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I got a Dimension 4400 P4 1.6/40
GB/512MB with a mess of viruses,trojan horses, worms, malware etc. to fix. I spent a couple of days removing everyone of these little buggers and optimizing the computer to run more efficiently.When all was said and done I disconnected the PC and reconnected in its proper home. When it first booted the Dell CRT monitor said Out Of Range on it. I'd forgotten to lower the resolution set in the display options when I disconnected it from my monitor.
So I held the power button in to power it down. When I restarted the computer to try do boot into VGA Mode I got an error - something about config.sys being missing or corrupt.
So I hooked the computer back up (after trying to boot into Safe Mode, etc.) and looked up the error. All signs pointed to a corrupt registry. I slaved the HDD to my computer - did nothing, then installed it back into the Dimension 4400 and . . . the computer booted into Windows etc.
I powered it down and brought it back to the desk it was supposed to be connected to. When it booted again I got the Out Of Range error on the monitor. I waited a while before powering it down this time.
When I powered it back up I got a BSOD: Bad_System_Config_Info.
I can't boot into Windows using Safe Mode, the same error is returned. I researched the error and it appeared to be related to a RAM issue. I pulled the sticks that were installed and replaced them with a known working stick and still got the same error. The other (rarer) cause of this issue is a corrupt registry.
So I loaded my XP Pro CD because I need the Recovery Console and XP Home doesn't have it and it wasn't installed on this PC.
I can load the Recovery Console but as soon as I select which Windows installation I want to work in (was going to attempt to use System Restore through the Recovery Console) I get another BSOD:
PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
Both stop errors refer to newly installed hardware. I didn't install any new hardware. Once I was done cleaning up the computer it worked just fine. It wasn't until I hooked it back up with its mouse,keyboard,and monitor that things started going crazy.
god I hope I gave enough information. Becuase here's what I need to know: Is there a way to salvage the installation? I can't get into Windows even by way of the Recovery Console. If the registry is corrupted I need to "fix" it. Any ideas? Can I do a side-by-side installation and somehow merge the two?????
I really could use some creative ideas. The computer's monitor (in its usual setup) is the only thing that returned an error and I've never seen a monitor corrupt a Windows installation so I feel like I'm missing something.
Thanks for the help.
Po
"PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA"
Lots of things can cause that message, but it may be merely be your ram has a poor connection.
I got that error and the following fixed the problem - it's worth a shot in any case.
Yourv other errors my also be because of the same thing - I know I also got messages that turned ouit tobe false when I got the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error.A common thing that can happen with ram, even ram that worked fine previously, is the ram has, or has developed, a poor connection in it's slot(s).
This usually happens a long time after the ram was installed, but it can happen with new ram, or after moving the computer case from one place to another, and I've had even new modules that needed to have their contacts cleaned.See response 2 in this - try cleaning the contacts on the ram modules, and making sure the modules are properly seated:
http://www.computing.net/hardware/w...
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If I may ask, why is it important to save that install? If you are simply worried about personal files there are other ways to recover those.
With all you have done there is no guarantee you will ever have a completely clean install. The registry can have as many as half a million keys.
The nasties and the associated cleaning programs may remove necessary registry items.
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I agree with OtheHill on this.
In The Matters Of Style,
swim with the current;
in matters of principle,
Stand Like A Rock
"People demand freedom of speech to make up for the
freedom of thought which they avoid."
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I haven't tried cleaning the RAM contacts so it may be worth a shot. I did reseat the RAM and used different sticks (on top of that) but I'll give the cleaning a shot.
Saving the installation saves me the trouble of having to reinstall all of the rest of the programs on the computer and reconfigure everything. I know Windows goes on in less than 1/2 an hour but then I've got 2+ hours of Windows updates, the tweaks and optimizations, and regular program installs to follow. I've already spent a ton of time cleaning this up so I'd like to avoid having to start all over again.
Don't forget I ran the computer for a while (multiple restarts) without any problems - so I'm not 100% sure that the registry was relieved of something it needed by the scanners.
I AM 100% unsure of how it corrupted but after I cleaned the computer up I installed KIS 7.0 and ran a couple of more scans for good measure and the computer functioned just fine.
I am going to try a Repair installation tonight. My slipstreamed XP/SP2 CDs get me the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error sooner than the Dell Reinstallation disk does. I have a Dell XP Home reinstall disk at work so I'll try running that when I get home. My XP Pro reinstall disk didn't generate that error until I tried using the recovery console, my slipstreamed XP Home OEM and Retail versions caused that error before all the drivers loaded during XP setup.
