That is because dell in there wisdom outsource there help to India instead of doing it in the USA with people who know what they are doing the next time you call any customer support for any company ask were the person is located and if he is not located in your country then ask to speak to someone who is and do not give up until they do.  I always end up being transferred to someone in the USA that helps.

awm2668,

From one source: That error is caused when the system attempted to access pageable memory using a kernel process IRQL that was too high. The most typical cause is a bad device driver (one that uses improper addresses). It can also be caused by caused by faulty or mismatched RAM, or a damaged pagefile.

If you have not recently installed any new hardware a bad driver is not the likely cause. Perhaps this will be of some assistance.

Since the computer worked at first you can also eliminate mismatched memory as a cause. You may be able to correct the problem by removing and reinstalling your memory modules.

per microsoft

 

Stop 0x000000D1 or DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
The Stop 0xD1 message indicates that the system attempted to access pageable memory using a kernel process IRQL that was too high. Drivers that have used improper addresses typically cause this error.

Interpreting the Message
This Stop message has four parameters:

Memory referenced.
IRQL at time of reference.
Type of access (0x00000000 = read operation, 0x00000001 = write operation).
Address that referenced memory.
Resolving the Problem
For additional troubleshooting suggestions that apply to all Stop errors, see "Stop Message Checklist" later in this appendix.

Stop 0xD1 messages can occur after installing faulty drivers or system services. If a driver is listed by name, disable, remove, or roll back that driver to confirm that this resolves the error. If so, contact the manufacturer about a possible update. Using updated software is especially important for backup programs, multimedia applications, antivirus scanners, DVD playback, and CD mastering tools.
For more information about Stop 0xD1 messages, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base link on the Web Resources page at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/reskits/webresources. Search using keywords winnt, 0x000000D1, and 0xD1.

If you go to yahoo and search DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL you will find with a little looking that people have had drivers , bios, fans not working and many things else causing this problem.  If you do not find something there that will help you fix the problem I would get back on the phone with Dell in the USA until they can tell you what will fix it.   One of the post said he removed zonealarm and that fixed the problem but he must have had an old copy of zone alarm because the latest does not cause this problem.  Think bac did you install a program at about the time this started if so remove it and see if that will fix the problem.  If it does make sure you have the lastest updates for the program before you reinstall it.

Hi awm,
I am not providing any troubleshooting but jsut a suggestion, since your computer is not even a month old I would request an unconditional return and when you call in with this thought never start troubleshooting with the technician. Simply demand to return the system.

A blue screen cannot always be fixed permanently without reinstalling the operating system.

==rohini

A blue screen cannot always be fixed permanently without reinstalling the operating system.

And if it's a hardware problem, a system reinstall won't fix it! I agree with your advice about setting up an exchange or return before the "thirty days after invoice" period runs out.

Jim

I had a BSOD stop message come up when waking my Dimension 4600 out of standby: STOP: 0x0000007E (0xC0000005, 0xF78216F0, 0xEE7B18F4, 0xEE7B15F4). The darned thing happened the day after downloading and installing an update from Windows Update - the "Update for Windows XP HighMAT Support in CD Writing Wizard." I uninstalled the update, and the problem resolved, along with the disk errors I was seeing in my Event Viewer each time I tried to bring it out of standby.  My Dimension is about 3 weeks old, so it's about the same vintage as yours.  If you have the Samsung CD-R/RW SW-2525 drive and you've recently installed the HighMAT update, it could be the culprit.

Dimension 4600 (Pentium 4 3.06 GHz, 1 GB RAM)
Win XP Home, SP1

Thank you for your help, you all were more helpful than Dell's support. It seems that the problem was caused by McAfee. I'm glad I didn't have to return the computer!