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I'm trying to install windows (as if you couldn't tell) and when the setup says "Starting Windows" I either get the machine shutting down completely or a BSOD saying "Paging fault in non-paged area"
Does this mean my HDD is knackered? What can I do to fix it, if anything?
It should give you something like a module or device driver name with the error - have you seen anything like that?
Not always... but it sometimes says system32.something.. not really paid much attention really.. silly of me :(
Nah...perfectly understandable; first couple of times you tend to think that it's just Uncle Bill playing silly buggers. I'm wondering if it might be a driver problem - the System32 bit'd be part of the path to whatever's faulting, probably; is it a SATA hard disk? If so, are you having to provide a driver disk for a SATA controller?
Anyway, any more detail on the error's got to be useful.
Nothing as modern as SATA here yet :) Basically I've got 3 HDDs here, not partitioned because I'm lazy, so the system disk is just a slab of 120gb HDD siting there as C:
The PC runs perfectly smoothly in safe mode - in fact it's been up all day and last night copying files and backing up. It BSODS after about 10 minutes in normal running mode.
Initially I thought it was a power issue, as when the "starting windows" bit of the setup appeared, the fans started chugging like your engine does when it bogs down and stalls -the pc then promptly switches off, BUT.. even with 2 disks unplugged - the only things plugged in are the optical drive, the vid card and the system disk, it does exactly the same thing - even after fitting a new PSU... so... leads me to think that there's summat up with a) Windows, because it'll run in safe mode but not normally or b) the HDD itself, cos the paging error has happened a couple of times.
Add to that, I've had a few issues with random shutdowns, particularly after the thing's been switched off... dunno. Formatting the other disk now, gonna remount it as the primary and see if I can't get windows installed on that.
Hmmm - I'm thinking Memtest86 and chkdsk /r might be the order of the day. If it's running fine in safe mode it's less likely to be the disk, but you should really rule out both HDD and RAM.
EDIT - also can you post the particular error from the BSOD? Is there anything in the event log?
Probably not.. I've been playing and I think I've royally screwed it up now.. if this doesn't install then the thing's going in the bin. I'm getting a new rig anyway...
No it's completey popped now.... damn thing won't even boot into BIOS..just shuts down after the POST screen :( Bin fodder methinks.
Yep that sounds a bit like a "CODE BLUE! CODE BLUE! WE'RE LOSIN' HIM!" case...