Problem Loading FM

For the past few weeks, my laptop has been screwing up, crashing all the time and going to a weird blue screen before restarting. This has happened a few times while saving my FM game, which breaks the game. The most recent crash again happened when saving my game, and now whenever i start FM, i get the message below.

XML parsing error!

not well-formed (invalid token) at line 1 of last_saved_game.xml

and then when i exit FM, i get another message

XML parsing error!

not well-formed (invalid token) at line 1 of Profile0.xml

can someone tell me what these messages mean and will they be a problem for any of my other games because i'm about to start a long term game with ajax later and i don't want it all to be a waste if the game breaks again

I've gotten a few XML errors (I cant remember them now) from time to time, and all I need to do is click abort or something similar and carry on like nothing happend. It has never led to a crash for me at least.

Wow, helpful post...

I've gotten a few XML errors (I cant remember them now) from time to time, and all I need to do is click abort or something similar and carry on like nothing happend. It has never led to a crash for me at least.

Wow, helpful post...

lol, i was hoping to get it sorted before i start a game because i've never seen warnings like this

Well if it doesnt crash after the error, you should be able to carry on. Im on my 11th season on my current game, and I had a XML error a few seasons ago. No isses at all.

But I am clueless about that causes the errors, and how to fix it. My guess is custom graphics.

have a look in the bugs forum, there's some hints and tips in there about this i seem to remember... and usually is caused by custom graphics, i think...

I'd be more worried about the blue screens than the xml errors (although they could be related). I would recommend repeating the crash, have a piece of paper and pen ready, then write down what the blue screen crash says (you don't need the inbetween writing, just the specific name of the file/application causing the error, any written part which has words separated by _ , and then everything written under Technical Information). Then post back here or google it.

Repeated xml errors suggests a problem though. At the moment yours only seem to be affecting the non crucial ones that are stored in the settings folder of the FM 08 cache folder. Go to this folder location and delete the folder:-

For Vista:

1- In a window, go to Organize > Folder and Search Options > View > and select 'Show hidden files and folders'.

2- Now browse to C:\Users\<User Name>\App Data\Roaming and delete the 'Sports Interactive' folder.

For XP:

1- Make sure you are able to see hidden folders:

When in a window, go to Tools > Folder Options > View tab and make sure 'Show hidden files and folders' is selected.

2- Browse to C:\Documents and Settings\<User Name>\Application Data and delete the 'Sports Interactive' folder.

That should clear up the issue. Any time you get one of those xml errors check the above folder to see if it is one of those xmls. If it is you can just delete said folder. I've seen other posts in the bugs forum where the xml errors occurred around playing matches, clicking on player profiles etc. which is a worse problem than you have.

What operating system are you on?

Any way delete the folders as directed above and if it happens again post back BUT I would very much recommend repeating the steps that are causing the blue screen in case there is a fundamental issue which FM happens to be revealing.

I'd be more worried about the blue screens than the xml errors (although they could be related). I would recommend repeating the crash, have a piece of paper and pen ready, then write down what the blue screen crash says (you don't need the inbetween writing, just the specific name of the file/application causing the error, any written part which has words separated by _ , and then everything written under Technical Information). Then post back here or google it.

Repeated xml errors suggests a problem though. At the moment yours only seem to be affecting the non crucial ones that are stored in the settings folder of the FM 08 cache folder. Go to this folder location and delete the folder:-

For Vista:

1- In a window, go to Organize > Folder and Search Options > View > and select 'Show hidden files and folders'.

2- Now browse to C:\Users\<User Name>\App Data\Roaming and delete the 'Sports Interactive' folder.

For XP:

1- Make sure you are able to see hidden folders:

When in a window, go to Tools > Folder Options > View tab and make sure 'Show hidden files and folders' is selected.

2- Browse to C:\Documents and Settings\<User Name>\Application Data and delete the 'Sports Interactive' folder.

That should clear up the issue. Any time you get one of those xml errors check the above folder to see if it is one of those xmls. If it is you can just delete said folder. I've seen other posts in the bugs forum where the xml errors occurred around playing matches, clicking on player profiles etc. which is a worse problem than you have.

What operating system are you on?

