acer blue screen !!!!!!!!!! 0x000000f4

ok , bear with me on this...any help greatly appreciated.

bought a 2nd user aspire 5100. Installed xp , acer drivers etc and all ok till a few weeks later didn't recognise h/d at times ! this got worse ..even not recognised in bios (my bios is version 1.4,)! this got to a stage where wouldn't boot so bought a new h/d and installed xp/drivers again etc etc

2 days later, started getting 'blue screen of death ' and 0x000000f4 ( 0x00000003, 0x8473ADAO,etc )
Switched of and rebooted , ok for a few hrs then same again ...today wouldn't stay on for more than 15mins before blue screening !!

Any ideas ?? have read about reseating ram , waggling h/d etc ...but I think this is something else ???????

cheers Mike

 

sound good to me ...

 

what sounds good ?? have tried reseating ram .....

any ideas what else ?

 

Hi.

have you tested the memory, if not click on the link below.

http://www.memtest.org/#downiso

regards

John.

 

thank tinderbox..

which one should i click on to use ??

 

Hi.

One you burn to a CD it`s an ISO file , the other you run in windows and it makes an Floppy Disk if you have one.

below is a link to the ISO version

http://www.memtest.org/download/2.01/memtest86+-2.01.iso.zip

below is a link to the floppy version

http://www.memtest.org/download/2.01/memtest86+-2.01.floppy.zip

Regards

John.

EDIT : IF you dont have any burning software to write the ISO, click on the link below for a free program!

http://cdburnerxp.se/

 

downloaded and copied to disc but my laptop will not open file ..need to download something to open it ...will try later

unless there is another programme i can use to do mem test ???

 

Hi.

try 7zip it`s free to unpack the file

http://www.7-zip.org/

Regards

John.

 

There is a possibility your hard drive controller is to blame.
However, you might have purchased a faulty hard disk (which is not out of the realm of possibility).

Then again, your motherboard could also be to blame.
Test the RAM, and other components (I think there are programs that can do that easily enough at startup).
If your laptop is covered by the warranty (it should be because you said you just purchased it), I would recommend you bring it in for repairs (also re-install your previous hard drive-the one that came inside the laptop before you send the little bugger for repairs)

 

Is there a "Minidump" folder in the Windows Directory ?

 

minidump ??? explain please ....

 

have used 2 h/d's now , at least this one reboots ok after the blue screen ...

got it 2nd hand so can't return ....I'm thinking about upgrading bios ??

 

unpacked it before burning to cd ...laptop don't recognise the file ???

 

Hi.

you have to install the program below to burn the ISO file!

http://cdburnerxp.se/

Regards

John.

 

Drive\Windows\Minidump <-- Any folder ?

 

it copied and burnt ok ,..I used my desktop pc . Put the disc in laptop but the file is not recognised ...it see's it on the disc but won't open it

 

This is supposed to be a bootable disk, you put it in the cd-rom restart and boot from the disk.

 

Hi.

Try pressing f10 or f12 i cannot remember which, to select to boot from the dvd-rom as soon as your notebook starts, or you will have to go into the bios and select dvd as you first boot device.

regards

John.

 

F12 if the option is enabled in the BIOS if not press F2, enable the F12 option restart THEN press F12 during POST.

 

ram checked out ok ,, so did the h/d on chk disc etc etc ...

error message is : 0x000000f4 followed by

BCP1 00000003
BCP2 8498A020
BCP3 8498A194
BCP4 805D2970


Also had screen black message error 0200 ; Failure Fixed disk 0

But this has happene on 2 hard drives now ?? chances of both being f*d ??

 

It's a possibility both drives are faulty (happens) ... or your hard drive controller is to blame.
You can go switch the new hd with a new one since it's bound to be covered by the warranty and try to fiddle with the replacement (see if the same thing will happen again).
If the error persists then there is a good chance the laptop itself is to blame and not the hard drives (although it can also happen you got a third faulty HD ... the odds are slim, but not impossible).
Personally, I'd just install in the hd that came with the laptop and send the bugger for repairs to Acer if it's under warranty.
You'll spend less time messing around with it all.

