Blue screen stop 0x0000007B

[RegEdit]

XP Dell computer boots to the desktop, then after about 30 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes (on average) the screen goes black and restarts. It appears as though it's one of the last things that loads that is causing this. No minidump files pertaining to these crashes.

Stop 0x0000007B error was only reported when attempting to run ERD Commander.

I have error checked the drive. PC Check 6.5 shows no hardware errors. I ran MemTest 86 for 5 passes on each individual RAM chip with no errors.
Found 8 instance of Trojan.Browser Helper Objects with Malwarebytes. MBR_Check found a normal MBR.

PC does not shut down in safe mode! OK. So I have tried selective startups (while checking "hide Microsoft services"). No luck selectively disabling 1/2 the startup and services items, then the other half. So that leaves Microsoft start ups. Tried SFC /scannow. Restart to desktop but still shutting down. Do I need to do a repair install or reinstall or could I zero in on this bad MS driver?

[YeOldeStonecat]

Try booting safe mode w/networking support (loads a little more than plain safe mode)...will she still bounce on you? Or run fine for a long period?

Granted MWB is one of the first "go-to" antimalware apps I use in cleaning a rig, I would still reach for some other tools to run more scans with. IMO, a "shotgun approach" with several tools yields a more thorough cleaning.

Run some rootkit scanners also like TDSS.

[Peaceful]

Check for updated Dell wireless drivers, I've seen similar bluescreen problems on Dells after certain windows updates.

[johnrobert]

Since it’s OK in safe mode there’s your answer try system restore to a month prior
As long as no major installs

I always go for easy method first

[RegEdit]

Since it’s OK in safe mode there’s your answer try system restore to a month prior
As long as no major installs

No restore points! Makes me think that a virus might have done this.

Check for updated Dell wireless drivers, I've seen similar bluescreen problems on Dells after certain windows updates.

This is a desktop.

I don't think ERD Commander would try to load a wireless driver anyway.

[Trusted IT Solutions]

Originally Posted by RegEdit

Do I need to do a repair install or reinstall or could I zero in on this bad MS driver?

repair install = least stressful method

[RegEdit]

The rest of the story:
Well I tried slaving the drive to my bench computer and backing up the data with the command prompt's xcopy command and oddly enough it was missing all kinds of files and folders. Stop the presses! So I tried scanning individual folders with Security Essentials. It wouldn't scan anything in the Windows folder. So now I run Drive Fitness Test and it doesn't even find an operating system. Must be a failing hard drive. I guess Dell's diagnostic, that included some sort of hard drive diagnostic, didn't find any problems with the drive. So that threw me off. I should have run Drive Fitness Test from the get go I guess.

[RegEdit]

The saga continues! As it turns out, the hard drive is healthy. Used a different drive fitness test. All fine. The MFT was corrupted. So I recovered the data with R-Studio no problem. I had already begun installing Vista on another brand new drive. Got about 10 hours into the updates and guess what happens when I opened up Internet Explorer?.... It shuts down unexpectedly just like it had been doing in the beginning!!!!! It's strange that I was able to get 10 hours into this test. without any problems. Right now I have to use Internet Explorer to crash it. As it was doing before, no event viewer items. Only upon reboot does it note that Windows closed unexpectedly. No minidumps.

Bad motherboard? It passed all PC Check 6.5 MB tests, but I've tested known bad MB's with PC Check 6.5 that passed. When I ran the "stress test" if quickly failed, noting that the CPU failed.

[red12049]

Originally Posted by RegEdit

The saga continues! As it turns out, the hard drive is healthy. Used a different drive fitness test. All fine. The MFT was corrupted. So I recovered the data with R-Studio no problem. I had already begun installing Vista on another brand new drive. Got about 10 hours into the updates and guess what happens when I opened up Internet Explorer?.... It shuts down unexpectedly just like it had been doing in the beginning!!!!! It's strange that I was able to get 10 hours into this test. without any problems. Right now I have to use Internet Explorer to crash it. As it was doing before, no event viewer items. Only upon reboot does it note that Windows closed unexpectedly. No minidumps.

Bad motherboard? It passed all PC Check 6.5 MB tests, but I've tested known bad MB's with PC Check 6.5 that passed. When I ran the "stress test" if quickly failed, noting that the CPU failed.

The two most common reasons for problems like this are hdd and ram. Since you've replaced the hard drive, throw some known good ram in it, even if used, or not the same total amount, and see what happens. This is presuming you haven't yet restored the cusrtomer's data to that new hard drive.

Memtest is not God.

Rick

[RegEdit]

The two most common reasons for problems like this are hdd and ram. Since you've replaced the hard drive, throw some known good ram in it, even if used, or not the same total amount, and see what happens. This is presuming you haven't yet restored the cusrtomer's data to that new hard drive.

Memtest is not God.

Thanks for the response, but I replaced the RAM with 2 known healthy sticks. Same deal. Open up Internet Explorer and within about 5 seconds it blacks out and restarts. Is it possible that bad RAM could have corrupted drivers related to Internet Explorer during installation? Or is it more likely MB or CPU now?

I should also note that when my friend originally brought this computer in, the city's power had gone out and after electricity was restored the PC wouldn't even start at all. As soon as I put in a new PSU it worked fine for a week (or he put up with it for a week before bringing it back in). Then it developed this shutting down problem. I later swapped in a more powerful PSU. Same shut down problems. It would seem that the original Dell PSU took the MB out WITH it.

MemTest86 no good? What can you use?