Irql_not_less_or_equal AT Start up

[STHellRaiser]

ok i get this error now irql_not_less_or_equal just after the windows xp logo screen i have look about the net for answers but all say its a driver problem and to try and do system restore my problem is that i cant get on to the os at all not even in safe mode tryed to use a vista disk to do system restore but it wouldnt even load the disk propaly(tried 2 different disk that i no work and they work on over computers) after the loading screnn with the white bar at the bottom the geos fu.ll then it come up with another BSOD. so there is no way to get on to the os at all the last time that was Norton was updated then pc restarted and started to get this message , its not my pc but am trying to fix it for mate and warrenty is out of date so got it open to see if was hardware but nothing looks wrong and its the first time its been opened. was hoping not to have to try a full install but might just have to try it. still wondering why vista wouldnt load is it because not enough memory? (now i think about that seem logical 256mb mmm) there hasnt been any hardware changes so am pretty sure its a software fault or bios. if i did a complete reinstall would it fix problem?

all info have so far is that its
2.93 processor single core
256mb i think of ram if not then its 512
160gd ide hdd
ide dvd drive
not sure of power supply or mobo if need info will get it

would be grate if some one could help me with this

 

[aford10]

Did you make the optical drive the first boot device when trying to boot off the OS disc?

 

[STHellRaiser]

Did you make the optical drive the first boot device when trying to boot off the OS disc?

nothing has changed since 5 years ago just after updating norton and restarting it it just started coming up with this screen BSOD and this error code i am the first person to take it apart since been bought so the drives havent been changed and the person who hadnt it would no how to get to the bios, i check the bios my self and every thing looks fine so confused how can u fix a driver problem ie like unstalling drivers if u cant even get onto the os microsft didnt put that part in there troubling shoting

 

[aford10]

If nothing is changed since 5 years ago, the optical drive probably isn't the 1st boot device. That would be why it's not booting from the OS disc.

 

[STHellRaiser]

If nothing is changed since 5 years ago, the optical drive probably isn't the 1st boot device. That would be why it's not booting from the OS disc.

i have booted from the disc and but only get the loading screen then there an error both with the hhd with xp installed and with the vista disc

 

[aford10]

Check your CPU temps in the BIOS. Then try one stick of RAM at a time in each slot.

 

[STHellRaiser]

havnt tried my bios temp yet but there is only one stick of ram in (dont think you could get less then 256mb on one stick of ram lol)