Memory Parity Error--please help!

Question

Since upgrading my OS to Windows XP Home, my Dimension XPS T500 system has been blue-screening, and I've gotten the following message, two or three times a day:

***Hardware Malfunction

Call your hardware vendor for support

NMI: Parity Check/Memory Parity Error

***The system has halted***

These crashes occur seemingly at random, although always just at the instant that I click a mouse button. I had previously upgraded from the original Windows 98 to Windows ME with no apparent trouble. Before upgrading to XP, I updated my BIOS to version A11; ran the system through the Microsoft XP readiness checker; replaced my sound card, since there was no XP-compatible driver available for the system's original Turtle Beach Montego card; updated Norton SysytemWorks to the 2003 version; and updated the drivers for the graphics card and mouse.

The OS upgrade seemed to go smoothly, and seems to work fine except for these debilitating crashes. The RAM always worked fine before the OS upgrade.

Since I started getting the parity errors, here's what I've done: >run my RAM through several hours of memory-checking software, with no errors generated; >unseated and reseated my two RAM modules; >switched mounting locations of the two RAM modules; >unseated and reseated my sound card, graphics card, modem card, network adapter and firewire card; >updated the mouse driver again to the latest version; >run a bunch of Norton SystemWorks 2003 diagnostics, with no helpful results; >checked Microsoft Support/Knowledge Base. The message I got there, to paraphrase, is that memory parity errors can be caused by almost anything, hardware or software, and there's essentially no way to track down the problem short of replacing every component of the system one by one. Surely this isn't true?

Besides SystemWorks 2003, I also use Norton Personal Firewall 2003. I don't keep any of the SystemWorks components running in the background except Antivirus, and I have disabled the Windows XP firewall.

Is this a fundamental problem between Dimension XPS Txxx BIOS A11 and XP, or some other known incompatibility? Did I miss a needed driver or other update or hardware upgrade? Am I sunk? Any help appreciated. Thanks.

--Dimension XPS T500 upgraded to PowerLeap Celeron Tualatin 1.4 GHz,driver 5.1.2600.0
--Flashed to A11 BIOS
--Windows XP Home upgrade, SP1
--384 MB RAM, including original 128 MB plus additional 256K module purchased from Dell
--STB NVIDIA RIVA TNT 16MB graphics card (original), updated to driver 4.4.0.3 from NVIDIA
--Philips PSC604 sound card (added by me for XP upgrade), driver 5.12.1.3516
--IBM 20GB, 7200-RPM hard drive DJNA-372200 (original); driver 5.1.2535.0
--Toshiba DVD-ROM MD-M1202 (original), driver 5.1.2535.0
--Standard floppy disk drive/controller (original), driver 5.1.2600.0
--3Com EtherLink XL 10/100 PCI TX NIC (3C905B-TX) (original), driver 4.5.0.0
--Logitech Mouseman Wheel M-CW47 (original); driver 9.79.0.0
--Microsoft Natural keyboard (original), driver 5.1.2600.1106
--U.S. Robotics 56K Voice Winmodem 1806 (original), driver 5.1.2462.1
--Firewire card that came with Pinnacle Studio DV software (added by me), driver 5.1.2535.0
--Dell P991 monitor (a warranty replacement from Dell), driver 5.1.2001.0
--Harmon/Kardon HK 395 speakers (a warranty replacement from Dell)

JOKERSWILD · Answer

http://support.microsoft.com/?id=315223 Here is microsoft's take on the problem. Basically it could be a driver problem or hardware or memory is bad.

DELL-Donald K · Answer

I had a similiar problem when I upgraded from Windows Millennium to XP. It turned out that I had some RAM that was stable in Millennium, but not in XP.

http://www.techtv.com/screensavers/downloadoftheday/story/0,24330,3550720,00.html

Here is a link to a better memory test, found the error in my RAM that Dell's Diags passed with flying colors.

Message Edited by dageezerus on 03-10-2004 12:54 AM

T-B · Answer

wow da, you didn`t cut jokers post, proud of ya, not such a bad guy after all ! cheers

DELL-Donald K · Answer

T-B

Thanks for the validation.

Steven,

Another way to isolate the problem is to remove either the 128 or the 256 & see if the system runs normally on the other. If problems persist, swap & run the other stick of RAM by itself.

JOKERSWILD · Answer

You can cut my post anytime it doesn't matter as long as the problem gets solved.

Steven K · Answer

Dageezerus, thanks for the link to the RAM test program. I downloaded it and ran the extended version overnight (10 hours), with zero errors generated. So it seems that my RAM is ok and working well with XP. Anything else come to mind?

NVRambo · Answer

As Dageezerus suggested, I'd try running with each DIMM individually in an attempt to re-create the crash. I'm not a huge believer in diags as being a final word for what happens in Windows GUI.

You might also flash back to your previous BIOS version if that is still possible. I'm convinced it's a memory-related problem; either via an intermittent DIMM prob, a BIOS and memory issue, or an XP / BIOS / memory trifecta.

But that's just me. That (parity) error is pointing directly at your memory and nothing else. There are no ECC or non-ECC BIOS settings issues are there?

Steven K · Answer

Thanks NVRambo. I will try the DIMMs individually.

I've read elsewhere on the site that BIOS A11 (the final BIOS for XPS T series) is necessary for Windows XP. And it's definitely necessary for my Powerleap processor upgrade, so there's no going back to a previous BIOS version for me.

As for ECC/non ECC BIOS settings, I wouldn't know how to check that out. I have non-ECC RAM, and I've never knowingly changed any BIOS settings since I flashed to A11, so I assumed that the default setup was for non ECC, which is what came with the machine when new.

NVRambo · Answer

Fair enough.  Did you see if the system would accept the Powerleap upgrade without A11 being installed? Just curious.

Steven K · Answer

No, I just went by the info on the PowerLeap Web site, which stated flat out (and more than once) that A11 was necessary. They even provide a link to download it.

NVRambo · Answer

And they've seen a ton of upgrades to be sure.

Problem is now you can't know if the problem is the PowerLeap or the BIOS flash.

Anyway you can go back to your old CPU temporarily to see if the message disappears?

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Memory Parity Error--please help!

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