One other option ... you could download Ubuntu and try loading it from a CD (not installing it btw).
That way you could possibly access the HD in the laptop and backup your data to a USB drive (if Linux will see your hdd ... it should show up as a separate device on desktop).

 

Minidump ? You won't be able to find out the cause without a bug check....

 

Does this error message mean anything to anyone ??

error message is : 0x000000f4 followed by

BCP1 00000003
BCP2 8498A020
BCP3 8498A194
BCP4 805D2970


Also had screen black message error 0200 ; Failure Fixed disk 0

 

It's most likely ide connectors problem, 5100 is well known with this problems check this thread.

 

Computers should be sold with a big foam rubber *** glued to the side so we have something to kick when we are mad at them.

I am sorry to hear about your troubles and I have NO solutions to try and help but I wish I did. I have a laptop by Gateway that bluescreens .... never found out what caused it and I even eliminated all of the hardware and came to the idea it was the motherboard.

I say that but even my new Aspire right out the biox bluescreened when i tried to rip an mp3 using LAME. It does it everytime with that specific software.

Not an Aspire issue but a Windows Vista issue. You may be having issues with having XP and not quite all of the drivers you need or something.

I know .... I'm NO help.

 

reading the thread there was no real answer ????

 

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

Ok , just flashed the bios to a later version ( was 1.4 , now 3.5 ) and stayed running all day and evening ,

BUT tried to install MS Office from a cd later in the evening and file on cd was not 'seen' ? also tried to open msn messenger and again no response ??? Then got a blue screen with the following error :

PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
Stop : Ox00000050
Win32k sys- address BF9OEAEF base at BF800000

Had to depower and all ok again ???


Any idea if both errors are related ? or was this 2nd error just a coincidence ?

 

There are a few problems that happen with this reg file, one you cant boot up, 2 you cant reinstall windows (wont work still have error). But I found that on the Acer website that you have to disconnect your battery, shutdown, then while power is off hold down power button for approximately 20 to 60 seconds. Then reboot!
Tell me if this works, I never got to try it.
I'll tell you why, when I got that error code I couldnt reboot (it would start but never load) I decided to use the manufacture restore disk to reinstall windows vista. It installed just fine, but when it went to starting windows it would stop and give me another error (0xe0000009c or something like that) and would state that it sould be reinstalled. When it would reboot with out install it would ask for the Vista disk and click repair PC, problem with that is with Acer restore disk is that you do not have that option. I Called Acer Tech support (bunch of morrons there) they told me it was a registra error and it cannot be fixed, I must send in my laptop for repair and it will cost you to ship to TX approx. $20 (Just got it back from repair about 2 weeks before I called them, so it didnt cost me to send back to them do to the 90 repair warrenty)
Now I know when It comes to Acer always create backup disks, don't trust tech support. Never remove D-drive (removes the eRestore program on HDD)
When you get the money to, buy an actuall copy of vista so you can have a clean install if need be and download the drivers online.

Now I have it back, works fine now, after I finish installing everything Im going to do backup disks.

 

wndows xp installed ok on both hardrives ! The blue sceen just comes up intermittantly ....can work for hours with out an error !

latest blue screen was :

kernel_data_input_error
stop : 0x0000007A

ftdisk.sys..address. F7419BE4

???????????????????? Getting p8ssed off now with this laptop

 

Still no minidumps ?

 

All of this to me sounds like it is being caused by either a faulty hard drive controller or your mainboard is malfunctioning.

I have had my 5102 for 2 years now and haven't seen any of these problems(knock on wood) never had to send it to acer for anything. All I have done is upgrade the HDD and change the optical drive because it died.

 

4 minidumps found in where you said ..can't open them ? or find a programme on line to open them ??

 

Zip all of them, and upload them here. Also run MSINFO32, save it as .NFO, and upload that as well. I'll see if I can do a good bugcheck.

