Dell Dimension 8400 with Windows XP Professional and BIOS A09, with graphics card 256 Nvidia GEForce 6800: This computer has for a long time had blue screen problems. After 20-plus years as a Windows and Dell family (we’ve purchased at least four Dells) I am thinking I need to switch to a Mac. I’m trying to get the Dell working because frankly our family can’t afford a new computer. I believe something is fundamentally wrong with hardware or hardware/software compatibility. This computer has an extended warranty, and I have consulted many times with Dell Chat. In the past eight days, I have rebuilt the hard drive twice and reinstalled Windows. I ran Dell Diagnostics about two weeks ago and found no problem. Dell Chat keeps giving me conflicting advice. I now believe that they are just giving me the complete run-around – try Diagnostics, re-install Windows, try Diagnostic, re-install Windows. I am not consulting them right now because they will say run diagnostics. Almost all Windows messages start with 0x00000050. Yesterday, I reinstalled Windows XP Pro. I downloaded the chipset and display driver recommended by Dell Chat at dell.com. I installed the network driver and Soundblaster audo driver from CDs. I also re-installed Norton. This morning, while trying to install I-Tunes, less than 24 hours after re-installing Windows XP, I got another blue screen, very similar to the other codes I have gotten: 0x000000050 (0x877FF400) 0x00000000 (0x804EEBA6) 0x000000000. When I install the Nvidia driver, Windows warns me that it has been been certified for compatibility with Windows, or something like that. Is it possible that Nvidia is the problem? Can I just remove that graphics card and the computer will still work? Can I remove that graphics card and put in something that’s simpler and compatible? I have spent dozens upon dozens of hours on this, and any advice would be greatly appreciated. Dmasco Perez-Prado

Try removing and reinserting the RAM sticks a few times. Oxidation on the contcats can cause problems. Be sure to unplug the computer and exercise static discharge precautions.

You might also want to try reseating the video card. The following link is to a Microsoft page with info about 0x000000050 errors. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/329293

If the other suggestions don't help, try booting into safe mode and see if thre blue screen reappear after using the computer for a while. If they don't, it's probably a driver error, perhaps related to the video card.