Vista - Stop: 0x0000003B BSOD Fun

Hi all, Thanks for your help in advance. I custome built a pc 2 years ago with vista 64. I havn't had any major problems with it until last month. It started crashing like crazy and it would even BSOD launching safe mode. I managed (finally) to re-install vista. Its day three and ive had it crash approx. 8 times. my mom made me get up and do the dishes a couple minutes ago and it crashed while i was in the middle of posting. I got tons of random errors before install (usually relating to some .sys file like netio.sys) but since my re-install i have only seen two. The first error(7/8 times) is system service exception stop:0x0000003B (0x00000000c0000007 0xfffff80001a051f7 0xfffff9800e579900 0x0000000000000000) the other (i think....) was a 0x0000007e error of some kind. It is slightly encouraging that the other errors have gone away but these bsods should be happening. I cant say for sure but i think most of my errors started about a month or so ago when MS released the large set of security patches. There was also one update from early november that wouldnt ever install. It was a security update for x64 systems of some kind. Heres my setup:

BIOSTAR NF4UAM2G AM2 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard
SAPPHIRE 100165L Radeon X1650PRO
MSI PC60G 32bit PCI2.2 Turbo G Wireless Adapter(I have the vista 64 drivers from website)
2x APIDA 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
2x 1gb sticks of another ram brand i cant remember......
AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Windsor 3.0GHz
PC Power & Cooling Silencer PPCS500 500W ATX12V PSU

I can't understand why it would work so good for 2 years and then decide to die on me.

Thanks,
Thrawn

I believe it is your ram. Run a memtest to see what turns out.

I had that thought for a while. I can't believe i forgot to mention it, but i tried to install linux on another HDD so i could copy my files(install failed) and it had an option for a mem test. I ran 1 pass and it found like 900 errors. So i was unhappy and i thought ram was dead but it ran 1.5 more passes and it said no errors. So i thought it must have fixed them? is that even possible? I just ran vista's memory test (1 pass extended mode) and it found nothing. Does that mean my ram is good or is that still a likely cause?

Thanks,
Thrawn

Hi Thrawn, try removing 2 gb of rams and try again. While you at it, check and make sure your SATA cable connections have a good contact by disconnect and reconnect, shake, wiggle and tug on the connecters at the HDD. Replace them with after market ones when you have a chance. Run chkdsk to see if there any problem with the HDDs.
Report back.

Happy new year!

Bruce

It certainly sounds like the ram........The BSOD gates of hell opened up when one my sticks went bad....all kinds of random / weird crashes....many hours wasted trying to figure out what was going on....just take out the bad stick and you'll be OK.

When you isolate the bad module you can RMA it - you should get a replacement from the manufacturer as most RAM has a lifetime guarantee.

Hi guys, thanks so much for replying. Ram would seem to be the issue but I need to isolate the bad stick(s). I have Apacer and Apida ram. I'm don't recognize the brand names like I would kingston or crucial but i get a 5.9 memory operations rating in vista so I guess the ram isn't too bad. Do you think those brands have the unlimeted warranty. Heres the issue with RMA is that I don't have the boxes they came in..... if I do they are BURIED in my room full of junk. Do you have a guess as to whether I can still get a replacement? I will call the respective company when I figure it out. My computer still works on and off for an hour or two at a time(like when I'm writing this message) but I cant run a mem test today because I have an Important project for my debate class due tomorrow. As far as HDDs go I'm pretty sure they are solid. I have unplugged/replugged them about 40 times and I have vista installed on my second HDD(IDE[was SATA]) so I would think the problem would be eliminated by now if it were the hard drives. I have also run chkdsk multiple times so I'm guessing its not an issue. I'll be away from my ppc tomorrow so I'll run an all day extended mem test. Am I correct in assuming that once errors are found those are not reparable? As to the suggestion for removing 2gb I should run the mem test for a while on one set and if no errors try the second set? Would it be more thourough to do one gig at a time?

Thanks for all the help,
Thrawn

edit: Just looked up the warranty policies.... I think I'm still covered...

I have never heard of those brands,...but they probably DO have a RMA procedure. Usually they require the ram to packaged in a anti static bag and protected with soft packaging before being sent off ( best check with the company ). I would try a quick mem test on each stick.....as it may be quicker to do that and only use the good ram to avoid a BSOD and losing work, as you'll have to redo it. (up to you though)

If you do the vista mem check with a standard setting on 1 pass the errors should come up pretty quick. You can then take that ram out...and not use it.

As far as I'm aware a bad module cannot be repaired with memcheck/software, maybe the bad memory address can be blocked to avoid writing to it but I have no idea about the working of such things.....

good luck with it.

From Microsoft:

This would seem to indicate a problem with your display drivers. Try downloading and installing updated, Vista-certified drivers for your display driver.

Wow... this is just getting better and better. I just ran standard memcheck on all 4 sticks of ram(1 at a time) and nothing turned up in the memcheck thing. But as I said before when I was trying to install linux on another hard drive it had a mem test option and it found errors...? (oh and i think it only recognized 2gb.... not sure which ones though-i have shorttermmemoryloss =]) And since one of you seemed to think errors were not fixable...? For now I am running on one 2gb set and if i get BSODs then I will try the other set. If I still get BSODs then I will try something besides ram. Drivers was actually my first concern being vista. But as for video drivers I have the very latest version of catylyst and its drivers. Sooo, what now? Should I run more extensive memory tests or what?

Thanks,
Thrawn

Edit: Oh and if it is a gfx card issue then it's almost a non-issue because I'm going to get a new card very soon (4850, YAY).

That sounds like a plan.....If you need to work use a rolling save system* so if it crashes again you won't have lost too much or lose everything with a corrupt saved file ( this happened to me a few days back when my system BSOD during a save )

* saveas docname1, after 10/15mins saveas docname2, after 10/15mins saveas docname3, after 10/15mins saveas docname4 ...then save over docname1 ...etc

It could be the videocard, but, when my ram went bad I had many different types of BSOD codes inc. 3b, 24, 1e,a,18,07...I didn't note the rest..