 

Hopefully the 4 minidump files from last few days are attached as zip

how do I go about the MSINFO32 for the info yo uwant ? ran msinfo32 but nsure what you want from it ?

thanks for your time on this Andy


did notice under 'problem devices ' the following SM Bus Controller PCI\VEN_1002&DEV_4372&SUBSYS_009F1025&REV_83\3&13C0B0C5&0&A0 The drivers for this device are not installed.

 

this is 2nd hard drive , wasn't getting blue screen on the 1st though , just totally nothing ...hope its not the motherboard ...too expensive to change ...will prob bin laptop !

 

Andy , hopefully I have now done the .NFO file as req ..and hopefully attached ..it wouldn't let me upload as .nfo so converted to adobe

really appreciate your help on this

 

Ok, there is a H/W failure.

Which HDD have you got ? (Are you able to log into windows ?)
Have you run a Memtest ? If not, run one for at least 14-16 hours, with all modules installed.

 

Andy , I did have a Hitachi travelstar 40gb , but replaced with a fujitsu 80gb.( chances of this 2nd h/d being knackered too ???)

Windows logs on no prob on new h/d ( originally old h/d started to come up not recognised , had to depower and reboot till evetully just died . New one boots no problem , just get occasional blue screens - I just reboot and all ok .9till next time , which could be hrs later)

what Memtest you sugest use ?

 

Memtest86+ (at least 14 hrs)

 

will try this when get the chance ...and let you know

cheers

 

update update update update update update

(Andy ; not had chance to run memetest yet !)

ok , this is getting worse to the point of it being trashed !!!

Was working ok last night , no probs . Switched on this morning and it 'blue screened' straight after login with 0x000000f4 error ! tried rebooting and wouldn't boot to windows..it black screened ! rebooted again and went into F2 bios settings. No h/d or dvd recognised as present ?? Again rebooted and then in F2 they were but in wrong order ..reset so h/d booted 1st etc.
When restarted from this , it came up with error :

"windows could not start due to the following file missing or corrupt"
windows\system32\config\system
please insert original windows disk to repair etc ....

tried to insert xp disc to repair but it gets to the 'r' option then when I select '1' where the drive is nothing happens ???

any ideas ?? does this make an explanation for all the faults I am getting or does it complicate the matter worse to the extent this laptop gets binned and me out of pocket £££££

 

switched on this morning and all graphics were weird . lowest colour quality , wrong resolution , with no choices ...then had it again where it blue screened ....depower and wouldn't boot up , just cursor in top l/h screen / black

after several repowers etc got to the f2 screen and in bios there was no hard drive or disk drive shown ?? repowered again - f2- now sees h/d . dvd !!

does this throw any more light on it ???

 

See if it is possible to run the memtest. Most of your minidumps were themselves corrupted. Depending upon your HDD, run a diagnostic for it too, as it could be dying as well....

 

for god sake just take it to acer customer service...

 

That wont help.....it's second hand and probably out of warranty.

 

@mikbish Do you move the laptop? If it's a hdd connector's fault(bad contact) maybe when the laptop is moved the hdd loose contact with the connector..

 

running memtest as I type ( obviously I'm on a different pc lol)

So far its been running 8hrs + and all ok so far ...passed !!

its looking like the motherboard isn't it ? please no !!!

 

no , it can be sitting sturdy on a desk and still does it !

 

big help you are !!! and the cost of repair would prob outway buying another

 

that will help much. if it's out of the warrant period, then pay. i'd rather spend some bucks than making my myself miserable posting in forums until 5 pages and nobody can't really be a real help.

for mikbish, i think u might be wasting ur time discussing ur problem in forums. we are users too, we might know a little bit, but manufacturer knows best. my opinion, u go to the customer service, leave it for some days to be analyzed. if u have to pay, then pay. if it's too expensive that it's not worth it, then take it back, but at least u know what's ur problem actually.