Member Avatar for theirishwolf

Hey Guys,
I am new to this forum only because I have only just come across it.
It looks very active and am excited to try it out so here goes:

I restarted my confuser box 2 days ago to get "Windows could not start successfully"
I was given the normal options to use safe mode or last known config.
Only safe mode is working currently.
I disabled auto restart so I could read the error which is:
IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

with a stop code of: 0x0000000A
0xfffffffE8 0x00000002 0x00000001 0x8052SJB4

CHKDSK did nothing for the problem...

I assume it is a hardware/driver issue.
I have been disabling and reinstalling components and services for awhile now to no avail. Maybe MOBO problem?

I have a Sony Vaio
with XP HOME SP2
All factory hardware configuration.
I have only ever installed software but not in the last 10 restarts.
The problem came out of nowhere

thank you for reading and hopefully someone out there can help.

  • 3 Contributors
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  • Latest Post Latest Post by scratch2_22

Dani AI

Generated

Good catch by and a useful confirmation from — a blue screen that only happens in normal boot (but not Safe Mode) almost always points to a third‑party kernel driver or filter. was right: Safe Mode makes removal and isolation practical. In this case a consumer AV suite ended up being the culprit; those products install kernel drivers that hook the file and network stacks, so a buggy or mismatched driver can trigger the kind of memory/IRQL fault described in the thread.

Why that happens: the error means a kernel‑mode component tried to access memory at an inappropriate interrupt level. Microsoft drivers aren’t the only kernel code loaded in normal startup; realtime scanners, network filters, and disk filter drivers run in kernel space and can cause a crash that vanishes in Safe Mode because Safe Mode skips most third‑party drivers.

Quick troubleshooting checklist that works on older Windows installs and remains relevant:

  • Boot Safe Mode and note recent installs or updates.
  • Use msconfig (Services tab: hide Microsoft services) to disable all non‑Microsoft services and disable nonessential startup items.
  • Uninstall the suspected security suite; if Control Panel fails, run the vendor’s removal utility (for McAfee, use the official removal tool) and reboot to test.
  • Reinstall only the latest compatible build if protection is needed, or try an alternative AV.
  • Run memory diagnostics (memtest) and a disk check to rule out hardware. Also run System File Checker (sfc /scannow) on older Windows.
  • If the problem persists, collect minidumps and analyze with a tool like BlueScreenView or WinDbg to identify the offending module; Driver Verifier can help but use it cautiously (it will provoke crashes to reveal bad drivers).

Takeaway: when Safe Mode boots cleanly, focus first on uninstalling or updating kernel‑level third‑party drivers (AV, filter, virtualization drivers). That sequence often resolves IRQL crashes without hardware replacement.

Member Avatar for theirishwolf

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

with a stop code of: 0x0000000A
0xfffffffE8 0x00000002 0x00000001 0x8052SJB4

The last memory reference is actually 0x805255B4

So I really think this is driver or hardware related.
But how are we supposed to trace the culprit to the above number??

Member Avatar for chunkmartinez

Well if you can boot into safemode, well thats a great start, be happy for that because back in the day when i was always crashing, i usually never could use it(nada), but as far as your problem goes, chances are it's a driver related issue.

Member Avatar for theirishwolf

To close out this thread and maybe to help others....

The problem was MCAFFEE VirusScan.

I uninstalled/reinstalled and no more problem.
I feel sorry for whoever else gets a problem like this....
and thanks to anyone who posted

Member Avatar for scratch2_22

To close out this thread and maybe to help others....

The problem was MCAFFEE VirusScan.

I uninstalled/reinstalled and no more problem.
I feel sorry for whoever else gets a problem like this....
and thanks to anyone who posted

Jan 24/01/07 Thankyou so much for this information, I have spent 2 hours troubleshooting BSOD, tried system restore, msconfig, diagnostic startup, but still would not boot (only in safe mode). Uninstalled MCAFEE internet security suite 2006 and hey presto - It booted. Now reinstalled MCAFEE (had to start mcafee items in services.msc manually). And all back to normal. Still took 4 hours but would have been much longer without your advice - THANKS!

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