blue screen error- need help

[jaga87_biotech]

i own a 2 years old Dell Inspiron 6400 laptop with a windows Xp service pack 2. for the past few months i have been experiencing Blue screen error, frequently. it occurs around 2 to 3 hours after i work on my laptop. i contacted the Dell technical support, and they wanted me to reinstall my OS and Drivers. i did so, but the problem persists. i believe it occurs due to overheating/ hardware problem .
the problem started arising when i used the hibernate option extensively with my audio player still running. the error report was stored in a temp file. this was the stop error. there were various errors at different number of times.
IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
bAD POOL HEADER
file ialmrnt5 0X000000A(0X000000,0X000000002........)
0X00000007E(0X8000003, 0XAA56DD72)..... PLEASE HELPME

[Suspishio]

Not likely to be overheating.

My money's on the video driver clashing with another part of windows. Usually this is due to a driver being written in contravention of kernel protection rules - something like that.

There's a whole string of stuff about the ialmrnt5 driver at http://software.intel.com/en-us/forums/user-community-for-intel-graphics-technology/topic/51557/

It'll prolly end up with you downloading the latest driver from Dell or Intel (taking care that the driver is compatible with your precise chipset).

[jaga87_biotech]

ya. i have already downloaded the drivers from dell. couldn't find much from intel. but the problem persists. can u suggest me any other links where i can find the downloads.
this the configuration details
Inspiron 6400 Notebook
Intel Core 2 CPU, Centrino duo
T5500@ 1.66 GHz, 0.99 of RAM,
Mobile Intel 945 GM express Chipset family

[caperjack]

#3 in the drivers list , should be INFINST_AUTOL.EXE that you get .
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/filter_results.aspx?strTypes=all&ProductID=2300&OSFullName=Windows*+XP+Home+Edition〈=eng&strOSs=45&submit=Go!#DRV

[jaga87_biotech]

thanks .ya i did d same.I updated those drivers. but no use. the Dell technical Support technician adviced to reinstall my OS.I did and before installing my Drivers the blue screen error(BOD) occured again. since the problem occured even before the drivers were installed , I strongly believe it is a Hardware Problem......... one of my friends told it might be a RAM problem. any suggestions? Any service centre in Chennai, India?. Dell wants me to renew my Warranty, only then they will attend to my problem........

[Suspishio]

Overheating can be tested by blowing cool air into the vents while the laptop is running.

Sticking for now to past theories in this thread, it's now not clear when the latest BSOD occurred. Some video driver has to be there for you to receive the BSOD! Had you fully re-installed the OS and thus the old/current ialmrnt5 driver was part of your system - in which case I don't think you can infer a hardware problem. This type of error is a soft corruption in memory which means the OS can't continue. Rarely if ever due to hardware unless something is glitching electrically from time to time.

So can we have more info on where you'd got to in the build of your OS.

Incidentally what happens in Safe mode? You could certainly install your replacement drivers there.

[jaga87_biotech]

thanks for taking interest. I don't remember when exactly i had the BSOD while installing the OS. I will do one thing. A dell technician is coming tomorrow, to look into the problem. if he can figure out the problem, well & good. If else I will re install my OS with all the new Driver Updates from Dell and Intel.......actually i installed my OS at least 3 times(to figure out if it was a driver problem) after the BSOD problem occurred, but it was only on one occasion that the BSOD problem occurred during installation. and I thought it was because i have worked longer hours.
one more info, normally after the BSOD occurs if i try to relogin, the laptop crashes(BSOD) immediately within minutes. But if i do allow a cooling period of atleast an hour or so, the next time i relogin, it lasts for the usual time period of 2-3 hours. so i made a conclusion that the BSOD was all because of over heating.......
the laptop fan is working and i don't fell any excessive heat from the notebook.

[jaga87_biotech]

as far as the stop error is concerned most of the time it is the ialmrnt5 error. but there has been few times when i received different errors without any file name and just the stop code, with advice to disable BIAS cache memory. like this.....
Stop: 0X0000007E(oX80000003,0XAA56DD72,0XAA7D4CD0,0XAA7D49CC)
Even the stop code for ialrmnt5 error is different at different times.

[Suspishio]

I, and I'm sure others, don't see this as a heat related issue. You even sort of say so yourself because you can't feel excessive heat coming from the working fan.

The BSOD can happen when there is a memory overwite that destroys the system's ability to continue. That is always (?) a driver related issue and the error message indicates the causing driver. When there is no reported module, then IMHO the corruption itself has prevented from being reported.

There are brainios who can decipher the post mortem dump if one is fully take (Dr Watson sort of thing).

But all that's academic. The Dell technician's diagnosis is now something from which we all hope to learn. We hope!

Look forward to your next report.

[ramjo]

What if your problem isn't with the system rather than with your hard disk. I had problem with a HP laptop way back i problem reinstalling windows because it kept giving me the blue screen. then i partioned it. afterwards i installed an antvirus to scan for any virus since i used a live cd to partion and backup the data. when it started to scan the logical drive i get the blue screen thus i assumed which is the case that the hard drive has physical errors which are making my system to crash. have you tried defragmenting or scanning?

[jaga87_biotech]

i had this dell technician , who checked on the laptop. he asked me to run the diagnostics test when the bsod occurs.
the test showed failed reports in the memory test . all error locations pointed to DIMM_A (the memory stick slot.) I have 2*512Mb RAMs installed. so i tried out various possible ram combination. it works well with one Ram installed.
i have swapped the RAMs now. yet to find out if the error would reoccur.....
probably the laptop gets hanged if both the memory slots are engaged......

[jaga87_biotech]

if any one comes across a BSOD . try out the following.
1.reinstall the OS n drivers.
2. Update ur drivers and BIOS.(in case if u had installed any new games)
3. try the diagnostics test when the BSOD occurs(the diagnostics test wont figure out the problem during normal circumstances) the error code obtained from the test would help in finding out any hardware problem.
if the above didn't help. it is for sure a hardware problem.
in most cases it is a RAM problem or mother board problem.
4. just swap ur RAMs or try out new ones in the slots.

[Suspishio]

Well done. If it isn't a memory clash with driver/kernel, then it's the memory itself.

Glad you're sorted.

[notuserfriendly]

if you have a modem like 56k card there
remove it
and try again
if not just try to remove all pci cards which you may have installed after you got the computer
reply with results

[Suspishio]

@notuserfriendly: He fixed it

[caperjack]

fixed it, and it was a laptop, so no pci cards!