Machine Check Exception Windows 2000 Server

M

motolube

Gawd
Joined
Dec 18, 2006
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Guys, I run an old server under Windows 2000 Server w/SP4 and I am getting the following error + Stop

Machine_Check_Exception

Stop: 0x0000009C (0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0xB2000000, 0x1040080F)
Click to expand...

GA-8IPE100-G Mobo
TT TR2 430W PSU (Brand New)
Intel P4 2.8Ghz
2GB DDR333 PC2700 (4 x 512MBs)
WDC 80GBs
Samsung Spoint 40GB Back-Up


It started making this error sporadically about 2 weeks ago but I was not able to see the BSOD until yesterday and since then, it doesn't even let me to go to the desktop for more than 1 minute. Safe mode works (sometimes) with only 1 stick of RAM.

I have tested the RAM and it appears to be fine... I also switch the old PSU to a new one but that did not help at all. I can't check the HDD because it does not even let me get to Safe Mode long enough to go to explore, let alone clicking on any software that I may be able to use. which brings me to my next issue... I have not been able to find a software that works under W2K server.


Please, please, don't tell me to upgrade to a new server OS, w/o having to tell you my whole life story, short version is I can't so... I need to fix what I have.

Thanks
 
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Well, looks like a hardware error. Hopefully you have backups, yes? Start stripping out components to isolate specific pieces of hardware to find the error.

You will need a second system to do your hardware tests on.
 
XOR != OR said:
Well, looks like a hardware error. Hopefully you have backups, yes? Start stripping out components to isolate specific pieces of hardware to find the error.

You will need a second system to do your hardware tests on.
Click to expand...

Hardware error yes... that much I know LOL

Drive seems to be fine as long as I am able to stay on the desktop for a moment... at least it was until yesterday. Bottom line, I do have backups

Stripping out components... the server hardly has any components to strip except for the video card and I don't have anything else to test with.

What exactly do you mean by... second system needed to do hardware tests on?

So far... 40 minutes on Memtest and ZERO errors, is that a good sign that the memory is good?:eek:
 
I mean throw the components in a second system, one at a time, to test and isolate the problem. You may need a second system regardless if the drive has bad sectors and needs to be fixed, but honestly given the symptoms I'd suspect the mobo is having issues as well.
 
XOR != OR said:
I mean throw the components in a second system, one at a time, to test and isolate the problem. You may need a second system regardless if the drive has bad sectors and needs to be fixed, but honestly given the symptoms I'd suspect the mobo is having issues as well.
Click to expand...

Again, how can I throw the components in a second system if I am bare to the bone already? Please explain?

Do you mean, connect the mobo and psu on a different case and test? if so... test what, how can I test w/o Ram, HDD or VGA card plugged in?
 
motolube said:
Again, how can I throw the components in a second system if I am bare to the bone already? Please explain?

Do you mean, connect the mobo and psu on a different case and test? if so... test what, how can I test w/o Ram, HDD or VGA card plugged in?
Click to expand...
I would start with the HDD, actually. Hook it up to a different system, do a file system scan. Correct any issues present. If there aren't any issues, then you put the video card into a different system to see if it works. If it does, then you are left with the mb being the prime suspect.
 
The STOP code can't be 0x0000009X. It has to be a hexadecimal value. Post the right stop code and we'll be able to help you better.
 
OK, after 1:30:48 running Memtest with ZERO errors... can I safely say that the sticks of RAM are not the problem?
 
Well, I don't want to be the negative nancy, but with everything you've tried from that list it looks like its the motherboard. Of course you can run some more tests, backup data, etc. Every google response I've seen alone points to the individuals problems being solved after replacing the mobo, or sometimes updating the bios.


It's a Windows 2000 P4 machine, so I think it's safe to say it has had its use for quite some time now. If you have the means to test for power fluctuation on the motherboard it could be a hint.
 
Liger88 said:
Well, I don't want to be the negative nancy, but with everything you've tried from that list it looks like its the motherboard. Of course you can run some more tests, backup data, etc. Every google response I've seen alone points to the individuals problems being solved after replacing the mobo, or sometimes updating the bios.
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Funny you should mentioned that, all I have seen points to the CPU and I am hoping you are wrong as I was able to get a used CPU (it will get there tomorrow) but all the used boards I have seen where from China and the new ones are like 325 to 400 cheeseburgers... crazy!!! :eek: :(


Liger88 said:
It's a Windows 2000 P4 machine, so I think it's safe to say it has had its use for quite some time now. If you have the means to test for power fluctuation on the motherboard it could be a hint.
Click to expand...
Sure it is and I was in the middle of testing if Win2K8 was going to work when this happened so the priority is to get back on the horse and then try the second option. Everyone says our software won't work with anything else than W2K but I was hopeful.

