I have an unstable system, and I can't figure it out. When I install NVidia drivers for my GeForce 2 MX200 video card, I get frequent crashes and brief "lockups" when playing video (sometimes the screen goes black, sometimes it just locks for a few moments, sometimes it just shuts off and reboots without warning). If I remove the drivers (I tried the last four or five from their website, the most recent), it is MUCH more stable. Sometimes it goes for days, even weeks, without a problem. But typically once or twice a week I get the blue screen [Driver_IRQL_NOT_LESS-OR-EQUAL] and it says something about a possible hardware conflict. This doesn't seem like a hardware conflict, because it's so sporadic. Really, I can do hours and hours, even days, of pretty intensive video and audio editing, then without warning, bang, the blue screen. I can't figure it out. I don't have much hardware (modem, video card, two HDDs, two CD drives, usb devices, sound card - Audigy). Any advice would be MOST appreciated. Thanks in advance, TB

Make sure you run WIndows Update and install the latest drivers from Microsoft. Not all cards that use NVidea's chipset are totally happy with their detonator drivers. It's not their fault it's the third party that assembles the card.

I'll try that. Thanks. My system had failed a month ago, and I reinstalled everything from scratch. So my drivers are not up to date, yet. But actually it's the default Microsoft drivers that are actually working (for the most part -- it still crashes with the blue screen and DRIIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL message at least once a week). It's when I load the NVidia drivers that I start to REALLY have trouble. I will try that, though. TB

Hello Make sure that you have the proper bios settings for the video card. go to the nvdia site and read the faqs. it could be that you have the shadowing and other things enabled that shouldnt be. I can not be sure since you do not state what the blue screen message says. let us know how you make out. Good luck