Thanks for the replies folks. I'll let you know how the repair install goes.
Po
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"I haven't tried cleaning the RAM contacts so it may be worth a shot. I did reseat the RAM .....but I'll give the cleaning a shot."
Good to do.
"...and used different sticks (on top of that) ....."
That can get you in trouble. You can get the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error in some circumstances merely from doing that if the other ram is not compatible.
To eliminte that possibilty, if you know for certain which modules you had it it before, use only those ones.
If you're not sure, see "It is easy to test for incompatible ram......." below. If you get the beeps, try one module at a time, then two at a time of those that work etc. etc.Ram that works in another mboard , or any ram you buy or have lying around, may not work properly, or sometimes, not at all - even if it physically fits and is the right overall type (e.g. DDR, DDR2, etc.; PCxxxx, xxx mhz) for your mboard. In the worst cases of incompatibilty your mboard may not boot with it installed, and the mboard may not beep - the ram has to be compatible with the mboard and it's chipset.
See response 5 in this for some info about ram compatibilty, and some places where you can find out what will work in your mboard for sure:
http://www.computing.net/hardware/w...
Correction to that:
Mushkin www.mushkin.com
.....It is easy to test for incompatible ram that has caused your mboard to fail to boot.
Make sure you have a speaker or speakers connected to the mboard so you can hear mboard beeps (see your mboard manual).
Remove the AC power to the case/power supply.
Remove all the ram.
Restore AC power.
Try to boot.
If nothing else is wrong, you will hear a pattern of beeps that indicate no ram is installed, or a ram problem.
E.g. for an Award bios or a bios based on one, that's often a beep of about a half second, silence for a half second, a beep of about a half second, silence for a half second, continuously.
....."My slipstreamed XP/SP2 CDs get me the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error sooner than the Dell Reinstallation disk does."
You said there was no change in hardware, and all other causes of that error being generated caused by software probably cannot be a factor when are not booting Windows the normal way.
Therefore.....
In that case it is very likely you have a ram error problem because of a poor ram connection or because of one or more of the modules you added or originally had in it are incompatible.
Sometime's it's not obvious what is causing a compatibility problem.
E.g. I have two 256mb PC133 modules that work fine by themselves on a mboard I have, both pass a ram test when by themslves on the mboard, but when both are installed I get major ram errors, which could conceiveably result, and HAVE resulted, in the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error in some circumstances. One module is definately compatible according to the Kingston web site - the other one is Kingston too but there is no info about it's module ID string being compatible on the Kingston web site or anywhere else I looked.Eliminate that possibilty first before you try doing any kind of restoration.
You may need to test the ram before trying to restore your present Windows installation to find out which ram works properly and which doesn't.
If you do a ram test, do that AFTER having tried cleaning the contacts and making sure the ram is seated properly - otherwise any errors found may be FALSE.
If the ram is incompatible with the chipset, it will likely FAIL a ram test - that is NOT a true indication of the ram being faulty - there is probably nothing wrong with it, and it will pass the test if installed in a mboard it is compatible with.Also, keep in mind, as in my case, individual modules may test fine, but when installed with some other modules present you may only then get ram errors.
......."Saving the installation saves me the trouble of having to reinstall all of the rest of the programs on the computer and reconfigure everything."
I certainly agree with that. I try everything I can think of, and eveything I can find on the web about the problem(s) and how I might fix it/them, to get an existing Windows installation working again. Re-installing Windows from scratch is the absolute last resort for me.
If I must do it, I spend a lot of time making sure I have everything I need to restore everything to the way I want to have it stored elsewhere before I do it.My Win 98SE on one drive has never been re-installed from scratch since I installed it in 2000. You don't learn anything if you re-install it from scratch every time you have a major problem.
However, many people don't have the patience or the time or the know how to do that.
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I would normally agree with tubesandwires concerning automatically re-installing the OS when trouble appears.
However, most trojans will cause needed registry files to be removed along with the trojan. If you had many infections it would be problematic to attempt replacement of these files. In many cases it may not be readily apparent there are any missing entries.
Finally, I am of the belief most computer users are not really interested in learning how to fix problems with their computer. They just want it to work.
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Yes, those things are the situation in some cases, but if one is willing to put in at least some effort, trying to repair the installation first will reveal in a short time whether the effort was fruitless.
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I like learning as I go. I don't like learning on someone else's machine but I can't recreate the kind of hell on my computer that this person created on hers. So I'm learning on hers(honestly, I've tried. I have one machine that I haven't used a firewall or antivirus/anti-malware on in 4 years - - well maybe I haven't tried my hardest but . . .)
