The Blue Screen of Death

[Guest]

I have been evualating (and troubleshooting with the vendor) some backup
software for some time now (Back4all) and every time it runs on a customers
Win 2000 server the computer stops with the old Blue Screen, creates a dump
and then restarts. I thought that it was being caused by the backup software,
but today I was trying to install SP4 and the same thing happened. FYI, I
backed SP4 out (to SP3) and the computer again is running as an server again
and I turned it over to the customer to use. But, I just know that there is a
timebomb inside of it waiting to go off.

I have a dump (MEMORY.DMP) of it, but I don't know how to read them and also
I'm not sure that it's worth spending the time to try to fix it.

So, my question is what to do now. What I "think" I want to do is to backup
the applications and data and just do a total fresh install of the OS. But,
here's the hitch. It's a domain controller (intranet) with 8 workstations
networked. How can I save all of the security, user settings, user data,
etc.? Then how do I apply them to the new installation? Also, if you replace
the server in a Domain what happens to all the workstations? Will they all
simply attach as part of the Domain and all users will be able to logon as
normal. Ya, RIGHT!

Help! Is there a procedure available that will guide me through this
process? Domains are nice, but not in this situation.

Tom Brewer

 

[Danny Sanders]

I have been evualating (and troubleshooting with the vendor) some backup

software for some time now (Back4all) and every time it runs on a
customers
Win 2000 server the computer stops with the old Blue Screen

I thought that it was being caused by the backup software,
but today I was trying to install SP4 and the same thing happened.

Both of these actions use a lot of memory. A lot of stuff gets loaded into
RAM. It's possible that you have a bad chip on one of the memory sticks that
under normal everyday use does not get used, but under a heavy memory load
that chip gets accessed and when that happens it causes a blue screen.

I would suggest either testing by replacing the memory with known good
memory or taking half the memory out, test for blue screen, depending on the
results, through a series of removing and replacing memory you can narrow it
down to a certain stick, if memory is the problem.



here's the hitch. It's a domain controller (intranet) with 8 workstations

networked. How can I save all of the security, user settings, user data,
etc.? Then how do I apply them to the new installation? Also, if you
replace
the server in a Domain what happens to all the workstations? Will they
all
simply attach as part of the Domain and all users will be able to logon as
normal. Ya, RIGHT!

With 8 workstations, it's almost easier to start the domain over from
scratch.
I would eliminate memory as the culprit before undertaking recreating the
domain.


hth
DDS

 

[Guest]

I didn't even think of the memory (duh!). I'll go on-site tomorrow and check
it out. Thanks Danny.

Ya, I did't think that there was any way of "saving" the current environment
and restoring it. It was worth the question though.

Tom Brewer

 

[Danny Sanders]

Ya, I did't think that there was any way of "saving" the current

environment
and restoring it. It was worth the question though

There is. It involves adding another DC to the domain. IMHO by the time you
install and add a new DC to the domain and moved all the files to it you
could have recreated the domain and restored the files from backup.

hth
DDS

 

[Pentium]

was having a "similar-type" of problem uinstalling a W2K (SP2) install CD -
it got about half-way then BSOD stating a "physical memory dump". I moved
the RAM around (2 x 256 MB-PC 2700 DDR ), and even tried one stick at a
time - still hung up at the same place. THEN, I thought of the "'ol days",
and while it was loading, I moved the mouse around erratically, and the damn
thing loaded! - no problem, and is working just fine.