Any way delete the folders as directed above and if it happens again post back BUT I would very much recommend repeating the steps that are causing the blue screen in case there is a fundamental issue which FM happens to be revealing.

looks like you know your stuff there mate, cheers

firstly, what does deleting that sports interactive folder do?

about the blue screens, its really annoying because my old laptop had a celeron processor and ran FM fine. i recently bought a new laptop for £600 with windows vista, intel centrino processor and a lot better spec than my older laptop but something is wrong with it. i heard somewhere that vista has known problems with norton antivirus, so i deleted that and put mcafee on, but a few days later i started getting blue screens again, and last night i had about 5 blue screens in half an hour, which is when FM broke.

i don't think i will be able to repeat the situation to get a blue screen back because its not just one specific thing that causes it, it just happens all the time. when it happens, i get a blue screen with a full screen of white text, which i can't read fully because i only have a few seconds of that before the computer restarts. it says something like "beginning dump of physical memory" then counts up in 5's from 0 to 100 before restarting.

the only thing i can think of is contacting dell, but they are useless and just say the problem is one of the new programs i have installed, and i will have to delete, which isn't any help at all.

any advice on what i should do next??

firstly, what does deleting that sports interactive folder do?

It deletes all the temporary stuff FM uses some of which is saved and some of which gets deleted as soon as you quit the game. The xmls you posted about are stored in the settings folder in there. The last_saved_game.xml stores the info that allows you to click the 'load last game' icon. When you delete the folder that icon will appear greyed out.

The ProfileXX.xml where XX is a number is where it stores a Manager Profile info. You know when you start a new save and create a new identity (date of birth, favourite club etc.). That all gets stored on an xml so that if you want to start a new game with the same profile you can just select it from the drop down rather then having to input all the info again.

Re the blue screen crashes

Off the top of my head the last time I had to clean a virus from my laptop I read in one of the tech forums that there is some spyware about that generates fake blue screens. So I would recommend updating and running whatever antivirus you have running and anti spyware you have.

Spybot is decent and completely free which might rummage out any malware that could be causing this. Also just because your AV says you're clean it doesn't necessarily make it so. You could run Hijack This and post in an anti-spyware forum but I don't know enough to say one way or the other if the blue screens are virus related. Any other strange behaviour? Has the laptop slowed down recently? Any processes hogginh your CPU? Have you had any issues while surfing the web with IE slowdown or the internet status icon showing activity even if you close Internet Explorer? Does it seem to take longer for Windows to boot up? Just basically anything other than the blue screens which is not normal behaviour.

In relation to not having enough time keep a bit of pen and paper near by and only write down the key things I pointed out earlier. So in this screenshot the two things I have 'rectangled' are the key bits of info. The rest is standard and appears regardless of what caused the error.

http://img228.imageshack.us/my.php?image=windowsxpbsodig7.jpg

If you haven't disabled System Restore I would check the various restore points and backtrack to find one where the blue screens stop happening. If you've added anything on top of what the laptop shipped with then backtrack and remove. The blue screens are way beyond anything I understand and on the occasions I've had them google usually helped in sorting it out.

Are you sure Norton was fully uninstalled and that there might not be remnants of it causing issues? Did the bluescreens happen before you changed antivirus software?

Did you install any new software just before the blue screens started happening?

Did you make any changes to your hardware configuration?

Either way the only way you'll get to the root of the issue is to repeat the blue screen crash or wait for it to happen and make a note of the key specifics similar to those I highlighted in the image I linked to, aswell as what exactly you did/were doing when it happened.

It deletes all the temporary stuff FM uses some of which is saved and some of which gets deleted as soon as you quit the game. The xmls you posted about are stored in the settings folder in there. The last_saved_game.xml stores the info that allows you to click the 'load last game' icon. When you delete the folder that icon will appear greyed out.

The ProfileXX.xml where XX is a number is where it stores a Manager Profile info. You know when you start a new save and create a new identity (date of birth, favourite club etc.). That all gets stored on an xml so that if you want to start a new game with the same profile you can just select it from the drop down rather then having to input all the info again.

Re the blue screen crashes

Off the top of my head the last time I had to clean a virus from my laptop I read in one of the tech forums that there is some spyware about that generates fake blue screens. So I would recommend updating and running whatever antivirus you have running and anti spyware you have.

Spybot is decent and completely free which might rummage out any malware that could be causing this. Also just because your AV says you're clean it doesn't necessarily make it so. You could run Hijack This and post in an anti-spyware forum but I don't know enough to say one way or the other if the blue screens are virus related. Any other strange behaviour? Has the laptop slowed down recently? Any processes hogginh your CPU? Have you had any issues while surfing the web with IE slowdown or the internet status icon showing activity even if you close Internet Explorer? Does it seem to take longer for Windows to boot up? Just basically anything other than the blue screens which is not normal behaviour.

