Very weird BSOD problem

[LordEric02]

I've got a computer here that will not boot into Windows XP Pro. The Windows logo comes up and then I get a BSOD that says Driver_IRQ_not_less_or_equal. I tried a few things to no avail so I decided to try a re-image. This is where things start to get interesting. Try as I might, I cannot get the computer to boot up from anything other than the internal HD. Safe mode is the only way I can get into windows. When I am in safe mode, all of the devices that I was trying to boot from are accessible and working.

So I scratch my head and restart the computer with the Windows XP Pro disk in the CD-ROM. Lo and behold, the computer loads Windows from the HD as if there never was a BSOD. I have tested this out several times now and without the Windows CD in the CD-ROM, the computer gives me the IRQ error and restarts. With the XP CD in, the computer loads Windows just like it always has.

Can anyone tell me what is going on here?

[Sylvander]

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314063)

"I decided to try a re-image"
Does this mean you restored a recent good image backup of C:?
And has the hardware arrangement changed in any way since that image was made?

"I cannot get the computer to boot up from anything other than the internal HD"
That cannot be cannot be caused by a problem with Windows, but must be a hardware or BIOS problem.

"I...restart the computer with the Windows XP Pro disk in the CD-ROM...and...the computer loads Windows from the HD as if there never was a BSOD"
Was the PC set to load an OS from the HDD? [Was the HDD 1st in the BIOS's drive boot order?]
Are you saying that with the PC set to boot the HDD...
With NO XP CD in the optical drive, you get the Windows boot error...
And with the XP CD in the optical drive Windows boots fine with no error?

[mjc]

This particular error can have many causes...

One common one seems to be overclocking.

Another seems to be related to RAM.

A third is driver issues...

Basically, have you made any changes to your setup between the time the machine worked and when it started this?

[LordEric02]

Let me clarify a little bit. The BSOD is not a problem for me. The computer is junk and is getting replaced. The only thing I was interested in was why it loaded Windows from the HD when I put the XP CD in and why it would give me the BSOD when no CD was in.

I'm just curious more than anything else.

[mjc]

Hmmm...that is strange.

Yes, you can boot the installed OS from the CD, in fact, I think it defaults to that if there is a working install. It waits a few seconds and then boots to the hard drive.

As to the why...

Without looking at a bootlog, it would probably be very difficult to figure out.

Have you tried booting to Safe Mode, without the CD in? (hit f8 right after POST finishes, but before Windows starts to load...)

[LordEric02]

Well another update on this interesting problem. I took a hard drive out of another computer that is the same model as the one having problems. Since I wasn't able to re-image the drive I just decided to replace the harddrive with another one that was already set up the way I wanted. Everything went fine and the computer booted Windows just as it should.

However, after I installed the harddrive from the "malfunctioning" computer into the original HD donor computer, that computer booted fine as well. There are no more strange BSOD errors and both computers are able to boot from any of the normal devices.

Just thought I'd pass on the weirdness.

[mjc]

That is really strange...

About the only thing I can think of is that the BIOS in the first machine was not registering a change in some hardware until you replaced the drive. Just for the heck of it, change the CMOS battery in that machine.