Please assist with Stop error 0x0000008E

[studiot]

Seriously, how do I run a memtest on a system that can't boot from cd because pressing the F2 key (or any other key) doesn't get you to a UI that allows you to change the BIOS settings? Am I missing something here?

Hello Scarlet.

Dr Micro and I gave you more concrete suggestions, perhaps you missed our posts?

 

[Mr.Mike]

Thanks 1.t-works.

I think it is a driver issue as well and probably caused but a thumb drive or the WD external that was plugged into the USB port. I've seen this happen before with peripherals. What is frustrating is not being able to navigate to device manager or even work on the BIOS. I can boot in Safe Mode, but again, no desktop appears so I am limited in what I can do. Surely this must have happened to someone else out there.

 

[studiot]

I really don't think a Nuke&pave is the answer

In my original post I put up a link to the inspiron 1100.

I think this laptop is worth what $30 - $50 tops.

Scarlet said the owner wanted his data.

Fine so put the hard drive in another pc and copy off the data.

Then what to do with a laptop worth $50?

Well is it really worth a long investigation that might cost the owner several hours work?

You should be able to restore a Dell in less than 1 hour.

As Scarlet seems to be just starting out I also offered some friendly (I hope) more general advice.

Of course it is good for all readers to see a reasoned discussion with alternatives presented and debated.

So you are quite right to question why.

 

[Mr.Mike]

By the way, I agree with ACG that nuke and pave is NOT the answer.

I am doing this work free on a weekend for a dear friend who has done much for me. It is also a curious problem that I am striving to learn how to fix. When I figure it out, (hopefully with you and the forums' wisdom), I will go faster. I know not to waste my time and the friends money on this old laptop. Though I have never "slaved" a laptop hard drive to another machine, I have been doing it with desk tops for years. I will learn how, because this and other problems like this is going to come up again. In the beginning, all problems look like they are one-offs. As I am learning, there are some common problems that can be quickly and easily fixed and unique problems that are not easily or quickly fixed. We can't know how to fix everything, no?

I once had a dell desktop that had a similar problem to this laptop ( 100% processor usage, crashes, bios trouble). Someone on another forum suggested removing the battery from the MB and Bang, it worked. Like the Junior member i.t-works said Dells are a different kind of animal, he was right.

 

[14049752]

I'm talking to nobody in particular, but think about what ACG is saying...

Basically, this thread started out with Scarlet unable to run a hardware diag... Fine. That's the problem right there. We need to eliminate the hardware as a problem BEFORE anything else. The key to get the boot menu on that laptop is F12. I don't think anyone else said that, did they? Nope. F12 = Boot Menu. After the hardware is checked, then you can suggest all of your software fixes.

I've been saying this a lot lately, but people need to learn a diagnostic procedure. Testing the hardware should come first. It should be common knowledge that testing the hardware should come first. It should be drilled into every tech's head that testing the hardware should come first.
Maybe ACG, myself and others aren't so nice about HOW we say it, what we're saying is true. Suggesting dumb things like removing the ide controller driver, nuke and pave, and whatever other things.... Sorry, that's a dumb suggestion until we know that the hardware passes some sort of real diagnostic test.

So many of these threads could be avoided if dudes and dudettes had a process, a checklist, or whatever that they do to each problem PC before even asking for help. Posting on Technibble is not step 1, 2, 3, 4 or even 5 in a good tech's procedure.


Thread jack complete. Scarlet, hopefully my previous post helped and you were able to start hardware diags.


I'm actually going to re-post this in a new thread, because it really needs to be addressed. If mods want to delete this post, I understand.

 

[studiot]

I am doing this work free ....... a curious problem that I am striving to learn how to fix.

That's a different situation.

If you are willing to spend extra time on the machine. Several posters have told you that it is possible to boot this machine from CD and I have posted a link to a website with instructions.

Despite what has been said elsewhere

Dell's are different.

In this case different in the way you access the options in bios. I have never seen another maker expand the decision treee in quite the same way.

But before you do this I would certainly recommend geting the data off the HD, if you are in a position to obtain the necessary adapters in time.

Then you can play and learn.

For what it's worth, stop error 8E has a wide variety of causes, coupled with your description of the reduced safe mode screen suggest graphics hardware or driver problems.