In relation to not having enough time keep a bit of pen and paper near by and only write down the key things I pointed out earlier. So in this screenshot the two things I have 'rectangled' are the key bits of info. The rest is standard and appears regardless of what caused the error.

http://img228.imageshack.us/my.php?image=windowsxpbsodig7.jpg

If you haven't disabled System Restore I would check the various restore points and backtrack to find one where the blue screens stop happening. If you've added anything on top of what the laptop shipped with then backtrack and remove. The blue screens are way beyond anything I understand and on the occasions I've had them google usually helped in sorting it out.

Are you sure Norton was fully uninstalled and that there might not be remnants of it causing issues? Did the bluescreens happen before you changed antivirus software?

Did you install any new software just before the blue screens started happening?

Did you make any changes to your hardware configuration?

Either way the only way you'll get to the root of the issue is to repeat the blue screen crash or wait for it to happen and make a note of the key specifics similar to those I highlighted in the image I linked to, aswell as what exactly you did/were doing when it happened.

ok i'll delete the sports interactive folder now and see what happens.

reading what you just wrote about unusual behaviour with the laptop is worrying me lol. i've been moaning for the past few weeks to my dad that my laptop should be performing a lot better than it is. the internet cuts off all the time, and i regularly have situations where i click on a folder and the screen freezes then takes 5 mins to get back to being responsive. does this mean the blue screens are a virus, and what exactly should i do to fix it because my antivirus (mcafee) hasn't found anything when i've scanned. the blue screens have happened to be honest all the time since i had my laptop a few weeks ago. all the programs i've installed are microsoft office, macromedia studio, football manager and one of the commandos games, but the blue screens happened before these were installed and after.

one last thing, on the screenshot u posted, i understand writing down the file name that caused the problem, but what about the technical information at the bottom, its just a load of numbers and letters?

reading what you just wrote about unusual behaviour with the laptop is worrying me lol. i've been moaning for the past few weeks to my dad that my laptop should be performing a lot better than it is. the internet cuts off all the time, and i regularly have situations where i click on a folder and the screen freezes then takes 5 mins to get back to being responsive. does this mean the blue screens are a virus, and what exactly should i do to fix it because my antivirus (mcafee) hasn't found anything when i've scanned. the blue screens have happened to be honest all the time since i had my laptop a few weeks ago. all the programs i've installed are microsoft office, macromedia studio, football manager and one of the commandos games, but the blue screens happened before these were installed and after.

Sorry didn't mean to freak you out . There could just be a legitimate software/hardware issue causing the problems you describe:-

1. Internet cutting off

Could be numerous causes which I couldn't really comment on.

2. Unresponsive folder

If you open up task manager before you open a folder, then open the folder. If it freezes up check your Processes tab in Task Manager, specifically to see if your antivirus is using a chunk of CPU when this happens. In my experience that is often a cause of this. I had the same thing happen and it was my av scanning everything that was slowing it down and causing the 'not responding' issue. It comes and it goes and to be honest I had it start happening for a couple of weeks and then it just stopped, it might have been an update to Windows or my AV that fixed it but I honestly don't know why it started to do that or why it suddenly stopped.

I would recommend heading to one of the tech help forums (bleepingcomputer.com, geekstogo.com, etc.) and posting in a relevant section to see if there is an issue or not. Read whatever headers and info there is before posting. You'll usually need a Hijack This log. Download Hijack This from here

http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en-US/tools/security_tools/hijackthis/download

Save it to your desktop and install it under a different name as some viruses can 'hide' from it. When you run it select to save a log which will produce a text file which helpers on those tech forums can use to spot an issue. You can run it and post it here if you want and I'll take a look but I'm far from an expert.

But as I said before you really do need to have some of the blue screen info if you want to get this sorted for free over the internet as people helping need as much information as you can give.

one last thing, on the screenshot u posted, i understand writing down the file name that caused the problem, but what about the technical information at the bottom, its just a load of numbers and letters?

The numbers and letters are important. For someone who knows what they are doing they would make sense. For me they are more or less gibberish . If you aren't afraid to try fixing it yourself you can use this gibberish to try and find possible causes and possible solutions but I wouldn't recommend it.

Again as I said no need to freak out as it is probably not a virus and is some kind of hardware/software issue.

Sorry didn't mean to freak you out . There could just be a legitimate software/hardware issue causing the problems you describe:-

1. Internet cutting off

Could be numerous causes which I couldn't really comment on.

