squad or someone deal with it, I guess...but I was kind of hoping I could figure this out and not have to bother with it.

I can still restart it, and use it long enough to do some stuff on it. I am not exactly sure what triggers the screen to turn up. I want to say it is just a certain amount of time, but that has not been consistant either.

If it helps, I did my best to get down what the blue screen said:

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

REFERENCE_BY_POINTER

If this is the first time you've seen this Stop error screen, restart your computer. If this screen appears again, follow these steps:

Check to make sure any new hardware or software is properly installed. If this is a new installation, ask your hardware or software manufacturer for any windows updates you might need.

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 or disable components, restart your computer, press F8 to select Advancesd Startup Options, and then Select Safe Mode.

Technical information:
*** STOP: 0x00000018 (0x00000000, 0x85C6FBC0, 0x00000002, 0x85C78D60)

Collecting data for crash dump ...
Initializing disk for crash dump ...
Beginning dump of physical memory.
Dumping physical memory to disk: 100
Physical memory dump complete.
Contact your system admin or technical support group for further assistance."

I tried a number of things already. I tried to do a hotfix for 0x00000018 but it says it is only for windows vista, and I am using windows 7. Someone else said it would be fine to use the same thing for windows 7, so I attempted to request a hotfix, but it did not want to let me do it. That wasn't fun.

As I said, I already tried to go to a restore point, but that did not work out.

I just tried to use my back up disks...one of the last tricks up my sleeve...and they don't seem to want to work. Maybe I just don't know how to use back up disks. I have this "portable super multi drive" from LG that I am using because netbooks do not have a CD/DVD drive. I can see that it recognizes that I have a disk in there...but it just doesn't work.

If I go in and click on one of the files from my back-up disk, it says that I do not have the correct program to run whatever I am clicking on. WHAT?! All I am trying to do is pretend like I just got my computer again at the point right after my dad made me some back up disks. I do remember him complaining about the back-up disks not looking as if they were made correctly...thanks to the netbook not having its own drive to put disks into. Maybe my back up disks just don't work.

Not really sure what else to do. I seriously think I do have to go to best buy or geek squad or somewhere and see if they hold up to their end on my warranty and fix my computer...or give me a new one. But I figured I would try here before doing that to see if anyone else knows of anything else I can do.

Guess I am one of those helpless girls who know nothing about computers *shrug* I am okay with telling my mother about this whole problem, but she knows nothing about computers, I am 100% afraid to tell my dad, because if I say "blue screen of death" he is going to get upset because I've only had this computer since March and he'll think I already broke it and everything. *sigh* So...if no one here can help, I'm going to just give up, and ask mom to bring me to wherever she got the netbook (because it was a present from her).

[pawoSD]

Your computer is likely dead/dying. Probably the hard drive or RAM. If you haven't had it long, try and get it warrantied. The geek squad are a bunch of crooks and will charge you a ton of $$$ for next to no work.

[Brian Carlton]

Join the club.

I've lived with the blue screen of death for the past two months............Dell has diagnosed it as a hard drive going south.

I'm hoping for one last backup of "my documents". Might take 10 hours...........if it doesn't crash.

[The Clk Man]

Buy a mac??????

[pawoSD]

Proper data backups and management prevent these situations. I am amazed daily by how much trust people put into their hard drives. Especially laptop users, who drag/bump/vibrate it all day. Then when it fails they are always in amazement that it did.

I've never lost a single file in 15 years. Never will.

[pawoSD]

Originally Posted by The Clk Man

Buy a mac??????

I've seen plenty of macs display the "moron mac of death" on the screen. They have the same hardware as a PC, and can fail just the same. (and do)

There is no substitution for proper backups and data management.

[Drezell]

Originally Posted by pawoSD

Your computer is likely dead/dying. Probably the hard drive or RAM. If you haven't had it long, try and get it warrantied. The geek squad are a bunch of crooks and will charge you a ton of $$$ for next to no work.

Dying so soon? Even though its new? Damn. Alright, note to self, no more geek squad. But yes, warrantied I guess. You're definitely confirming what many others are telling me. Very disappointing.

Originally Posted by Brian Carlton

Join the club.

I've lived with the blue screen of death for the past two months............Dell has diagnosed it as a hard drive going south.

I'm hoping for one last backup of "my documents". Might take 10 hours...........if it doesn't crash.

I hate this club, I want out.

Mr. Carlton you really are not having a good year, are you? I'm so sorry. That is impressive that you have been living with it for two months though. I think the constant blue screen might eventually annoy me though. Good luck getting that last backup.

Originally Posted by The Clk Man

Buy a mac??????

I'm a PC. Sticking with it. I will stick with it until I have no choice. And I only say "have no choice" because I am going into graphic design...and they generally want graphic design majors to have macs. I really don't want one. I also don't feel like spending the money on one...considering that I already have a laptop and a netbook (if I can get it fixed). Thanks for the suggestion, but...no

[The Clk Man]

I've been using the same mac at my shop for 8 years, can a PC do that?

[Drezell]

Originally Posted by The Clk Man

I've been using the same mac at my shop for 8 years, can a PC do that?

It can if it isn't violated by geek squad.

My mom told me that geek squad apparently set up something in my computer before giving it to me...weird. I can't really ask her more about it because she doesn't know. And even if she did...she wouldn't be able to tell me now anyway.

Is that mac of yours that you have had for 8 years a desktop or a laptop?

[The Clk Man]

Originally Posted by Drezell

It can if it isn't violated by geek squad.

My mom told me that geek squad apparently set up something in my computer before giving it to me...weird. I can't really ask her more about it because she doesn't know. And even if she did...she wouldn't be able to tell me now anyway.

Is that mac of yours that you have had for 8 years a desktop or a laptop?

desk top my new friend.

[pj67coll]

If it is indeed still under warrantee take it back where you got it and have them fix it If its new you likely either have a bad HDD (hard drive) or RAM (memory). That is if it keeps working for a while before blue screening.

- Peter.

[Drezell]

Originally Posted by The Clk Man

desk top my new friend.

Nice. My dad has had a PC for who-knows how long. At LEAST 10 years...

[Drezell]

Originally Posted by pj67coll

If it is indeed still under warrantee take it back where you got it and have them fix it If its new you likely either have a bad HDD (hard drive) or RAM (memory). That is if it keeps working for a while before blue screening.

- Peter.

that's 2 votes on PC for warranty. and 3 others from other friends.

Total of 5 votes for bringing it in...*sigh* I was gonna buy myself a netbook, i was going to choose it and everything...but mom bought it as a present for my birthday so...didn't realize it would have such problems so soon.

[pawoSD]

Originally Posted by The Clk Man

I've been using the same mac at my shop for 8 years, can a PC do that?

One of my servers is a PC, and its 11 years old of 24/7 operation. I built it. For about 1/10th of what an equivalent MAC would cost. And, its running linux, same as a Mac does.

For a desktop PC, why are you using an 8 year old machine, that is ancient! My phone is more powerful than that.

[pawoSD]

I'm a PC. Sticking with it. I will stick with it until I have no choice. And I only say "have no choice" because I am going into graphic design...and they generally want graphic design majors to have macs. I really don't want one. I also don't feel like spending the money on one...considering that I already have a laptop and a netbook (if I can get it fixed). Thanks for the suggestion, but...no

My brother does graphic design and video animation, all on a PC, a very powerful one at that, no macs available even come close to the level of his PC. "Macs needed for graphic arts" is a myth, there is more software out there for windows than for Mac, even in that field.