But

No one should have needed to update 6/7 year old graphics chips so I would quizz the owner about what he was doing before the problem arose. That often provides a huge clue as they don't volunteer information, even to friends.

 

[NickCat11]

I agree with 14049752 that every technician should follow a diagnostic procedure prior to doing anything else. The checklist will not only help the technician but also any of us on here trying to help them. I'll be the first one to ask a question on here when I get stuck because that's how I feel people learn best. BUT, I always make sure I go through my own checklist first before I post anything. If I get flamed for the question then so be it, at least I know I have done everything within my knowledge to diagnose the problem.

 

[Mr.Mike]

Well, I agree with you about the IDE controller driver thing. I have done F2(from del manual) F8, F12, Del, to get to someplace to change the boot sequence but to no avail. I've gone into safe mode and when it comes up the screen is black and there is no desktop, just black. Crtl+Alt+Del > TaskManager > File > New Task > msconfig > system restore does not restore the system (system restore has been turned off by group policy). This unit was never on a network so, ???

I am familiar with BartBE and frequently use UBCD on the job. Do you think if I go to Safe Mode with a dos prompt, I could get it to boot to the CD?

BTW, I've removed a motherboard battery once to reset the BIOS on a Dell Desktop with a 100% processor usage (from a Trojan) and it "reset" the system and booted beautifully. That cant be unique to Dells.

1409752, thanks for your insights.

 

[Doctor Micro]

Perhaps it's time we all took a step back and review what we know from what we've been told:

Dell Inspiron 1100. XP
Stop Error.
Can access the BIOS by F2, but not Diagnostics or Boot Menu
Accessing the BIOS is information only, no fields changeable.
Can boot to Safe Mode, but Video is incomplete and CMD window size (sounds more like Boot to Safe Mode, Command Prompt... not normal full screen Safe Mode)
Memory swapped out, not tested.
Cannot boot to CD
Command Console was loaded. Chkdsk runs ok.
Access Denied when changing settings in MSCONFIG
Owner wants files backed up
Insufficient power at USB port to run (assuming) un-powered external HDD provided by owner.
AC Adapter may not be original or is defective
Maybe more... I forget.

Unknowns: Was the laptop part of a Domain, with policies applied? Was there a setup password applied in BIOS, and were options to boot to diagnostics and boot menu disabled in BIOS?

Thoughts and observations: A lot of time has been spent by the OP and by members of this forum trying to figure this baby out... with no success so far. Nothing the OP has tried, and nothing any of us have suggested have been tried or if tried, produced positive results.

I don't know how much more time and effort you want to put into this machine, but here are some suggestions:

If the boot options have been disabled in BIOS, and a setup password applied, unknown whether a Nuke & Pave would even work, since that would require booting from the CD, which reportedly does not work.

To satisfy the owner's request, recommend pulling the hard drive, slave to another computer (with a 2.5" IDE adapter) or external 2.5" USB caddy and make the backups.

Ask the owner if he has any knowledge of a BIOS password being set. Clearing the BIOS on the 1100 requires unsoldering the CMOS battery. Check the Dell support site to see if there's an updated BIOS for your machine.

See if you can find another working Dell 90W AC Adapter. If you still get the error message, this could be an indication of motherboard fault.

Or, if the BIOS cannot be fixed, and nothing else seems to work, swap out the motherboard yourself or ship the entire unit to one of us or a commercial laptop repair facility. USACVLR specializes in laptops, you might ask him if he wants to take it on.

 

[Doctor Micro]

Whoops... gosh, a lot of posts rolled in while I was word-smithing mine. Missed the bit about doing this for free (What!?!)

I didn't mention F12, as I assumed the OP knew that... maybe an incorrect assumption on my part.

Threads like these are frustrating, to say the least. Even low-balling our time at $50/hr there's probably a good $500 in free advice, suggestions and head-slapping down the tubes here.

 

[Mr.Mike]

ACG: I am partly responsible for the your ding and I apologize for it. I was warned as well. I respect the fact that you didn't drop this thread and wrote back. I also respect you for bothering to ask after my capacity as a technician. Again, I apologize.

As you can tell, I am not as experienced as you, or most of these other members. Otherwise I would not have created the original posting in the first place. I am not working as a professional repair technician yet, but am doing work to train "techno-phobes" and the elderly to learn to use comps for the first time. My business is "Personal Computer Tutor." I started recently, and focus on training. I get alot of requests to "fix" computers. So far, my track record is good. But I haven't seen enough yet. I will add "repair services" to my business card when and if I ever get to that professional level.