2. Unresponsive folder

If you open up task manager before you open a folder, then open the folder. If it freezes up check your Processes tab in Task Manager, specifically to see if your antivirus is using a chunk of CPU when this happens. In my experience that is often a cause of this. I had the same thing happen and it was my av scanning everything that was slowing it down and causing the 'not responding' issue. It comes and it goes and to be honest I had it start happening for a couple of weeks and then it just stopped, it might have been an update to Windows or my AV that fixed it but I honestly don't know why it started to do that or why it suddenly stopped.

I would recommend heading to one of the tech help forums (bleepingcomputer.com, geekstogo.com, etc.) and posting in a relevant section to see if there is an issue or not. Read whatever headers and info there is before posting. You'll usually need a Hijack This log. Download Hijack This from here

http://www.trendsecure.com/portal/en-US/tools/security_tools/hijackthis/download

Save it to your desktop and install it under a different name as some viruses can 'hide' from it. When you run it select to save a log which will produce a text file which helpers on those tech forums can use to spot an issue. You can run it and post it here if you want and I'll take a look but I'm far from an expert.

But as I said before you really do need to have some of the blue screen info if you want to get this sorted for free over the internet as people helping need as much information as you can give.

The numbers and letters are important. For someone who knows what they are doing they would make sense. For me they are more or less gibberish . If you aren't afraid to try fixing it yourself you can use this gibberish to try and find possible causes and possible solutions but I wouldn't recommend it.

Again as I said no need to freak out as it is probably not a virus and is some kind of hardware/software issue.

great timing as ever, just spent the last hour restarting the computer after countless crashes. when the blue screen appears, there is no listing of what file causes the blue screen and the only other information i got was a bit of the technical stuff which was "stop 00008086".

i'm gonna try the tech forums now but i aint having much luck coz my laptop is acting really slow. cheers for the help mate, any more would be really helpful lol

When your laptop starts acting slow open up Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Delete), click the processes tab then sort by CPU usage from most to least to find out what is hogging your CPU and causing it to slow down. Post back what you find.

When your laptop starts acting slow open up Task Manager (Ctrl+Alt+Delete), click the processes tab then sort by CPU usage from most to least to find out what is hogging your CPU and causing it to slow down. Post back what you find.

i've been on task manager for the past half hour or so and when i was looking at the performance tab, at some times i saw stuff like 98% CPU usage, and i've got a 2.1GHz processor.

on the processes tab, i haven't got an option to list by CPU usage, the only similar option is just called 'CPU' and the only values i've seen for this are 00, 01, 02 or 03

It's not the values. You want to note the processes listed on the left that are using the CPU. Post back which ones are doing this. If a process is consistently hogging your cpu then you might have an issue. See in this screenshot the names listed under 'Image Name'

http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/9214/managermemoryyk3.jpg

post back what is listed under Image Name as using your CPU when it slows down.

To get CPU listed in the columns click the Processes tab, Click View > Select Columns and make sure the box next to CPU Usage is ticked. Then click on that column name to get it to sort in order of highest CPU usage. If you're doing little then generally the highest should be the one that says 'System Idle Process'.

As for the STOP error as the laptop is new and still under warranty I would ring your laptop support and tell them you just bought the laptop and are getting a

STOP: 0x00008086

and they should be able to sort you out as they'll know the specifics of the machine. Try to note the values listed in the parentheses the next time it happens.

The "it crashed while writing to the hard disk" (saving game) makes me wonder if your hard drive is going bad. Windows might crash at other times while using the hard drive for virtual memory, if that was the case .. definitely sounds like one to complain about to the manufacturer sooner rather than later, some of those warranties are awfully short!

cheers for the help guys.

i've posted on bleeping computers and have search the internet for an answer but will get on to dell tomorrow to try to sort it out.

in the last hour my laptop has been going a bit better so i haven't been able to check task manager, but no doubt it will feck up again soon lol

Your blue screens are most likely hardware issues. Could be bad memory or an overheating GPU or CPU.

In relation to what Amaroq posted alot of the google searching on this relates to that STOP error indicating a hard drive issue. As I said not an expert and most of what I know is based on figuring out my own problems I've had, so if I've never had it I won't have a clue .

In relation to mentioning the virus stuff it was the repetitiveness of the blue screens that made me think of that particular virus but if they always have that STOP: 0x00008086 message then it probably has nothing to do with a virus, especially if it looks like the image I linked to earlier.

But personally if it were my laptop the slowing down would make me curious, especially if it is noticeable in comparison to when you first booted up and used it in your normal manner.