Here's a kick for ya - the computer came with one stick of 256MB PC 2700. I went to Newegg and used their configurator (because it's a Dell) and bought a Kingston PC3200 stick. I used the PC2700 and PC3200 together the entire time I troubleshot this thing.
Once I started getting these BSODs I pulled both of these sticks and yanked a PC2700 stick from a Dimension 2400 that I had just packed up. I put it in alone. Same problem. I put the PC3200 back in alone, BSOD. I put the original stick of PC2700 in, BSOD.
I'm bringing a pencil home with me tonight because that's all that's left.
""My slipstreamed XP/SP2 CDs get me the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error sooner than the Dell Reinstallation disk does."
You said there was no change in hardware, and all other causes of that error being generated caused by software probably cannot be a factor when are not booting Windows the normal way."
I know you think I'm nuts but I promise you I get the Page_Fault error faster when I'm trying to boot into a homemade Windows CD than I do when I use a commercially made Windows CD. I don't think it makes any sense either but I swear it's true. I used 3 different homemade XP discs and one Dell reinstalltion disk to prove it.
Anyway. Thanks everyone for the information and help. Tubesandwires- thanks especially for all that good stuff about RAM. I appreciate it. I'll have another go at it tonight and tell you what I come up with.
Po
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The eraser on the contacts works good for the module but that doesn't help with corrosion in the RAM sockets. R&Ring the RAM 4 or 5 times will scuff up the sockets.
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Was wondering about that. I've got pure isopropyl alcohol (technician's grade - 99% alcohol, no water) that I thought I'd run throug the sockets on a lintless cloth.
I like the in and out idea better.
Po
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The problem comes from dissimilar metals used for the contacts. I don't think alcolol will remove the oxidation. Besides there isn't any clearance to get anything in the slot.
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OK so I just finished. I cleaned the heck out of several different Dell branded memory sticks and still had a problem.
I decided to go back to my original BSOD:
BAD_SYSTEM_CONFIG_INFO
This, too, points to bad RAM but it also mentions a corrupt file system.
I slaved the HDD to my computer and opened up the System32/Config and Windows/Repair folders. I took the registry components out of Repair and put them in Config. I disconnected the HDD, reinstalled it and . . . the computer booted . . . but it's not the same computer it was before.
So let me ask you all this:
Are System,Security,Default,Software and (what's the other one) tied together somehow?
I tried taking the SAM from the corrupt registry and just putting it back in place in System32/Config. I got an lsass error shortly after Windows loaded. I then tried adding Security from the corrupt registry to the System32/Config file. I got another lsass error.
My question is am I wasting my time trying to find which component of the registry is corrupt? If they were all made together and are tied together because of it I guess I'll just start fresh. (sadly I had killed System Restore during the virus erradication and didn't turn it back on when I was done).
Thanks for your continued help. Unless I can use pieces of two different registries I guess I start to rebuild tomorrow. One more thought:!!!
IS THERE A TOOL THAT CAN FIX REGISTRY ERRORS ON REGISTRIES THAT AREN'T MOUNTED????
The registry I'm working with is on my E: Drive. If I can run a fix utility on the E:\Windows\System32\Config folder than I might have a chance. Anyone know of a registry repair tool? How 'bout one that can do this?
Thanks again,
Po
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OtheHill
SIMM modules and ram slots could have the the dis-similar metals/galvanic/corrosion problem, but I haven't seen any ram modules or ram slots that have had anything but gold plated contacts since DIMM modules came out. I suppose you could use a non-abrasive eraser on DIMM ram module contacts with their gold plating, but I've never found it to be necessary.
.....powlaz
I haven't ever found it nessary to clean the contacts in the ram slots, but if you wanted to do that, use a piece of thin cardboard (e.g. from a cereal box) with a thin cloth or paper towel over both sides of one edge with a lttle alcohol on it.
......"OK so I just finished. I cleaned the heck out of several different Dell branded memory sticks and still had a problem."
See response 5. That is just asking for trouble if you are putting random ram in it.
You can easily confirm whether or not you have a ram problem.
Download a recent version of memtest86 from the web on another computer and make a bootable floppy with it.
1. Remove the AC power to your problem computer, and install ONE ram module in it you originally had in it, or any ram module you want to test.
Restore the AC power.
Boot the problem computer with the memtest86 floppy and have it run one or two complete passes.
If it passes, continue on with the next step.