Please don't give up on guys like me. I will work harder in the future to make sure I have done all the diagnostics and tests before posting.

Peace

I am looking into that now, thank you.

 

[Mr.Mike]

Not down the tubes! Anyone following this thread should appreciate the skull sweat that went into it! I was near the end of the rope on this one but your thoughts have given me great encouragement. Please pat yourself on the back sir, you've created hope! I don't want to sound like a butt-kisser, but your advice is priceless.

"So shines a good deed in a weary world." - Willy Wonka, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory

Do you have a link to what you consider to be a suitable checklist? Is there one somewhere in these forums?

 

[Mr.Mike]

Agreed Studiot. I have decided to slave the HDD to get the information, by following up on what other posts have suggested. Thank you for yours.

 

[computergeek1]

Do you have a link to what you consider to be a suitable checklist? Is there one somewhere in these forums?

Start a new thread on it.

 

[studiot]

Scarlet, please report what happens when you boot to the F2 key?

Do you get to the BIOS and if so is it the Phoenix bios that was shipped with the original ones or is it a Dell BIOS?

What revision is it?

Does the BIOS fill the screen properly?

If you ever get to this stage you can use this specific hardware test CD from safe mode.

http://www.user-guides.co.uk/asp/product.asp?product=2196

 

[Mr.Mike]

14049752: Any technician worth their salt is going to check hardware first, I agree. Broken adapters, clogged ports, power source, etc., etc. Procedures for diagnosing problems are essential, I know, but doesn't everyone pretty much develop their own over time? One of my most important jobs is to draw as much information out of the computer's owner before doing anything. Seeing the setting the computer is in, the work it does (what used for), etc. I always suspect hardware first. Nowadays, it looks like Trojans are almost as typical. I appreciate your posts.

I am trying to get back to all who have looked at this issue. I have tried to clarify my original post and appreciate all the valuable input from senior (and all) members.

 

[Mr.Mike]

Hi Studiot:

The process looks like this:
1. POST
2. F2 for System Utilities
3. Enter Password (Service Number: *******) "password"
4. Select OS to Start: XP PRO or MS Recovery Console or press F8 for troubleshooting and advanced options.
5. F8
6. Windows Advanced Options Menu
Safe Mode
Safe Mode with Networking
Safe Mode with Command Prompt

Enable boot logging
enable vga mode
Last Know good configuration (Tried: Doesn't work)
Directory Services Restore Mode (Tried: Doesn't work)
Debugging Mode
Disable automatic restart on system failure

Start Windows Normally
Reboot
Return to OS Choices Menu

Thats it. What is not showing now is the original message I will try to write from memory:

Phoenix Bios A06
Dell Inspiron 1100
254 RAM
512 cache
pentium 4 2.2o mhz
Matsushita HDD *************
some other componet ********

fatal error: Something about the adapter not being the original and will not power the battery, so "whats left in the battery" is the only power left.

That's it. There was no option given to change boot sequence or boot from cd given. What do you think? All this because of a bad adapter?

 

[studiot]

Firstly I apologise, you did say it was a Phoenix BIOS in your original Post.

Subject is a client's Dell Inspiron 1100 Laptop. Phoenix A06 BIOS (2002), 512 RAM (DIMM). OS: XP Pro. Very slow boot time, 100% CPU usage in Task Manager on original startup, now slowed to normal.

However you also said it had 512 RAM.

Now you are saying 254 RAM (presumably 254 pls 2 for VGA)

I am confused.

Also the above list looks like the Windows Boot Options Screen.

It should be possible to get into the BIOS proper (where I think the settings might be by the F5 and F6 keys)

I know it is not an inspiron, but pictures 9 and 10 in the link in my post 15 show how to get to the CD in a Dell with a Phoenix BIOS.

 

[Doctor Micro]

Sounds like there might be a BIOS user password AND a Supervisor's password. If you're entering the user password and not the supervisors password, that would explain why you couldn't change anything in the BIOS.

 

[studiot]

You should be able to remove the hard drive and therefore Windows completely from the system

and still boot to the BIOS.

Surely there would be no reference to Windows then?

Scarlet do you understand what you should be looking at when you get to the BIOS?

Can you post a screenshot?