Good luck with it

thanks all.

i've made the drastic decision to completely scrap everything. i'm going to format the hard drive, reinstall windows then reinstall FM etc.

if i still get blue screens after that, then i'l contact dell and get it sorted through them.

Don't do that yet. If it isn't a virus and is a hardware issue it might be something as simple as updating a driver. Did you run Hi Jack This? Have you noticed which process is hogging your cpu and slowing the laptop down?

Using system restore points as far back as possible would be a much simpler method than formatting and reinstalling Windows. If it's only a recent issue then system restore might help to pinpoint it.

In my opinion that's the last stop solution after everything else has been tried.

Now i'm not great with this kind of stuff so i'm not guaranteeing this will work but you should run the Dell diagnostics by pressing F12 at the computers startup and then do 'extended tests' on your hard drive and memory.

I'm sorry if this doesn't work but it has worked for me in the past so I hope it may help solve your problem.

Tell me how you get on.

Don't do that yet. If it isn't a virus and is a hardware issue it might be something as simple as updating a driver. Did you run Hi Jack This? Have you noticed which process is hogging your cpu and slowing the laptop down?

Using system restore points as far back as possible would be a much simpler method than formatting and reinstalling Windows. If it's only a recent issue then system restore might help to pinpoint it.

In my opinion that's the last stop solution after everything else has been tried.

i ran hijack this, but at that point, my laptop was working fine. i've got a feeling that the problem is bigger than i thought. i formatted the hard drive, but in the middle of reinstalling windows, i got a blue screen AGAIN! if this happened after formatting the hard drive, i don't know what the problem is

Was the blue screen the same STOP: 0x00008086? Was there mention of a file called iastor.sys?

I would definitely ring tech support if I were you. They should be talk you through booting from the Windows installation disc if possible and if this is a common problem with your model/configuration will have a solution.

Out of curiosity what happens when you boot without Windows installed?

Can you press F8 to access Safe Mode?

Was the blue screen the same STOP: 0x00008086? Was there mention of a file called iastor.sys?

I would definitely ring tech support if I were you. They should be talk you through booting from the Windows installation disc if possible and if this is a common problem with your model/configuration will have a solution.

Out of curiosity what happens when you boot without Windows installed?

Can you press F8 to access Safe Mode?

no, the blue screen had a code something like 000000000f3 or something similar. i can't remember if there was a file called iastor.sys, but i don't think so.

i'm not doing anything on that laptop for the time being, i'm worried that if something else goes wrong then it will end up in a pile of rubble and mess on the floor. i spent a good 2-3 hours formatting the hard drive, only for it to feck up while installing windows, which makes me think that there is either a problem with the installation disk i'm using, or whats on the disk (vista). i'l leave it to my dad to ring dell later.

i spent a good 2-3 hours formatting the hard drive, only for it to feck up while installing windows, which makes me think that there is either a problem with the installation disk i'm using, or whats on the disk (vista)

This to me would indicate what I said earlier, some form of hardware damage. Most likely your memory.

This to me would indicate what I said earlier, some form of hardware damage. Most likely your memory.

i've been on the phone to dell for the past half hour and they did lots of tests on the hardware, which were all passed. they said the software is the problem, but when they put me through to software support i couldn't here anything for ages so put the phone down. i'm getting more annoyed by all this so ebay may be the next step because i'm getting sick to the sight of a broken laptop on my floor

As i said if you're looking for help on the internet and really want ot know what's going on you'll need those details form whatever blue screens keep reappearing. If you can't get it written down quick enough try using a digital camera or a camera phone.

In any case you said it's a new laptop so harass dell until they sort the issue. Dealing with phone techs can be hit and miss depending on who you happen to get and the modd they happen to be in. No offence to any tech support people reading this, just my experience of Dell and others.

Just on rereading have to ask about this

it says something like "beginning dump of physical memory" then counts up in 5's from 0 to 100 before restarting.

I don't know if that is Vista but if memory serves me correct on XP it literally goes from 1 to 100 so you get 1 minute and 40 seconds before it reboots. Anyone on Vista know if counting in 5s is normal behaviour?

Are you still unable to install or access Vista? I would recommend posting on the US Dell Support forums as someone there might be tech savvy enough to know how to boot off the installation disc and use the recovery console to bypass the hard drive and weed out the issue (if that's even possible?).

As i said if you're looking for help on the internet and really want ot know what's going on you'll need those details form whatever blue screens keep reappearing. If you can't get it written down quick enough try using a digital camera or a camera phone.