How does one test for power fluctuations on the board? something tells me that if I don't know I am not going to like the answer I get. ;) :D
 
I would take a close look at the capacitors on the motherboard. Check to see if any are bulging or even leaking. It sounds exactly like a problem with bad caps. Each capacitor should have a nice round look to them and will most likely be shiny on the top. If they look like they are going to burst, have a oily substance on the top of them, or are leaking from anywhere, you've got bad caps.

Quartz-1 said:
How about having a W2000 VM?
Click to expand...

This is a great point. All my Win2k machines were virtualized and it was painless.

All the major hypervisors support Physical to Virtual migrations. But if you can't keep the machine up and running long enough to do the migration, it's not going to work. Might have to make a VHD from the disk and then bring it online without the hardware. Could be fun... that, or restore your backup into the vm.
 
Demon10000 said:
I would take a close look at the capacitors on the motherboard. Check to see if any are bulging or even leaking. It sounds exactly like a problem with bad caps. Each capacitor should have a nice round look to them and will most likely be shiny on the top. If they look like they are going to burst, have a oily substance on the top of them, or are leaking from anywhere, you've got bad caps.
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They Look ok to me, here are two images though since I really don't know what a botched/bad one looks like.





Demon10000 said:
This is a great point. All my Win2k machines were virtualized and it was painless.

All the major hypervisors support Physical to Virtual migrations. But if you can't keep the machine up and running long enough to do the migration, it's not going to work. Might have to make a VHD from the disk and then bring it online without the hardware. Could be fun... that, or restore your backup into the vm.
Click to expand...
I think, eventually I may have to do that, it is just that, another part of the process will definitely not work with any other operating system but we are little by little phasing it off so, it will probably happen that way.

For now though, I gotta make this work until such time that I can read and learn about VM
 
On that second picture -- left hand row of caps. Take a closer look at #2 and #3 from the top. I'm not sure if it's shadow, but they odd to me. Could be the design on it, too.

That second one defiantly looks like it has a spot of something on it though....right in the center.
 
Well, very bad news but perhaps a light at the end of the tunnel... took the CPU out today, it gave me a bit of trouble to take the heatsink out (it was installed 8 years ago so I had forgotten how to do it :p), when the CPU came out, it didn't look right, it looked like a piece of very small cloth was stuck to it, tried blowing it to no avail. After I installed it again, thermal paste and all, it didn't even want to Post up.

The light at the end of the tunnel is I think one of the old workstations has a P4 as well, it just dawned on me as I was having a cigarette brake at home... my head is pounding, frustation has set in and I am royally pist :mad:

I will see what happens tomorrow.

I can't find refurbished or even used mobo in the US, they are all in China, Russia or England (WTF!!!)... the new ones online are around 325 cheeseburgers, I guess they are extremely proud of those boards or I really bought a good one 8 years ago ;)

If anybody knows a friend that may have one, I am all ears... Gigabyte GA-8IPE1000-G :D
 
I guess they are extremely proud of those boards or I really bought a good one 8 years ago
Click to expand...

Thats how hardware prices go.

Start out expensive when the tech is new. As more and more people adopt, they get cheaper. Next gen comes out and they drop a little more. But after a few years, prices skyrocket because the "junk" becomes valuable for people like you.
 
When I saw P4 i figured it was bad caps. Some chinese companies stole the formula from a Japanese company and either fucked it up or stole an intentional trojan horse. Either way a lot of companies bought them and they failed very badly. From the pictures it looks like the caps are starting to pop, meaning the tops are not flat and starting to pop out like those stove top pop corn tins.

In the past I've had to recap boards as it was the fastest way to get stuff up and running. Really I'd convert it into a vm and leave it running on a newer system and be done.
 
It looks like my bad luck continues, I managed to ruin the processor I brought to the office this morning... I have another I am going to test but I have called a friend to come help me install it as this will be my last shot.

I have also decided to bid on some ebay auctions, if I have to wait a week or so to get one at a decent price, that is what I am going to do.

I am also going to start testing on a new machine the VM side of things to see how it goes.
 
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Yeh, those caps look bulging, s478 boards are hard to come by now, at least good condition ones, geeks.com only has one
Id try to do a VM conversion...cant hurt
pop the HDD into another PC, then use Disk2VHD from microsoft to convert it to a virtual hard drive
convert the VHD to vmware disk format via starwind free converter (unless your using HyperV or virtual PC)
configure a VM with vmware player and replace the default hdd file your converted HDD file
 
I would suggest going the VM route. Even if you do find replacement parts, they are also going to be old and long past expected end-of-life as well. You will probably end up exchanging one set of problems for a different set of problems.
 
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