irql_not_less_or_equal

My husband's computer was recently hit with what I think was a CWS infection (not 100% sure, posted about that but nobody answered). Now this morning, his computer will not boot. We can't even load it in safe mode and I finally found online how to stop the automatic reboot so we got the error message: irql_not_less_or_equal. I can't find anything about this online because everything involves computers that still work but have the error message only occasionally popping up. His computer won't boot at all. I don't know if it was the CWS problem that caused this or what, but he hasn't installed any hardware or software in a long time.

Another possible cause is that I don't know that he has ever allowed the machine to update. He says it "takes too long." This morning it had turned itself off so I assume it automatically went into update mode. Could it have been far enough behind in updates that it could overload the machine? I feel like it must have updated at some point in the 5 years or so he's had the computer, but I can't be sure since he's somewhat vague about it. I know one time about a year ago I tried to update it but the computer just froze and after a day and a half it hadn't progressed. Did one of the Windows updates change or add a driver that would cause it not to boot? I'm really not sure what happened, but is there anything we can do? I have a machine with Vista and apparently he never received a Windows XP disc so we don't have anything to boot Windows off of. Any help would be very, very appreciated, thanks!

Insert the Windows XP CD into the CD drive, and then restart the computer. Click to select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD drive if you are prompted. When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console. If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, select the installation that you must access from the Recovery Console. When you are prompted, type the Administrator password. If the administrator password is blank, just press ENTER.

Type: chkdsk /r

It's important to have a space before the "/".

To exit the Recovery Console and restart the computer, type exit at the command prompt, and then press ENTER.

If you don't have an XP disk you can create your own Recovery Console disk with this file:

http://www.thecomputerparamedic.com/files/rc.iso

You must burn this file to a CD as an ISO. Post back if you need more information on how to do this.

Sounds like you have the same thing going on as I have. Got some kind of malware, thought i had it cleaned off then finally allowed Microsoft updates to load, it had been a long time. Now all I get is the blue screen with the same IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL. I cannot get past it no matter what mode I try to start in, I have also tried to reload the OS from the CD, no luck, there was no prompt to start from the disc drive. I posted this earlier today, no response as of yet. Sorry I don't have a solution, if you come up with one please update your thread with the answer. Best of luck.

Now I'm wondering if this has to do with Facebook somehow. I rarely look at FB but my husband does several times a day. Since his computer broke he has been using mine and in just 3 days he tells me my computer crashed on him twice (both times while on Facebook). My computer has never crashed and I used it hours yesterday browsing websites with no problems whatsoever- I even looked briefly at FB. This morning he came in to tell me my computer wouldn't start. I have Vista so I tried the Windows "Startup Auto-Repair" and that didn't work. It suggested a system restore and the program encountered an error. So I tried to go in myself and choose a restore point, same thing. Then I thought maybe I should choose a restore point further back and System Restore wouldn't even open. None of the other options on the screen worked at this point. I thought maybe I should just try the auto-repair again but it came up with an error message as well so I clicked a few others just to see, all didn't work. Finally I restarted (the only button that would work) and tried to load Windows normally which thankfully it did. We're down to one computer and I'll die if I lose this one too! What could he possibly be doing? And how can it apparently affect both computers? I'm terrified this is going to become more and more of a problem with my computer eventually not starting at all. One last note, this computer doesn't seem to have the CWS problem his did but maybe I'll find evidence of it later?

I visit Facebook several times a day, this cannot be laid at their doorstep.

Louis

To Budapest- I didn't see your post before but I made the CD and it's running right now. Is this all I will need to do?

I visit Facebook several times a day, this cannot be laid at their doorstep.

Louis

I don't mean Facebook itself, I meant maybe he uses an application that has been hacked or is intentionally malicious. That would explain why I could use FB without any trouble. Sorry, I wasn't too clear on that. *smacks forehead*

After chkdsk is finished see if the computer will boot into Windows.

