BleepingComputer.com: 32 bit Vista Ultimate crashes consistently...

Pardon any protocol mistakes I may be making in this post. It's my first!

I've got Sony Vaio VGC-RA826G that crashes without warning anywhere from every day to once every three days.

Details:

1) Machine is running 32 bit Vista Ultimate with a P4 3.4GHz and 3MB ram. I recently upgraded from the version of Windows XP MCE that shipped with the machine. The crashes predate the upgrade.
2) Unsure whether this is related or not but when I attempt to reboot, the machine stalls on the VAIO splash screen indefinitely. I hard stop the machine repeatedly using the power switch until I get a clean boot -- usually after 5 - 10 attempts.
3) I inherited the machine so can't say what hardware or software changes might have been made that created the problem.
4) I ran a minidump analysis which produced the following report. To my amateur eye it looks from the report like a driver issue, though I can't tell which one's the culprit. Thanks for any help you can provide!!


Microsoft ® Windows Debugger Version 6.10.0003.233 X86
Copyright © Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.


Loading Dump File [C:\Users\Media Center\Desktop\Mini112608-02.dmp]
Mini Kernel Dump File: Only registers and stack trace are available

Symbol search path is: SRV*c:\symbols*http://msdl.microsoft.com/download/symbols
Executable search path is:
Windows Server 2008/Windows Vista SP1 Kernel Version 6001 (Service Pack 1) MP (2 procs) Free x86 compatible
Product: WinNt, suite: TerminalServer SingleUserTS
Built by: 6001.18145.x86fre.vistasp1_gdr.080917-1612
Machine Name:
Kernel base = 0x82001000 PsLoadedModuleList = 0x8210e930
Debug session time: Wed Nov 26 16:49:06.634 2008 (GMT-5)
System Uptime: 0 days 0:01:52.024
Loading Kernel Symbols
...............................................................
................................................................
...................................
Loading User Symbols
Loading unloaded module list
......
*******************************************************************************
* *
* Bugcheck Analysis *
* *
*******************************************************************************

Use !analyze -v to get detailed debugging information.

BugCheck 1000000A, {b33e4b1c, 2, 0, 8201179b}

Probably caused by : memory_corruption ( nt!MiStealPage+e5 )

Followup: MachineOwner
---------

1: kd> !analyze -v
*******************************************************************************
* *
* Bugcheck Analysis *
* *
*******************************************************************************

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (a)
An attempt was made to access a pageable (or completely invalid) address at an
interrupt request level (IRQL) that is too high. This is usually
caused by drivers using improper addresses.
If a kernel debugger is available get the stack backtrace.
Arguments:
Arg1: b33e4b1c, memory referenced
Arg2: 00000002, IRQL
Arg3: 00000000, bitfield :
bit 0 : value 0 = read operation, 1 = write operation
bit 3 : value 0 = not an execute operation, 1 = execute operation (only on chips which support this level of status)
Arg4: 8201179b, address which referenced memory

Debugging Details:
------------------


READ_ADDRESS: GetPointerFromAddress: unable to read from 8212d6d8
Unable to read MiSystemVaType memory at 8210e2e0
b33e4b1c

CURRENT_IRQL: 2

FAULTING_IP:
nt!MiStealPage+e5
8201179b 8b1a mov ebx,dword ptr [edx]

CUSTOMER_CRASH_COUNT: 2

DEFAULT_BUCKET_ID: VISTA_DRIVER_FAULT

BUGCHECK_STR: 0xA

PROCESS_NAME: System

LAST_CONTROL_TRANSFER: from 82011565 to 8201179b

STACK_TEXT:
8075c8fc 82011565 83409600 00000000 c029d810 nt!MiStealPage+0xe5
8075c93c 82010fba 00000001 00000001 c029d810 nt!MiClaimPhysicalRun+0x1a1
8075c9d4 821641a0 000004f3 ffffffff 00000000 nt!MiFindContiguousPages+0x6b9
8075ca08 82163f3d fa4252c4 845ccad0 8210e900 nt!MiAllocateDriverPage+0x60
8075ca9c 8217af1e a0f456b4 00000000 8212b800 nt!MiLoadImageSection+0x280
8075cb08 8216466a 8075cc90 00000000 00000000 nt!MmLoadSystemImage+0x39c
8075ccfc 82165547 00000001 00000000 8075cd24 nt!IopLoadDriver+0x385
8075cd44 8205c68e 807d08b0 00000000 845ccad0 nt!IopLoadUnloadDriver+0x70
8075cd7c 821a96d5 807d08b0 fa425598 00000000 nt!ExpWorkerThread+0xfd
8075cdc0 820906de 8205c591 00000001 00000000 nt!PspSystemThreadStartup+0x9d
00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 00000000 nt!KiThreadStartup+0x16