In any case you said it's a new laptop so harass dell until they sort the issue. Dealing with phone techs can be hit and miss depending on who you happen to get and the modd they happen to be in. No offence to any tech support people reading this, just my experience of Dell and others.

Just on rereading have to ask about this

I don't know if that is Vista but if memory serves me correct on XP it literally goes from 1 to 100 so you get 1 minute and 40 seconds before it reboots. Anyone on Vista know if counting in 5s is normal behaviour?

Are you still unable to install or access Vista? I would recommend posting on the US Dell Support forums as someone there might be tech savvy enough to know how to boot off the installation disc and use the recovery console to bypass the hard drive and weed out the issue (if that's even possible?).

i've had a nightmare today with tech support so i won't be trying that again.

when i had blue screen last night it crashed half way through installing windows, and now it won't install again. last night it took me 3-4 goes to install windows because i kept getting the same error message about missing components and thats all i've had today when i tried installing windows again. the error message i got had the code 0x80070003, if that helps.

i've talked this over with a few people, and one person said to me that it is a problem called 'blue screen of death'. i wikied it and it sounds similar to whats wrong with my laptop. the problem with this, though, is that wikipedia says it is a hardware problem, which means i need to change it and send it off to get it fixed, which is what i've wanted to do for the last few days.

i'm now going to write an email to dell telling them about their crap tech support, and asking them to take the laptop off my hands and get it bloody fixed!!!

If you google that stop error 0x80070003 it seems there's a few possible solutions. As I said I'm not an expert and am just approaching this if it were my problem. But since it is under warranty I would leave well alone and get them to send some support out (but depending on your cover they may just hand the issue off on you as they seem to be trying to do).

When you were in contact with them did you mention the two STOP errors (Blues Screens) you've had:-

0x00008086

0x80070003

The blue screen can be hardware specific but from the bits and bobs I've learned it can also be related to how the OS communicates with the hardware rather than damaged hardware (open to correction though).

I've got some things you could check but I need to logout of here and try it myself as I haven't had to do it in a while. So if you're still around for the next 20 minutes or so check back.

If you google that stop error 0x80070003 it seems there's a few possible solutions. As I said I'm not an expert and am just approaching this if it were my problem. But since it is under warranty I would leave well alone and get them to send some support out (but depending on your cover they may just hand the issue off on you as they seem to be trying to do).

When you were in contact with them did you mention the two STOP errors (Blues Screens) you've had:-

0x00008086

0x80070003

The blue screen can be hardware specific but from the bits and bobs I've learned it can also be related to how the OS communicates with the hardware rather than damaged hardware (open to correction though).

I've got some things you could check but I need to logout of here and try it myself as I haven't had to do it in a while. So if you're still around for the next 20 minutes or so check back.

i've emailed them twice now, once through their website and once through an email one of their tech guys sent me. i mentioned the error codes, but only the top one you listed was on a blue screen, the other was just an error message in a window.

i appreciate your help on this and i'm be around here for a couple of hours yet as i'm trying to put FM and all my other stuff on my old laptop

Start up the broken laptop. As soon as the DELL splash screen appears press and hold F2. This will bring you to the BIOS.

To the left you'll see System listed in the pane. Use the up/down arrows on your keyboard to highlight 'System' and press enter (the return button) to expand the System field if it isn't already expanded.

Use the down arrow on your ketboard to highlight 'Boot Sequence'. Write down the list in this sequence e.g.

1. Internal HDD

2. CD/DVD/CD-RW Device

etc.

Press escape (Esc in the top left corner of your keyboard) to exit, and use the arrow keys to highlight 'Exit' and press return. Your laptop will try to boot again so let it reach it's crash point again and shut it down whatever way you have been previously. Post here what the list is in your Boot Sequence.

I've had this problem before. Didn't know how i resolved it...

Start up the broken laptop. As soon as the DELL splash screen appears press and hold F2. This will bring you to the BIOS.

To the left you'll see System listed in the pane. Use the up/down arrows on your keyboard to highlight 'System' and press enter (the return button) to expand the System field if it isn't already expanded.

Use the down arrow on your ketboard to highlight 'Boot Sequence'. Write down the list in this sequence e.g.

1. Internal HDD

2. CD/DVD/CD-RW Device

etc.