If it doesn't put it aside, try another module.2. Repeat step one, try ONE module different from the first one, preferably the second one that was originally in it.
3. If it passes, remove the AC power again and add one more ram module, one that passed on it's own.
Restore the AC power.
Boot the problem computer with the memtest86 floppy and have it run one or two complete passes.If it passes with two modules, that means both modules are compatible individually, and both modules are compatible with the other one being preset.
....If any ram module fails, or if you get errors only when more that one is installed, that does NOT necessarily mean any module is bad - bad ram is extremely RARE!
It is many times more likely it is incompatible with the chipset!
......"IS THERE A TOOL THAT CAN FIX REGISTRY ERRORS ON REGISTRIES THAT AREN'T MOUNTED????"
Typing in all capital letters is considered to be the same thing as shouting in posts on the web and very rude!
The answer is NO! - but see the next post.
.....
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"I took the registry components out of Repair and put them in Config."
"I tried taking the SAM from the corrupt registry and just putting it back in place in System32/Config."You may have already messed up the registry so much that it can't be restored, but you could try this:
How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from starting
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545Then you may be able to run a Repair Setup and fix your registry good enough to get Windows to work.
If that doesn't get it working or working good enough, you have no choice but to back up what you can and then install XP from scratch.
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Was wondering about that. I've got pure isopropyl alcohol (technician's grade - 99% alcohol, no water) that I thought I'd run throug the sockets on a lintless cloth.
I like the in and out idea better.
Po
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Think I'm starting to lose you guys here. Bad RAM does not appear to be the cause of the problem. If it were I would still have the same BSOD after I replaced the registry with the Repair copy. Besides that I've never heard of RAM that was certified for use in a particular computer not being compatible with that computer.
I know its a long post but there are a lot of details that have been overlooked.
1. The RAM is not bad. See beginning of this post.
2. When I put the Windows XP or Dell recovery disks in to the computer and boot it I eventually get the Page_Fault error. The error comes when
a. I select the Windows I want to work in from the Recovery Console
b. Almost immediately after drivers start to load
c. When I choose to install a fresh copy of the OS.A&C are directly related to the programs (Recovery Console and Windows setup) trying to access the OS. B. seems to be related to my homemade disks. Because of this I can not repair the registry using ANY of the help that I found including the link that you posted for me. Thank you for looking for it though.
To overcome this I slaved the HDD to my computer and swapped the registry files in System32/Config with the ones that were in the Windows/Repair file. Same idea as using the Recovery console but I had the benefit of the Windows GUI. If I hadn't shut down System Restore while I was virus hunting I would've been able to use the files in one of the restore points and all of this would've been done.
The only ways I could see to salvage my work were:
1. Repair installation of Windows. This didn't work because when Windows went to check for an existing OS (part of setup) I would get a BSOD
2. Repair the corrupt registry. Which is what led me to ask if there was some program that would allow an unmounted registry to be repaired.
3. Deduce which of the registry components were bad and replace only these components with a Repair copy in the hopes that I could then run a repair installation of Windows and let Windows fix the registry while maintaining my original program information and settings. This is only possible if all components of the registry aren't married to each other, something I still don't know.Anyway time is up and now I have to act. I'll be resetting and re-tweaking the OS and (hopefully) just repairing program installations today.
As for etiquette - all caps can represent excitement too, although anger and frustration are more the more common reason for them. Look back. You guys haven't done anything to make me angry in this thread - I just had a brainstorm about that tool and got excited.
Thanks again for all the help guys but I've run out of time.
Po
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""OK so I just finished. I cleaned the heck out of several different Dell branded memory sticks and still had a problem."
That sounded like to me that you were randomly trying ram modules. Their being Dell certified doesn't guarantee they will be compatible with your mboard unless they are specified to work in your Dell model.
There's a couple of more things you could try.
Rarely, you can get the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error because of some hardware or device that was installed after Setup was originally run when you try to boot with the XP CD.
Try removing all cards and devices that aren't essential to run Setup, then booting the XP CD.Rarely, you can get the PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error because of some configuration setting in the bios Setup when you try to boot with the XP CD.
Some bios setups have a setting Reset Configuration Data, or similar. Selecting that resets that data, once.
E.g. in an Award bios that may be on the Boot page.
If you don't see that, loading bios defaults will probably reset the data.
......The PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA error message is generated by the Win 2000 or XP operating system. You can only get that error if there is an existing Windows 2000 or XP installation on a hard drive.
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We've been suggesting RegCure and Registry Sweep to our
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http://www.repair-xp.com
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