STACK_COMMAND: kb

FOLLOWUP_IP:
nt!MiStealPage+e5
8201179b 8b1a mov ebx,dword ptr [edx]

SYMBOL_STACK_INDEX: 0

SYMBOL_NAME: nt!MiStealPage+e5

FOLLOWUP_NAME: MachineOwner

MODULE_NAME: nt

DEBUG_FLR_IMAGE_TIMESTAMP: 48d1b7e8

IMAGE_NAME: memory_corruption

FAILURE_BUCKET_ID: 0xA_nt!MiStealPage+e5

BUCKET_ID: 0xA_nt!MiStealPage+e5

Followup: MachineOwner
---------

Thanks for the detailed description of the issues that you're experiencing! Along with the dump file analysis, they lead me to suspect that this may be a memory issue. BUT...The STOP 0x1a error message can be a hardware issue or a driver problem.

The crash occurs in the process system.exe. The stack trace lets us know that the crash seems to have happened when a thread of nt.dll was working.

So, start with running the bootable memory diagnostic on your Vista DVD: http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/using-vista-windows-memory-diagnostics-tool/

Let us know if it passes and we'll make some other suggestions.

Thanks Usasma.

I did as you suggest. The Windows Memory Diagnostoc Tool reported back that no memory errors were detected.

Thanks for your continued assistance.

OK, here's a generic troubleshooting process that will help to isolate any hardware issues. The intent here is to rule out hardware issues - then we can focus on the software issues:

1 - verify that the CPU fan is running when the computer is working. Some systems have temp controlled fans, so you may have to wait for it to warm up before you can tell it's running. If you're not sure, run Prime95 to stress the CPU and that should kick it on.
2 - use a can of air to blow out the fan(s) - for a laptop, blow in both directions (but don't overspin the fan when doing this)
3 - test the hard drive using a manufacturer's diagnostic
4 - test the memory (I recommend MemTest86, but the Vista memory test is just as good)
5 - test the motherboard. Motherboard test suites are usually too expensive for normal users ($800 US and up), but this free program may help if you can get into Windows to install it: http://www.sisoftware.co.uk/index.html?dir...n=sware_dl_3264

Let us know if all goes well, then we'll move on

Just for clarification, you advised me to test the memory, either with MemTest86 or the Vista memory test. Is there a different Vista memory test from Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool (the one one I just tried which reported no memory errors). Seems like I've already checked this box but there may be something I'm overlooking here.

1 - verify that the CPU fan is running when the computer is working. Some systems have temp controlled fans, so you may have to wait for it to warm up before you can tell it's running. If you're not sure, run Prime95 to stress the CPU and that should kick it on.

Fan is running

2 - use a can of air to blow out the fan(s) - for a laptop, blow in both directions (but don't overspin the fan when doing this)

Fan is cleaned

3 - test the hard drive using a manufacturer's diagnostic

Drives passed diagnostic tests. Ran the Western Digital extended diagnostic on my 250GB boot drive and the SMART scan on a recently installed 1TB storage drive. The issue predates the installation of the 1TB drive but I tested it anyway for good measure.

4 - test the memory (I recommend MemTest86, but the Vista memory test is just as good).

Ran the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool per your initial instructions and passed. Please let me know if there is a different Vista memory test I should try.

5 - test the motherboard. Motherboard test suites are usually too expensive for normal users ($800 US and up), but this free program may help if you can get into Windows to install it: http://www.sisoftware.co.uk/index.html?dir...n=sware_dl_3264

Results:

SiSoftware Sandra

System
Manufacturer : Sony Corporation
Model : VGC-RA826G(UC)
Version : To Be Filled By O.E.M.
Serial Number : 28478630-3003571
ID : E4E6AF60-11D916AB-110074B8-ADC1B72F

System Chassis
Manufacturer : NTSC
Type : Desktop
Can be locked : No
Version : US
Serial Number : R4580333
Asset Tag : P14600000400F6941CB869966894
Boot-up State : Safe
Power State : Safe
Thermal State : Safe
Security State : External Interface Locked-out

