Can't get past blue screen! IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

[rawbbbbb]

Compaq Presario 6000
Pentium 4
Upgraded to 1 GB RAM
About 11 year old pc.

I ran PC doctor, the only failed test was the real time clock on the motherboard.
I have
-Replaced the battery on the MOBO letting PC sit for 12 hours in between, then setting the RTC in the bios (Still gives the same fail error)
-Reseated RAM, tried with individual stick in each slot
-Pulled out the video card and network card and tried to boot
-Booting in safe mode while doing the above
-Booting last known good configuration while doing the above

Sometimes I can get the XP splash screen, but just when I think it's going to boot, BSOD. I am fixing this computer for someone else, and I can't for the life of me figure this out for all the research I've done and things I've tried.

Blue screen info:

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

STOP: 0x0000000A (0x76CCF714,0x00000002,0x00000000,0x804ED637)

 

[Pinhedd]

This is hardware failure. You need a new PC.

 

[rawbbbbb]

Well unfortunately this is what I reccomended to the person but I'm being paid 300 dollars to fix it, because he insisted on not getting a new machine. So it is what it is, and I need a solution.

 

[Pinhedd]

Well unfortunately this is what I reccomended to the person but I'm being paid 300 dollars to fix it, because he insisted on not getting a new machine. So it is what it is, and I need a solution.

There is no solution. This is the digital equivalent of trying to fix up a 1970s pickup truck. It'll be a long and expensive process that will involve trying to hunt down parts that have been out of production for ages. Unless there's some sort of sentimental value to the product in question, or fixing it up is simply a hobby, it's not worth doing. You would end up charging your client as much to hunt down replacement parts for that old PC as they would pay to buy a new entry level PC.

Furthermore, support for Windows XP ends next year and that will not support anything newer. That will put your clients personal information at risk as security patches will no longer be issued.

 

[rawbbbbb]

I understand all the points you are making, and also explained them to this customer at the time. I also know that they are true. He was adament that he did not want a new PC, even a custom built one. He refused a Lenovo with an i3, 8 gigs of ram and a 1TB HDD for 349.99. Unfortunately I am working under someone, and we have to give the client what he wants and what he is paying for. He appears willing to pay any price to fix his old PC. Unfortunately we have to serve our customer and what he wants, even though it is wildly stupid and irrational.

As I said before, I am using PC Doctor 7.5 and the PC has passed every single hardware test besides failing the Real Time Clock test. All the motherboard, CPU, memory, graphics, and hard drive tests passed. My research has led me to believe it is a driver issue, but if I can't get it to boot, I assume I can't fix it.

 

[Pinhedd]

I understand all the points you are making, and also explained them to this customer at the time. I also know that they are true. He was adament that he did not want a new PC, even a custom built one. He refused a Lenovo with an i3, 8 gigs of ram and a 1TB HDD for 349.99. Unfortunately I am working under someone, and we have to give the client what he wants and what he is paying for. He appears willing to pay any price to fix his old PC. Unfortunately we have to serve our customer and what he wants, even though it is wildly stupid and irrational.

As I said before, I am using PC Doctor 7.5 and the PC has passed every single hardware test besides failing the Real Time Clock test. All the motherboard, CPU, memory, graphics, and hard drive tests passed. My research has led me to believe it is a driver issue, but if I can't get it to boot, I assume I can't fix it.

Ignore what PC Doctor says. It may be able to find minor issues in software configurations but it will not be able to detect degraded electrolytic capacitors on the motherboard, MOSFETs/IGBTs that are no longer delivering regulated power within specification, a PSU that is no longer delivering rail voltage within specification, metallic interconnects on the microprocessor that are worn down to next to nothing, hard disk rotors that are about to seize up, or any other symptom of aging components.

The specific error "IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL" is almost always the result of two problems: really bad drivers, or instability resulting from overclocking or aging.

If you can pop in another hard drive and test a clean Windows XP installation then you may be able to isolate it to hardware failure or a driver issue.

 

[clarkjd]

If the MB is bad, then that needs to be replaced. That means that you need a new CPU and RAM. By this time, the only thing s left are the case, PSU, and drives. The customer has unrealistic expectations for this PC, and is being unrealistic in his demands. Can't your boss communicate this to him? It's time to walk away from this, as it constitutes animal cruelty (beating a dead horse).

 

[rawbbbbb]

Amen to That brother