Press escape (Esc in the top left corner of your keyboard) to exit, and use the arrow keys to highlight 'Exit' and press return. Your laptop will try to boot again so let it reach it's crash point again and shut it down whatever way you have been previously. Post here what the list is in your Boot Sequence.

i changed the boot sequence in the BIOS yesterday so that the CD drive would be first to load so that i could install windows using a CD i had when i bought the laptop. shall i still run the laptop and post the boot sequence??

Right in one google search it mentioned that as the issue for the 0x80070003 STOP error (apologies if my previous post about accessing the BIOS seemed condescending it's just it's better to assume the person knows nothing ).

So try going to the BIOS again, setting your internal HDD as first in the boot sequence, and then try booting from the Vista disc using the non BIOS method. Off the top of my head I think it is F12 at the DELL splash screen and then select CD/DVD drive, hit return and hit any key to start the process.

Right in one google search it mentioned that as the issue for the 0x80070003 STOP error (apologies if my previous post about accessing the BIOS seemed condescending it's just it's better to assume the person knows nothing ).

So try going to the BIOS again, setting your internal HDD as first in the boot sequence, and then try booting from the Vista disc using the non BIOS method. Off the top of my head I think it is F12 at the DELL splash screen and then select CD/DVD drive, hit return and hit any key to start the process.

so go to the BIOS and change so hard drive is first on the boot sequence then restart the computer and at the dell screen press F12 and load the CD?

Yes. When you press F12 you'll see a list of choices to boot from. Pop in the Windows CD and select CD/DVD drive and hit return.

Yes. When you press F12 you'll see a list of choices to boot from. Pop in the Windows CD and select CD/DVD drive and hit return.

ok, i'l try that now. when it loads from the CD shall i just try to install windows??

Yes. I'm sure there's a site somewhere with detailed instructions but since my memory ain't great I don't really remember the exact detail. On XP I think it gives options similar to

1. Install fresh

2. Repair an existing installation

3. Open the Recovery Console

You could try 2 first as it would probably be quicker but of course if it doesn't work you'll have to try it again and choose 1. In either case this will take a while. So post back if the installation starts to run and doesn't freeze up. if it does use your camera phone if you have one to take a picture of the error or have a bit of paper and a pen handy.

yep, it worked fine. i now have windows vista on my laptop!!!! hoorah!

the thing that i'm not too happy about at the moment was that as i've said, i had a blue screen after i formatted the hard drive and before windows had been reinstalled. so all i've done since then is added windows vista to it, which means the problem with the blue screen is still there. i'm still going to keep annoying everyone at dell by constantly emailing them to fix my laptop, but i was on the internet earlier on my old laptop and i've got a few suggestions of possible solutions, so with vista installed i might have some luck with them.

one of the good things is that i should now be able to read everything on the bluescreen before it goes, because there is a way of stopping the computer from automatically restarting when it goes to blue screen. so now i should have more information to give to dell or tech forums so it can be fixed

i know that HiJackThis can help as well, but i'm not exactly sure when to use it, and what it does

Can you try running Speedfan and testing your temperatures? Like I said, Im pretty certain this is a hardware issue but if everything passed, then it could just be a case of something overheating, which happens alot with laptops. You should also try getting a program to test your Graphics Card temperature. Speedfan will tell you how hot your CPU is running. Google it and run it, then do some tasks and see what temperatures you are getting. Your CPU should be around 40.

Great that you got it working

In relation to speedfan you might want to download I8KfanGUI as speedfan has some issues with reading the correct CPU temp on some Dell laptops (speaking from experience).

Hi Jack this is basically for seeing if any viruses have modified entries in your registry it shouldn't have or if any dodgy processes are running. I mentioned it earlier as I thought the way you described your performance being slower plus the 'fake blue screen' virus might mean an issue. But I doubt there is an issue but you could always run it just in case. It won't tell you if there is an issue but someone who knows how to read the logs it produces would be able to. Post it here if you want but I'm no expert

What you need to do to figure out the slowdown and less than expected performance you mentioned earlier is to look at the CPU usage in Task Manager the next time it happens and make a note of what process is using CPU when it shouldn't and slowing your laptop down.

I wouldn't be surprised if you get the 0x00008086 STOP blue screen again as it does indicate an issue. But since DELL had you run all of their diagnostic tests then it probably isn't a physical problem. Did the DELL people get you to run chkdsk?

Can you post back if you get it sorted, or with the full blue screen details as I'm curious to know what the cause is and what the fix is.

Great that you got it working

In relation to speedfan you might want to download I8KfanGUI as speedfan has some issues with reading the correct CPU temp on some Dell laptops (speaking from experience).