Mainboard
Manufacturer : ASUSTeK Computer INC.
Multi-Processor (MP) Support : No
MPS Version : 1.40
Model : PTGD2-VX
Version : Rev 1.xx
Serial Number : MB-1234567890
System BIOS : 63-0200-000040-00101111-091004-I915

On-board Devices
To Be Filled By O.E.M. : Video Adapter (Enabled)

System Memory Controller
Location : Mainboard
Error Correction Capability : None
Number of Memory Slots : 4
Maximum Installable Memory : 4GB
BANK0 - DIMM0 : Manufacturer0 PartNum0 SerNum0 AssetTagNum0 DIMM Synchronous SDRAM 512MB/64
BANK1 - DIMM1 : Manufacturer1 PartNum1 SerNum1 AssetTagNum1 DIMM Synchronous SDRAM 512MB/64
BANK2 - DIMM2 : Manufacturer2 PartNum2 SerNum2 AssetTagNum2 DIMM Synchronous SDRAM 1GB/64
BANK3 - DIMM3 : Manufacturer3 PartNum3 SerNum3 AssetTagNum3 DIMM Synchronous SDRAM 1GB/64

Chipset
Model : Sony 82915G/GV/GL/P/PL/GL/910GE/GL Grantsdale Host Bridge/DRAM Controller
Revision : A5
Bus : Intel AGTL+
Front Side Bus Speed : 4x 200MHz (800MHz)
Maximum FSB Speed : 4x 200MHz (800MHz)
Width : 64-bit
HTT - Hyper-Threading Technology : Yes
I/O Queue Depth : 12 request(s)
Maximum Bus Bandwidth : 6.25GB/s

Chipset 1 Hub Interface
Type : DMI (Direct Media Interface)
Version : 1.00
Number of Ports : 4
In/Out Width : 4-bit / 4-bit
Multiplier : 3/1x
Speed : 1x 100MHz (100MHz)

Logical/Chipset Memory Banks
Bank 0 : 256MB DIMM DDR 3.0-3-3-8 1T
Bank 1 : 256MB DIMM DDR 3.0-3-3-8 1T
Bank 2 : 256MB DIMM DDR 3.0-3-3-8 1T
Bank 3 : 256MB DIMM DDR 3.0-3-3-8 1T
Bank 4 : 512MB DIMM DDR 3.0-3-3-8 1T
Bank 5 : 512MB DIMM DDR 3.0-3-3-8 1T
Bank 6 : 512MB DIMM DDR 3.0-3-3-8 1T
Bank 7 : 512MB DIMM DDR 3.0-3-3-8 1T
Maximum Installable Memory : 4GB
Supported Memory Types : DIMM DDR DDR2
Channels : 2
Memory Bus Speed : 2x 200MHz (400MHz)
Maximum Memory Speed : 2x 266MHz (532MHz)
Multiplier : 1/1x
Width : 64-bit
Memory Controller in Processor : No
FMA - Fast Memory Access Support : No
Refresh Rate : 7.80µs
Power Save Mode : No
Fixed Hole Present : No
Maximum Memory Bus Bandwidth : 6.25GB/s

APIC 1
Version : 2.00
Multiplier : 1/2x
Maximum Interrupts : 24
IRQ Handler Engaged : Yes
Enhanced Support : Yes

Memory Module
Manufacturer : C Memory
Model : D1D400-064643I
Type : 512MB DDR
Technology : 16x(32Mx8)
Speed : PC3200U DDR-200
Standard Timings : 3.0-3-3-8 2-11-0-0
Memory DC Line : 2.50V
Set Timing @ 200MHz : 3.0-3-3-8 2-11-0-0
Set Timing @ 167MHz : 2.5-3-3-7 2-9-0-0
Set Timing @ 133MHz : 2.0-2-2-5 1-7-0-0

Memory Module
Manufacturer : C Memory
Model : D1D400-064643I
Type : 512MB DDR
Technology : 16x(32Mx8)
Speed : PC3200U DDR-200
Standard Timings : 3.0-3-3-8 2-11-0-0
Memory DC Line : 2.50V
Set Timing @ 200MHz : 3.0-3-3-8 2-11-0-0
Set Timing @ 167MHz : 2.5-3-3-7 2-9-0-0
Set Timing @ 133MHz : 2.0-2-2-5 1-7-0-0

Memory Module
Manufacturer : 7F7F7F7F7F9B
Type : 1GB DDR
Technology : 16x(64Mx8)
Speed : PC3200U DDR-200
Standard Timings : 3.0-3-3-8 2-11-0-0
Version : 1.00
Memory DC Line : 2.50V
Set Timing @ 200MHz : 3.0-3-3-8 2-11-0-0
Set Timing @ 167MHz : 2.5-3-3-7 2-9-0-0

