PCA Forums

Alright, I started getting this issue, I am sure you are familiar with the Bad_Pool_Caller Blue screen. Whether this is a software or hardware issue is something up for speculation, here is what it does:

When started normally, system starts up, the bar keeps going and continues to go to the next screen, then wham! BSOD and restart. Attempt to do Safe Mode, same thing.

Try to start using a Windows XP CD, when it gets to the point where it detects a Windows XP installation, wham! Bad_Pool_Caller comes right up. Same thing when I choose the installation in the Recovery Console.

Seem odd? disconnect the boot drive, and use the XP CD, no issues as it hard drive with the installation is not there to detect. Doing this I have ruled out all other components, the thing is this:

Is this a malfunctioning hard drive?
Is this just a matter of corrupt data?
Unforunately, when I try to use the hard drive's diagnostic software, it just exists the diagnostic utility and nothing can be checked.

Why for some reason do I have to get weird issues... I find the weirdest thing being the fact that the hard drive is not performing slow like a failing drive normally would, it seems to operate efficiently in the least, then comes the blue screen and the problem.

PLEASE NOTE:

I have consulted the information on Microsoft's website, it is about as useless as always.

try changing the cable may just be that simple . had this happen on a dell 2-3 weeks back and it was a bad ribbon

hehe thanks bellringer, I only wish.

Did you run a diagnostic on it? Here are a couple I use.

http://www.hitachigst.com/hdd/support/download.htm
http://support.wdc.com/download/index.a ... 999&swid=3

try booting to dos and run chkdsk?

Well here is how it all went down.

I had to run another utility to erase one of the partitions on the drive. Then it allowed me to run the Seagate utility which checked out fine. Turns out Windows still had issues, I guess my original theory was right, it was data corruption after all.

Just loaded up a Ghost backup and its running along again. Turns out one partition though was completely corrupt, luckily I did not lose anything since the data was already on disc.