Hi Jack this is basically for seeing if any viruses have modified entries in your registry it shouldn't have or if any dodgy processes are running. I mentioned it earlier as I thought the way you described your performance being slower plus the 'fake blue screen' virus might mean an issue. But I doubt there is an issue but you could always run it just in case. It won't tell you if there is an issue but someone who knows how to read the logs it produces would be able to. Post it here if you want but I'm no expert

What you need to do to figure out the slowdown and less than expected performance you mentioned earlier is to look at the CPU usage in Task Manager the next time it happens and make a note of what process is using CPU when it shouldn't and slowing your laptop down.

I wouldn't be surprised if you get the 0x00008086 STOP blue screen again as it does indicate an issue. But since DELL had you run all of their diagnostic tests then it probably isn't a physical problem. Did the DELL people get you to run chkdsk?

Can you post back if you get it sorted, or with the full blue screen details as I'm curious to know what the cause is and what the fix is.

i will post back when i find out what's the problem but i've got a feeling i won't find out for a while because there is nothing on my computer at the moment, and i can't fix the problem till i get blue screen again. i've read a few articles and forums, so i think that i should be able to fix the problem when it happens again.

i will download the program you said above as soon as internet is up and running, but again, i can't really use it till i get all programs like FM installed and running.

about the task manager thing, i doubt that this will work because when the computer slows down, it is completely unresponsive and i won't be able to open task manager, or even look at it if i already have it running.

i'm pretty sure that the error code will happen again some time, and i still think its a hardware problem because the guy from dell yesterday didn't really sound like he knew what he was doing, more like just reading a step by step guide from his computer lol

ok i've got internet up and running on my laptop now. when installing graphics drivers, my dad got this error on a blue screen

"RCDMENU.EXE - Application error

The instruction at 0x7332649a referenced memory at 0x7332649a. The required data was not placed into memory because of an I/O error status at 0xc000000e" will post this on dell forums and bleeping computer but if anyone on here can help, please do

The required data was not placed into memory because of an I/O error status at 0xc000000e

From looking at google stuff that's hard drive related.

Your blue screen STOP:0x00008086 you got previously is also hard drive related.

I assume when you were onto Dell they ran the Dell Diagnostics and the hard drive came up clean.

I would look here (don't know the Vista equivalent but it's probably something similar)

Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Event Viewer. Then click on System in the left pane. I don't have any at the moment but if I remember correctly hard drive issues sometimes pup up there under 'Source' as 'disk'. Have a look there for anything related to the hard drive.

I don't know what Dell sent you but I'd damn sure be looking for a tech to be sent to my house or a new machine if I'd just bought a laptop and it was behaving like yours.

Also while you're in the Event Viewer have a look under Application and see if anything corresponds time and date wise to any disk errors in the System section.

I've looked at the Event Viewer and although there are a few Errors, there are no Critical Events, which i would assume a Blue Screen is.

Because i've had so many different blue screen messages, with hardly any the same error, i don't think i will find a solution to the whole problem on the internet, and i've told Dell as much. Just emailed customer services to try to get it returned because its beyond a joke now imo

Cheers for the help, will post back when i find out whats going to happen/how it will be fixed etc

Do any of the Event Viewer errors correspond to the time the error occurred for your dad? I don't know myself but I wouldn't assume that it would be a critical error and check for any events generated in and around the same time of the error. The more info you can gather the better.

Have you done any updates from the DELL site since you got it booted? I would try that and see if it helps. But I would reckon that someone who is a tech head could look at some of the blue screen errors you posted and have a good idea of possible causes.

Good luck with it.

Do any of the Event Viewer errors correspond to the time the error occurred for your dad? I don't know myself but I wouldn't assume that it would be a critical error and check for any events generated in and around the same time of the error. The more info you can gather the better.

Have you done any updates from the DELL site since you got it booted? I would try that and see if it helps. But I would reckon that someone who is a tech head could look at some of the blue screen errors you posted and have a good idea of possible causes.

Good luck with it.

well its off for the time being because i get error messages all the time. Will have a go at the event viewer logs later or tomorrow maybe and put that on tech forums. The only problem with this is that on the Dell forums, and bleeping computers, there isn't that many people to answer my questions, so will have to wait longer.

Can you post back if you get it sorted, or with the full blue screen details as I'm curious to know what the cause is and what the fix is.

just got it back from Dell today. they've given me a piece of paper saying that they've replaced the motherboard and hard drive and they've reinstalled windows so looks like it was a pretty major hardware problem. thanks for the help