# GSOD Help please! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 20, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gsod-help-please/610093 "2012-01-20T03:08:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gsod-help-please/610093/1 "2012-01-20T03:08:21Z")
I’m running Windows 7 and occasionally get a GSOD. I’ve reviewed my logs and nothing jumps out at me. There are no memory dumps because it is unable to make them. I did take a picture of my last one and it’s hosted at [photobucket](http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a51/MannyLNJ/SDMB/2012-01-19215630.jpg) Any help[[URL=“http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a51/MannyLNJ/SDMB/2012-01-19215630.jpg”]](http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a51/MannyLNJ/SDMB/2012-01-19215630.jpg) is appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gsod-help-please/610093/2 "2012-01-20T11:26:44Z")
Do these errors occur randomly, or are there a certain actions or patterns by which they are triggered? I’m not familiar with this particular error screen you posted, but SODs are mostly caused by bad hardware and/or driver problems, with bad RAM the most likely candidate. Did you install new hardware or drivers before this error occurred the first time? If not, do you have more than one RAM module installed? If yes, you could try working with only a single RAM module installed and watch out if a certain module is the culprit. Alternatively, you can test your RAM with [memtest](http://hcidesign.com/memtest/download.html). ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gsod-help-please/610093/3 "2012-01-20T11:48:12Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Do these errors occur randomly, or are there a certain actions or patterns by which they are triggered? I’m not familiar with this particular error screen you posted, but SODs are mostly caused by bad hardware and/or driver problems, with bad RAM the most likely candidate. Did you install new hardware or drivers before this error occurred the first time? If not, do you have more than one RAM module installed? If yes, you could try working with only a single RAM module installed and watch out if a certain module is the culprit. Alternatively, you can test your RAM with [memtest](http://hcidesign.com/memtest/download.html). They occur randomly and no new hardware other than ram that I installed a few months before this occured ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gsod-help-please/610093/4 "2012-01-20T11:57:29Z")
> [@MannyL](#): > > They occur randomly and no new hardware other than ram that I installed a few months before this occured In this case, I’d go for testing your RAM, either by using memtest or swapping modules. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gsod-help-please/610093/5 "2012-01-20T12:31:33Z")
I’m bored, so I googled the “KERNEL\_DATA\_INPAGE\_ERROR” and found [this thread](http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-system/blue-screen-with-this-error-code/03276fa2-6dcb-44d0-a778-499d5d00b65d) from Microsoft answers that suggests that it’s most likely a HDD problem. So you should run chkdsk first as proposed there: > [@](#): > > Use the check disk commands as follows: > > 1. Click Start. > 2. In search window type ‘cmd’ and ENTER. Right click and select ‘Run as administrator’. > 3. Type at the command prompt CHKDSK /P and press ENTER to scan the disk. > 4. Then type CHKDSK C: /F /R and press ENTER to repair corrupt sectors, if there are any. EDIT: [Here’s](http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms854944.aspx) more info on the error. If chkdsk doesn’t help, try my first suggestions of testing RAM. ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gsod-help-please/610093/6 "2012-01-21T00:28:26Z")
I was figuring it was a HDD issue as it’s not able to write a dump file. I’ve ran chkdsk and my drive manauf’s 's software and while it passes I do hear clicking at times (which terrifies me) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Niply\_Elder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@The\_Niply\_Elder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Niply_Elder)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2012, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gsod-help-please/610093/7 "2012-01-21T07:02:58Z")
If you hear clicking then your hard drive is in imminent danger of dying. Do not wait any longer to transfer all your personal data to another computer and replace that drive with a new one NOW! do it! ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gsod-help-please/610093/8 "2012-01-22T14:10:20Z")
> [@The\_Niply\_Elder](#): > > If you hear clicking then your hard drive is in imminent danger of dying. Do not wait any longer to transfer all your personal data to another computer and replace that drive with a new one NOW! do it! That was my assumption but every test I run on the drive which is an external Seagate USB drive it passes with flying colors. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2012, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gsod-help-please/610093/9 "2012-01-22T17:23:35Z")
> [@MannyL](#): > > That was my assumption but every test I run on the drive which is an external Seagate USB drive it passes with flying colors. Ignore the tests, believe your ears, if there is anything important on that drive, back it up pronto. That said, if this is an external drive, run without it for a few days and see if the errors seem to clear up ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gsod-help-please/610093/10 "2012-01-23T00:39:11Z")
> [@MannyL](#): > > That was my assumption but every test I run on the drive which is an external Seagate USB drive it passes with flying colors. You boot off an external USB drive? ---
**Author:** ![MannyL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MannyL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MannyL)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2012, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gsod-help-please/610093/11 "2012-01-24T04:52:30Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > You boot off an external USB drive? No I boot off a PATA drive (Standard IDE connector not SATA) one of my external USB drives makes the sound that reminds me of a failing drive