Memory Module
Manufacturer : 7F7F7F7F7F9B
Type : 1GB DDR
Technology : 16x(64Mx8)
Speed : PC3200U DDR-200
Standard Timings : 3.0-3-3-8 2-11-0-0
Version : 1.00
Memory DC Line : 2.50V
Set Timing @ 200MHz : 3.0-3-3-8 2-11-0-0
Set Timing @ 167MHz : 2.5-3-3-7 2-9-0-0

Environment Monitor 1
Model : Winbond W83627THF ISA
Version : 9.00
Mainboard Specific Support : No

Temperature Sensor(s)
Board Temperature : 41.00°C
CPU Temperature : 48.50°C td
Auxiliary Temperature : 41.50°C

Cooling Device(s)
Auto Fan Speed Control : Yes
System Fan : 1172rpm
CPU Fan : 959rpm
Auxliary Fan : 781rpm

Voltage Sensor(s)
CPU DC Line : 1.35V
+3.3V DC Line : 3.40V
+5V DC Line : 4.94V
+12V DC Line : 12.00V
-12V DC Line : 0.17V
Standby DC Line : 5.01V
Battery DC Line : 0.26V

System Bus(es) on Hub 1
Version : 2.30
System Bus 0 : PCI
System Bus 1 : PCIe 1.00 x16 2.5Gbps

LPC Hub Controller 1
Model : Sony 82801FB/FR (ICH6/ICH6R) LPC Interface Bridge
Revision : A4
ACPI Power Management Enabled : Yes
Advanced TCO Mode Support : Yes
Advanced TCO Mode Enabled : No
High Precision Timer Support : Yes
High Precision Timer Enabled : No
Delayed Transaction Enabled : Yes

Disk Controller
Model : Sony 82801FB (ICH6) Ultra ATA Storage Controller
Interface : ATA
Revision : A4
Maximum UDMA Mode : UltraDMA-5 / ATA100
Channels : 2
In Use Channels : 2
Port : UltraDMA-4 / ATA66
Port : UltraDMA-2 / ATA33

Disk Controller
Model : Sony 82801FB (ICH6) SATA Controller
Interface : SATA
Revision : A4
Maximum SATA Mode : G1 / SATA150
RAID Support : Yes
RAID Enabled : No
Channels : 4
In Use Channels : 2
Port : G1 / SATA150
Port : G1 / SATA150

Audio Device
Model : Sony 82801FB (ICH6) High Definition Audio Controller
Revision : A4
Type : HD (High-Definition) Audio
Version : 1.00
Number of In / Out / Bi-Directional Streams : 4 / 4 / 0
Number of Serial Data Streams : 1

Audio Codec
Model : Realtek Semiconductor 880 High Definition Audio
Revision : A1
Version : 0.09
Audio Channels : 10

Audio Codec
Model : Conexant Systems HDAudio Soft Data Fax Modem with SmartCP
Revision : A1
Version : 0.09

USB Controller 1
Model : Sony 82801FB (ICH6) USB UHCI Controller 1
Revision : A4
Version : 1.10
Interface : UHCI
Channels : 2
Speed : 48MHz
Supported Speed(s) : Low (1.5Mbps) Full (12Mbps)
Legacy Emulation Enabled : No

USB Controller 2
Model : Sony 82801FB (ICH6) USB UHCI Controller 2
Revision : A4
Version : 1.10
Interface : UHCI
Channels : 2
Speed : 48MHz
Supported Speed(s) : Low (1.5Mbps) Full (12Mbps)
Legacy Emulation Enabled : No

USB Controller 3
Model : Sony 82801FB (ICH6) USB UHCI Controller 3
Revision : A4
Version : 1.10
Interface : UHCI
Channels : 2
Speed : 48MHz
Supported Speed(s) : Low (1.5Mbps) Full (12Mbps)
Legacy Emulation Enabled : No

USB Controller 4
Model : Sony 82801FB (ICH6) USB UHCI Controller 4
Revision : A4
Version : 1.10
Interface : UHCI
Channels : 2
Speed : 48MHz
Supported Speed(s) : Low (1.5Mbps) Full (12Mbps)
Legacy Emulation Enabled : No