I ran the chdsk and the computer still will not boot. The first time it said something about finding and fixing several errors. I tried running it again and when it was done the screen said this:

Volume created 11/25/04 08:35a
The volume serial number is 4468-9143.
CHKDSK is checking the volume...
CHKDSK is performing additional checking or recovery...
CHKDSK is performing additional checking or recovery...
CHKDSK is performing additional checking or recovery...
CHKDSK has finished checking the volume.

156288320 kilobytes total disk space.
89107784 kilobytes are available.

4096 bytes in each allocation unit.
39072080 total allocation units on disk.
22276946 allocation units available on disk.


Followed by the prompt which I used to exit. I don't know if that is informative/helps in any way or not. I still cannot load safe mode or regular Windows.

Here are a few more commands you can try from the Recovery Console. Try them one at a time, testing to see if the computer will boot into Windows after running the command. Read the instructions at the links given before trying each command.

fixboot writes a new partition boot sector to the system partition.

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documen...t.mspx?mfr=true

fixmbr repairs the master boot record of the boot disk

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documen...r.mspx?mfr=true

bootcfg /rebuild completely re-creates the Boot.ini file. The user must confirm each step.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/291980

Okay, tried fixboot and it didn't work. Now I did the fixmbr but I'm not sure if I should follow through with it. The screen says:

** CAUTION **

This computer appears to have a non-standard or invalid master boot record.

FIXMBR may damage your partition tables if you proceed.

This could cause all partitions on the current hard disk to become inaccessible.

If you are not having problems accessing your drive, do not continue.

Are you sure you want to write a new MBR?


Now obviously I am having problems with it, but the Microsoft page you linked to did not mention this message coming up. Is this standard and I should continue? I also thought it might be helpful to know since it says the master boot record is weird.

Also, thank you so much for all your help so far. Sorry to be so needy!

Edited by ladygish, 22 October 2009 - 10:50 AM.

Yes, it's a standard message, comes up any time anyone wants to execute that command .

Louis

Thanks hamluis! I went ahead and tried both the fixmbr and the bootcfg /rebuild and neither worked. I still can't load safe or regular Windows and I'm guessing that's really bad...

What is the make and model number of your computer?

Also, can you borrow a Windows XP CD from somewhere?

His computer is an Insignia D400A and we don't have access to a Windows XP CD. We're thinking of just buying a new computer at this point because it seems like it will be very expensive to fix. Considering that the PC is about 5 years old, ran slowly before, and now won't boot it might be better off, especially with Windows 7 coming out. The only real problem is all of the lost files including my husband's thesis which would be nice to get back.

My husband tells me this morning my computer shut down on him saying irq_not_less_or_equal. This is the third time it's crashed since we've been using it daily, but the first that it's displayed that error. It always happens to him so I can't be 100% sure what happened. My computer is much newer, an HP a6200n. What could be affecting both computers? It could be that the problems just weren't noticed before because this PC wasn't used very often (no internet).

I did just think of one thing it possibly could be? We recently bought a router so we could have internet on both computers. I forgot about it completely because it only worked for two days on my computer before Windows updated and I couldn't go online anymore. I didn't think much of it since I've had AIM, Windows Media Player, my speakers, and my internet (on another network) all go out on me and I can no longer play DVD movies after different Windows updates. Basically I sort of expect things to stop working after Windows updates. Is it that the router ruined his older computer first and is now about to ruin mine? If so, what can I do about it?

If your priority is saving data, you might consider booting with a Linux Live CD
to see if you can still read the drives. If so, you can copy what you want onto
a flash drive and worry about fixing the drives afterwards.

Keeping a Linux disk handy enables you to boot,
without interference from Windows.

It's a 700MB download of the ISO, which you need to burn to a CD,
but it's well worth it, in my opinion. (Linux Mint 7, works for me).

Read all the stuff first, if you're dubious.

http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

Might help, it's just another approach.