Computer Problem...Again. *sigh*

[sheath]

Okay, so this might be another easy question, but it is annoying the hell out of me.

Every now and then, when I'm using the internet, I will suddenly get a blue screen. This screen says:

[Windows]

An Exception OE has occurred at {insert lots of computer mumbo-jumbo here}

*Press any key to attempt to continue
*Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart your computer...

So. That's it, that's what happens, and it happens at the oddest moments...there is no particular website that triggers it, no particular problem I can pinpoint. It only happens when I am on the internet. All other functions of the computer are working just fine.

Help? Can I fix this and if so, how?

Thanks.

S.

 

[Kemet]

No clue
and IM me, we never got to finish our conversation.

 

[Kemet]

 

[SXCRgirl]

Hmmmmm ...

It sounds like your computer is low on resources.

When was the last time you defragged your hard drive?

 

[sheath]

No clue
and IM me, we never got to finish our conversation.

I've missed you too, sweetie.

S.

 

[sheath]

Hmmmmm ...

It sounds like your computer is low on resources.

When was the last time you defragged your hard drive?

I defragged just a few days ago...and I ran all the adaware, spyware, all those cool thingies.

When I check the resources, it says I have 79% free. This computer is used exclusively for internet use and manuscripts, so it doesn't use much at all.



Does that help?

S.

 

[Dstorage]

It sounds to me like you are having a memory chip that is starting to fail. It used to be that most all of the computer stores had chip testers, but from what I hear now not as many do, so you should call around to computer city, best buy, etc and ask them if you bring in your memory chips will they test them for you. This should be a free service, as if your chip is bad you'll buy a new one from them, so don't let anyone tell you there is a fee to do this, just keep looking.

 

[sheath]

It sounds to me like you are having a memory chip that is starting to fail. It used to be that most all of the computer stores had chip testers, but from what I hear now not as many do, so you should call around to computer city, best buy, etc and ask them if you bring in your memory chips will they test them for you. This should be a free service, as if your chip is bad you'll buy a new one from them, so don't let anyone tell you there is a fee to do this, just keep looking.

That's a good idea...and I will make a few phone calls tomorrow. I'm assuming this is a good thing to check out anyway, even if it doesn't turn out to be the problem?

How long does it take for a memory chip to go bad? This computer was built for me almost three years ago...but it has seen constant, every day use since then, and I have quite a few full manuscripts saved on it. Would that matter?

Thanks.

S.

 

[Dstorage]

With all things electrical, you can't predict them.

Ever have a light bulb go bad 5 minutes after you took it out of the box? And the next one will last years. And you cannot tell or predict when it can/will happen.

And no, saving anything isn't going to make them break any faster, so you can quit feeling like it was your fault somehow.

 

[sheath]

With all things electrical, you can't predict them.

Ever have a light bulb go bad 5 minutes after you took it out of the box? And the next one will last years. And you cannot tell or predict when it can/will happen.

And no, saving anything isn't going to make them break any faster, so you can quit feeling like it was your fault somehow.

Good point about the lightbulbs.

And I love your sense of humor!

S.

 

[Weird Harold]

So. That's it, that's what happens, and it happens at the oddest moments...there is no particular website that triggers it, no particular problem I can pinpoint. It only happens when I am on the internet. All other functions of the computer are working just fine.

Exception 13 (0E in hexadecimal) is a "general protection fault." General protection faults usually occur when two programs try to use the same block of memory. It sometimes can be a indirect result of a bad memory location, but it's usually a problem with compatibility between programs.

Have you added or updated any software on your computer? A Virus scanner update or some other program that automatically looks for updates?

(One build/update of my virus program's real time monitor caused random Exception 13's for awhile, but the next update fixed the problem.)

Finding the cause is usually a case of removing one program at a time from memory until you find the one that is conflicting with your browser -- or your browser is conflicting with.

 

[heckle]

Every now and then, when I'm using the internet, I will suddenly get a blue screen. This screen says:

[Windows]

An Exception OE has occurred at {insert lots of computer mumbo-jumbo here}

*Press any key to attempt to continue
*Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart your computer...

What is the rest of the "mumbo jumbo"? It should have what is called a hex address which looks something like this: 0x000000 (or similar). If you can write that down, we can help figure out what exactly the issue is.

 

[ReadyOne]

A very good free stand alone memory tester program is http://www.simmtester.com/page/products/doc/download.asp

It creates a diskette, which you boot from, and does the best job of checking memory that can be done while the memory is inside the machine. Start it running before you go off to sleep and let it run a while.

However, my experience says your problem is software, as per Wierd Harold.

If you want, PM or e-mail with your e-mail address and I'll e-mail you the zipped package. It's about 235K.

 

[sirmed]

What operating system... sounds like 98... ?????

 

[GoddessOfSouls]

Long ago I had that problem.. and I had to update my explorer


It solved the problem for me.. Good luck to you

 

[sheath]

Okay...great advice!

I will figure out what the mumbo jumbo is when it happens again and put it on here, see what you guys think it might mean.

ReadyOne, I will PM you shortly.

I have done updates on my virus software...just the general internet ones, like AVG. I haven't done any other update. I probably need to try updating my browser, perhaps?

And yes, I do use Windows 98.

Thanks, all.

S.

 

[SweetSnaffle]

Blue Screen Of Death

I used to get that with 98se.. absolute pain in the bum, and as you said, it seemed somewhat random (although as with most computer thinfs, it probably wasnt, but that didnt help me!)

