XP unstable

[panhead]

Since about a week my PC with XP (SP3) has become very unstable and crashes now and then.
I don't know if it is related, but I think it occurred after the installation of the critical MS update, combined with the .net framework SP1. I uninstalled both, but that did not work.
I also did the Trend Micro housecall and checked with HijackThis, but no viruses/malware etc.
What can I do more to find and solve this problem?

BTW, also Firefox crashes often, can there be a relation?

[Matridom]

would you be able to give us any of the error messages that you obtain when windows and/or apps crash?

[panhead]

Most of the times it just shuts down and restarts. This is in the event viewer:

Error code 00000024, parameter1 001902fe, parameter2 b58a6a10, parameter3 b58a670c, parameter4 f7b556f5.

According to MS this is ER_KRNLCRASH_LOG (category 102, event id 1003).

[NooNoo]

Turn off automatically restart in the advanced options of the properties in my computer. (right click my computer, properties, advanced tab, settings button near the bottom, uncheck the box automatically restart). Then you can post the full BSOD message which should have the name of the offending .sys file.

You should start by checking your RAM -www.memtest86.com has a bootable iso you can download and burn to a cd.

[panhead]

Thank you, will do that.
The size of the pagefile.sys is now managed by Windows. Is it better to do the settings manually (I have 2.5 Gb memory)?

[NooNoo]

Leave it managed by windows and see what the general usage range is... then set it to the same size so that the pagefile.sys is not constantly resizing.

[panhead]

And initial size and maximum size the same value?

[panhead]

BSOD:

STOP: 0x00000024 (0x001902FE, 0xBA79CFB0, 0xBA79CCAC, 0xF7B556F5)

NTF.SYS - address F7B556F5

- BASE AT F7B52000
- DATASTAMP 48025be5

[NooNoo]

Ouch, damaged NTFS file system or damaged drivers.

Back up, update your drivers and run chkdsk /f

Cross fingers!

[NooNoo]

And initial size and maximum size the same value?

Yes

[panhead]

And again:

BAD_POOL_HEADER

STOP 0x00000019

[NooNoo]

Same... bad driver or bad hardware...

[panhead]

Did chkdsk /f, so let's see how things are going. I also have Partition Manager, which has functionality to check the system.

[NooNoo]

I hoped you backed up!

[panhead]

Yes, I do a daily backup of data.
BTW, thanks for the input!

[panhead]

If the NTFS file system is corrupted, would it be possible (and help) to convert to FAT32 and then back to NTFS?

[NooNoo]

NO!! on both counts....

[panhead]

No crashes this far......

[panhead]

NooNoo,

Probably a stupid question, but if ntfs.sys is corrupt, can it be replaced by another one?

BTW, I upgraded my memory, could that be the cause?

[NooNoo]

Yes memory mismatch could easily be the cause

how to replace ntfs.sys (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822800)

[panhead]

Thank you!

[panhead]

Still another question: On the XP installation I can see ntfs.sys. Can't I copy it directly from cd to the windows directory?

[NooNoo]

Err did you read the instructions? It tells you to copy from the cd.

[panhead]

Yes I did, but that method is the long way and I thought I could that a shortcut...

[NooNoo]

You rename the old file, you copy the new... what's long about that?

[panhead]

Not long, but I skip starting from the CD :)
Thanks again!