USB Controller 5
Model : Sony 82801FB (ICH6) USB 2.0 EHCI Controller
Revision : A4
Version : 2.00
Specification : 1.00
Interface : EHCI
Channels : 8
Companion Controllers : 4
Supported Speed(s) : Low (1.5Mbps) Full (12Mbps) High (480Mbps)
Addressing Support : 64-bit
Legacy Emulation Enabled : No

System SMBus Controller 1
Model : Intel 801xx/63xx SMBus
Version : 0.03
Specification : 2.00
Advanced TCO Mode Enabled : Yes
Slave Device Enabled : Yes
PEC Support : Yes
Speed : 100kHz

Expansion Slot(s)
AGP : AGP 32-bit +3.3V Shared PME Half-Length Used
PCI1 (1h) : PCI 32-bit +3.3V Shared PME Half-Length Used

Port Connector(s)
J1A1 - PS2Mouse : Mouse / PS/2
J1A1 - Keyboard : Keyboard / PS/2
J2A2 - USB1 : USB / USB
J2A2 - USB2 : USB / USB
J4A1 - LPT 1 : Parallel Port ECP/EPP / DB-25 pin male
J2A1 - COM A : Serial Port 16550A / DB-9 pin male
J6A1 - Audio Mic In : Audio / Mini-jack
J6A1 - Audio Line In : Audio / Mini-jack
J6B1 - AUX IN : Audio / CD-ROM Sound Input
J6B2 - CDIN : Audio / CD-ROM Sound Input
J6J2 - PRI IDE : ATA
J6J1 - SEC IDE : ATA
J4J1 - FLOPPY : Floppy Disk
J9H1 - FRONT PNL : 9 Pin Dual Inline
J1B1 - CHASSIS REAR FAN : None
J2F1 - CPU FAN : None
J8B4 - FRONT FAN : None
J9G2 - FNT USB : None
J6C3 - FP AUD : None
J9G1 - CONFIG : None
J8C1 - SCSI LED : None
J9J2 - INTRUDER : None
J9G4 - ITP : None
J2H1 - MAIN POWER : None

Performance Tips
Notice 224 : SMBIOS/DMI information may be inaccurate.
Warning 2508 : All memory slots are full. Upgrading the memory may be difficult or expensive.
Tip 2 : Double-click tip or press Enter while a tip is selected for more information about the tip.

Sorry, the Vista memory test that I referred to was the Microsoft Memory Diagnostic.
So, your hard drives test good, as does your memory.
The SiSoft Sandra didn't identify anything (although it's not a complete test).
You're probably not overheating as the fans are working and the system has been blown out with air.

So, if all the tests are correct (which they are most of the time), then it's most likely to be a software issue.
If the whole gamut of software repairs doesn't fix it, then we'll have to relook at a hardware issue (this happens occasionally).

So, do you have any other dump files that we could take a look at?
Also, try this trio of Vista diagnostic tools:
1 - go to Start and type in "perfmon /report" (without the quotes) and press Enter. Let us know if it detects any issues.
2 - go to Start and type in "reliability" (without the quotes) and press Enter. In the left hand pane click on Reliability Monitor, then check the right hand pane for errors.
3 - go to Start and type in "eventvwr.msc" (without the quotes) and press Enter. Click on the + sign next to Windows logs, then click on Application and look for errors around the time of the crash. Then do the same thing with the System category.

Finally, are you able to use the restore/recovery system on your laptop (it's either a set of DVD's or a dedicated partition on your hard drive). Do you have a separate Vista DVD so that you can try a repair install of Windows Vista? Have you backed your data up (in the event that the problem can't be repaired without wiping your hard drive?)

1) Perfmon /report indicates no issues other than the informational warning that the disk queue length is at 1.068 indicating the disk may be at its maximum transfer capacity.

2) Reliability monitor shows no hardware errors but many application errors and Windows errors, but no obvious correlation in their timing. The most common app error over the last six weeks is explorer.exe. In the Windows section, I've got nine "OS Stopped Working" reports and their associated stop codes. I've done minidump analyses on three more of them and attached the txt file of their results.

3) With eventvwr, I do see some app errors that seem to correspond in timing with Windows errors, though how close in timing during the day of the crash I can't tell: on one occassion (11/26) there are three application errors with an event ID of 1000 and task category of (100). On a second Windows crash occasion (11/24) there are no app errors. On a third occasion (11/15) I have one app error, again with an event ID of 1000 and task category of (100).

I am fully backed up and have my original Vista Ultimate disks should we need to do a repair, though I'm a little doubtful that Vista's the culprit since the crashes predate my upgrade from XP MCE 2005 to Vista Ultimate.