If its of any benefit, i would consider upgrading your OS to XP if its driving you that crackers. I have not had one BSOD with this OS and i am very happy with the way it operates.

Its a bugger of a problem, and an all-to-common one.

 

[Mary Hall]

I had the blue screen thing happen too, turns out that Natchi worm had invaded me, i sure did nuke the little fucker tho

 

[warrior queen]

... and I have quite a few full manuscripts saved on it.

anything that's saved on your computer, you should do a hard-copy backup asap.

my screen kept going 'blue' and the next thing i knew...... motherboard gone!!!
lost everything

learnt my lesson though, and now i do backups at least once a month, sometimes more often.

 

[sheath]

Thank you for even more advice!

I do backups on everything at least every two weeks. Usually every week. I can kick out a good forty pages of writing in a week, so backups that often are a good idea for me.

So far I haven't seen any problem picked up by my anti-virus software...so far. Let's hope the trend continues.

"Blue Screen of Death"...that is the MOST appropriate phrase! LOL

Thanks, all. I appreciate you all.

S.

 

[JoseIsWild]

Thanks, I tried this program (for WinXP) and it locked my system down after about 74%; I could only turn it off at the power strip. I assume this means I have some bad memory, right?

A very good free stand alone memory tester program is http://www.simmtester.com/page/products/doc/download.asp

It creates a diskette, which you boot from, and does the best job of checking memory that can be done while the memory is inside the machine. Start it running before you go off to sleep and let it run a while.

However, my experience says your problem is software, as per Wierd Harold.

If you want, PM or e-mail with your e-mail address and I'll e-mail you the zipped package. It's about 235K.

 

[ReadyOne]

Yes.

(Of course, since it boots/runs stand alone from the diskette, your note about WinXP isn't important? If it is, i.e. you were running a program that had you boot XP or said it required/used XP, then you weren't using the memory test program in question...)

There are some note with the program about swapping memory sticks around to find the failing one.

Your machine may also have BIOS settings that control memory access. They are very complex, but start by making sure that any "automatic" setting is enabled. IF you memory is newer (has SPID) then the correct settings are stored on the stick and read by the hardware at POST time.

A few BIOS's have memery speed settings like "fast" or "slow" or "agressive" or "conservative". IF yours does then pick a slower or conservative one and restest.

If you can control the CAS Latenancy setting "CL 3" "CL 3.5" "CL 4", etc. then turn it up to the next highest number and see if that additional time for the memory to respond helps.

If you have a BIOS dumbed machine from DELL, HP, Sony, etc. then just start looking for a deal on more memory. Ofiice supply stores and Electonics are good local sources.

If you aren't sure about memory, take you system unit to a computer store (not Best Buy, etc, but a small local retailer) and they will open it up, put in the correct memory (there are lots of different kinds) and run a quick system test so that you know your box is working correctly with the new stuff.

We do this for the price of memory -- nothing is more frustrating than customers who buy memory sticks, take them home, find they don't work (because they are the wrong speed, pin out, etc.) and then come back. It better for both of us to see what thier box actually uses by opening it up.

 

[midwestyankee]

If you have a BIOS dumbed machine from DELL, HP, Sony, etc. then just start looking for a deal on more memory. Ofiice supply stores and Electonics are good local sources.

Could you elaborate on what you mean by a "BIOS dumbed machine?" It appears you mean simply one that has relatively little RAM, but if you meant more than that, I'd be interested in knowing about it - and perhaps others would as well.

 

[Weird Harold]

Could you elaborate on what you mean by a "BIOS dumbed machine?" It appears you mean simply one that has relatively little RAM, but if you meant more than that, I'd be interested in knowing about it - and perhaps others would as well.

Some computers -- notably Dell, Compaq and HP inmy experience -- store the setup information that other computers store in CMOS or Flash-Ram in the boot sector of the hard-drive. They only have enough information in the BIOS to find and load the information from the boot sector.

Those kinds of machines don't work right when booting from a floppy or CD unless they also have the setup info in the boot sector -- i.e. are especially provided as emergency boot disks for that particular machine.

 

[ReadyOne]

The options available from BIOS setup can range from less to a dozen to a dozen pages with 10-15 options per page. It just depend on how much control the user is to be given over the hardware configuration.

I've a Compaq that won't let me do much more than set the time, decided how many hard drives it should look for, if the keyboard should start with "num lock" on.

I have a MSI board where I can set 7 different timing characteristics of memory sticks, pick a processor speed higher or lower than what Intel specifies, decide which interrupts are to be used by which slots, enable or disable onboard devices like audio and video, and 97 other things.

Obviously, I can get into a lot of trouble with my MSI board should I screw up the BIOS settings.

On the other hand, Compaq "dumbed down" the BIOS setup interface so much that I can't even choose whether it should boot from floppy or CD or hard disk!

IMHO, Compaq has protected me from myself too much when I can't even tell it to always boot from the hard disk.

(My HD is larger than Compaq supports, so I had to install the INT-13 driver that Maxtor puts on it's install CD. If I boot directly from the diskette, the diskette OS program can't see the HD because the INT-13 driver didn't get loaded.

(The correct way is to always boot from the HD to get the INT-13 driver installed, and then quickly press the space bar to have it simulate booting the floppy, leaving itself in memory to provide disk access to the OS on the floppy.)