BSOD on startup

[Joh619]

Hey up,

A teacher has brought me their laptop (acer Aspire 5610z) which keeps BSOD on startup. I've tried removing the hard drive and attaching it to my laptop via USB. Then my laptop BSOD

Starting the laptop in safe mode results in BSOD.

I've swapped the RAM around and tried each bit on its own, still BSOD.

I've tried installing a new copy of Windows XP, but as soon as I select the first option to install windows...BSOD.

I've tried running Windows from a CD and it doesn't even get into Windows before BSOD.

The message it shows is: PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA STOP: 0x00000050


Am I to assume that there is no hope of getting anything off this HDD? Any help greatly appreciated

[computer_expert]

i'd say its probably a hardware fault.

have you tried a known working stick of ram?

[Gerry]

This is what Microsoft says about it: Error message when you start a Windows Vista-based computer: "STOP: 0x00000050 PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA"

With just that error message I would've said your RAM was dodgy, but since you say plugging the HDD into your own laptop BSOD's, it's could be some dodgy cache on the HDD.

Test the laptop RAM with Memtest86+ - Advanced Memory Diagnostic Tool If it's dodgy, you should see some red text.
Also, try and find and run a HDD diagnostic boot disk from the manufacturer. If it's a Toshiba HDD your unlikely to find one...
Just for kicks, if the RAM is ok, try booting a Linux Live CD Ubuntu Home Page | Ubuntu

[Joh619]

I've tired 6 different lots of RAM, so I can't see that as being the problem, although most of the posts online seem to suggest RAM as being the problem. I'll have a look at the other solutions and let you know!

[nephilim]

it may not be the ram thats at fault, it could be the ram slot which it sits in. Most of the time with ACERS when the "RAM" is at fault, its the RAM slot. Fixing it means sending it to Acer for a new mobo (if under warranty) or buying one and doing it yourself. Hope that helps.

[El_Nombre]

We had this before also where a ram slot has been hosed. Took me a fair bit of head scratching to discover that one.

[Joh619]

The problem is that I've taken the HDD out of the laptop and attached it via USB to my laptop and still get the same problem, so it can't be the RAM, or the RAM slot, as it is no longer connected to them.

I've downloaded a Drive Fitness Test from Hitachi and I'm running that now to see if anything comes up.

[Joh619]

Hmm, this Drive Fitness test found some corrupt files, which it then removed. However, the laptop still continues to BSOD on startup. I took the HDD out and connected it back to my laptop via USB and it still makes my laptop BSOD too

[Roopert]

Could try a linux live CD and use the option for scanning the hard drive off that?

[FN-GM]

go into the bios and set the hard drive mode to IDE. I cant remeber the exact name of the setting sorry

[Gerry]

Can you test it with a different laptop HDD?

[storkyIV]

If you can get into cmd and run chkdsk /f that would pick up and try and repair any structure issues off of the hdd.
As mentioned previously - an xp live disk would do the trick, or the inbuilt disaster recovery system.

[Joh619]

Can you test it with a different laptop HDD?

I've swapped the HDD with another from a spare laptop this morning. The New HDD works fine in this laptop. I then put the broken HDD into the new laptop and it BSOD. Seems pretty dead to me

I've got a CD which I can run Windows from (is that a live CD? ) But that BSOD's when it runs too

[painejake]

I've swapped the HDD with another from a spare laptop this morning. The New HDD works fine in this laptop. I then put the broken HDD into the new laptop and it BSOD. Seems pretty dead to me

I've got a CD which I can run Windows from (is that a live CD? ) But that BSOD's when it runs too

If you dont need to install Windows then yeah thats a [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_CD"]'live' CD[/ame].

I'd say get Ubuntu Live CD and use gparted if you want to try to repair the drive

[Jamo]

Just a thought, if you put another laptops hard drive into your own laptop it is quite likely to BSOD as the disk controller is more than likely different. This doesn't mean the disk is dead, although in this case I would say its quite likely. I would agree that booting to a live CD is probably the best option here to save any files then use Seatools or something similar on the Ultimate Boot CD to test the HDD and see if it is physically damaged.