Please double click on the errors relating to the crash and let us know what the text says.

I generally don't recommend upgrade installations as they tend to have more problems than a clean install. I suspect that some of the files retained in the upgrade can have issues (either corruption or incompatibility) - and that can cause problems with the OS before and after the upgrade.

2 of the bugchecks relate to the cache manager (memory), and 2 of the bugchecks relate to errors accessing memory. The driver involved in the cache manager crashes is NTFS.SYS (the file system driver for the NTFS file system). I'd suspect that this is one of the things that could be carried over in an upgrade.

I'd suggest running CHKDSK /R Go to Start and type in "cmd.exe" (without the quotes). At the top of the search box CMD.EXE will be listed - right click on it and select "Run as administrator". In the black window that opens type "CHKDSK /R" (without the quotes) and press Enter. Answer Y (for yes) when it tells you it can't run right now - then reboot and let it run. Note if it finds any errors.

Did a chkdsk /f in administrator mode which reported no errors.

Details on the three app errors that occured on 11/26:

Faulting application windbg.exe, version 6.10.3.233, time stamp 0x48c58f7c, faulting module RICHED20.DLL, version 5.31.23.1228, time stamp 0x4791a775, exception code 0xc0000005, fault offset 0x00045455, process id 0x528, application start time 0x01c9503a158bab1f.

Faulting application SearchProtocolHost.exe, version 7.0.6001.16503, time stamp 0x483b9996, faulting module RPCRT4.dll, version 6.0.6001.18051, time stamp 0x48002c9c, exception code 0xc0000005, fault offset 0x00072143, process id 0x11a4, application start time 0x01c9502f19da1b0d.

Faulting application wmpnetwk.exe, version 11.0.6001.7000, time stamp 0x47919370, faulting module MFPlat.DLL, version 11.0.6001.7000, time stamp 0x4791a6f9, exception code 0xc0000005, fault offset 0x0000cc8a, process id 0xdc0, application start time 0x01c9502be92159ca.

Details on the app error that ocurred on 11/15:

Faulting application wlcrdpsystem.exe, version 0.9.3424.5, time stamp 0x4907aa19, faulting module USER32.dll, version 6.0.6001.18000, time stamp 0x4791a7a6, exception code 0xc0000142, fault offset 0x00009cac, process id 0x15a8, application start time 0x01c9473384bc479b.

Well, it appears that this is either a Windows corruption, or a problem with your motherboard.

I'd first check the Sony site for a BIOS update. Be very careful with this, as flashing the BIOS incorrectly can ruin your motherboard. Here's what I think is the correct link for the latest BIOS for your system: http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-downl...14&os_id=16

After that, if the problem isn't fixed, I'd suggest a clean install of Vista - then locate and update any drivers that are missing in Device Manager. If this doesn't fix it, then I'd have to assume that there's an issue with your motherboard.

Ok, I'm prepared to flash the bios. Everything is backed up and while a dead mobo isn't an exciting prospect, the opportunity to build a more current machine is! :-)

So I'm up on the ladder, but before I go out to the tip of the diving board on this one, I have a question about the bios link in your last message. It's for XP MCE, not Vista. And although Sony does have many Vista-compatible utility updates for my machine, it only lists the bios upgrade under XP MCE. I understand that we're updating firmware, beneath the OS level, but given the potential that a failed bios flash may be unrecoverable, I was hoping you could offer some peace of mind that the XP MCE bios update is ok to execute on my Vista Ultimate machine. If so, great, I'm in. If not, well, hmmm...maybe I'll just jump to a clean installation.

Thanks for all your continued help with this! Fruitless though it's been so far I greatly appreciate it and have learned a great deal in the process.

Sorry, but I can't offer any assurances. I presume that it was released before Vista came out - so that's why it's not listed for the Vista systems. But other than that I can't say for sure.

There are limited circumstances where Windows communicates with the BIOS - and those are well known functions that are unlikely to change.

If you envision the scenario of the system with MCE having it's BIOS updated and then having the Vista upgrade installed - there would be no significant difference. I'd suspect that it'll go without a hitch - but it's not my system. I do offer a money back guarantee for my work tho'

I have similar problems with Vista Ultimate, when i try using Power DVD or when I try watching online tv with SopCast.
And random crashes when i connect my internet modem directly into USB...when i use a router the crashes stop...weird ... can someone help me with the modem ? I really want to get online directly to USB.