original title: Another sad story of the dreaded BSOD... error: DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL ... Please advise as to best approach to remedy problem~ I guess it would be almost two weeks ago now that my wifes laptop first had the error (tech info line is as follows): iaStor.sys - Address FFFFF8800110BF2B base at FFFFF880010C1000, DateStamp 4a287aa4. The Laptop is a year old and has had no problems previously. I dont know all the specs but its an ASUS with an Intel Centrino and running Windows 7 OS. Here's what I have done so far: I tried to boot system in all SAFE modes ... no joy... same error~ I booted system with recovery CD and tried to to perform a restore from previous resore points (tried 3 previous dates so far) ... no joy ... same error~ (after reading previous posts of others with simular problems) I booted system with recovery/driver cd and renamed existing iaStor.sys to iaStor1.sys and, then copied iaStor.sys file from recovery/driver cd ... no joy... same error~ Submitting to my level of ignorance, I told my wife to take it Best Buy and have the Geek Squad Fix it... Knowing that she had purchased the extended warranty(costing $220), I thought it would certainly be covered! She reports them saying its not a harware problem, its a driver problem and it will cost $140 for them to fix it! She went on to tell me if we didnt have the warranty, the Geeks would chage $240, so we should feel better about that! lmao!!! we cant afford either ammount! Well the Geek in question may well be very computer savy but he is and idiot in securing company software as he left his diagnostic disk in my laptop. Lucky for him, I am an honest man and I wont go and sell Geek Squad software on the black market! *** Not wanting to loose any personal files existing, I have not completely reinstalled Windows 7... and I am really wanting to avoid that process (mostly, because figuring out how to copy everything without spending $$$ on an external is still baffling me!) I hope that you'all can walk me through the fix on this because I cant afford any other process to getting our laptop back on-line~ Thx in advance for your help, Ra USN ret

Hi, Check with ASUStek Support and the documentation for the installation methods they recommend. Size is not important, its version and date that is. Also check with Intel Downloads and their support and documentation for the latest version which may be newer than the ASUS version. Hope this helps. Rob Brown - Microsoft MVP <- profile - Windows Expert - Consumer : Bicycle - Mark Twain said it right.

perhaps nothing but...??? I dunno~ I went ahead and used the Geeks disk since I already have it and why make a new one when you have one... right! One thing I noticed is that when I open the command prompt from that disk boot, it shows X:\windows\system32> and when I change directory to drivers (ie X:\windows\system32\drivers> ) and then do a "dir/p" command... there is no iaStor.sys file! There is however a "iaStorV.sys" file. I already know from previous viewing (but checked again to verify) that the hard drive (C:) on the laptop has both an iaStor.sys and iaStorV.sys file in its directory (ie C:\windows\system32\drivers> ) ((things that make me go "hmmmmmm"... computer ignorance and being a pollack prolly arent helping! :-) ok... so Im now looking at the unzipped download that I got from ASUS and it has 9 files... (assumablly an update program to be run from within an operating Win7 system) that are as follows: iastor.cat , iaStor.inf , IaStor.sys , license.txt , PNPINST.exe , TXTSETUP.OEM , 2KSETUP.INI , iaahci.cat , iaAHCI.inf when i run PNPINST.exe i get the following line: " The subsystem needed to support the image type is not present. " Q: is there some switch (added command) I need to add? I also noted that the size of the downloaded iaStor.sys file is 330,264 bytes and the one in the laptop harddrive is 408,600 bytes! Q: is this a problem?

Hi, The Recovery Disk is useful, particularly if you need to revert back to "out of the box" state (which removes all programs and date from the drive). However you often need the Installation Media to rebuild/re-install Windows if the Recovery Disk fails to work. The System Maker will usually sell the Installation Media cheap since you already own Windows. Added a Repair Disk can sometimes help repair the present install when the Recovery Disk does not. You can make a Repair Disk for Vista or Window 7 (they are different disks) on ANY computer running XP, Vista, or Windows 7 with a CD/DVD burner as the process uses no files from the host computer, only those from the download. Be aware you can't use the Vista Repair Disk on Windows 7 or the Windows 7 Repair Disk on Vista. If you need to make repair disks - these help repair Windows not re-install. For Windows 7 How to Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc - Use option 2 http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html For Vista How to Make a Bootable Disk in Vista http://www.brighthub.com/computing/windows-platform/articles/7050.aspx Download: Windows Vista 32 bit (x86) Recovery Disc and Windows 7 http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/download-windows-vista-x64-recovery-disc/ Download: Windows Vista x64 Recovery Disc and Windows 7 http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/download-windows-vista-x64-recovery-disc/ How to Make a Windows Vista Repair Disk If You Don’t Have One http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/how-to-make-a-windows-vista-repair-disk-if-you-dont-have-one/ Hope this helps. Rob Brown - Microsoft MVP <- profile - Windows Expert - Consumer : Bicycle - Mark Twain said it right.

ok... I am running Vista on my desk top and the laptop is running win7. Am I correct in my understanding that I can make a system repair disk on my desktop (running Vista) that will work properly on my laptop (running Win7)? ... and yeah... I dont have the win7 Installation disk... I only have the ASUS Recovery disks~ if need be... my nieghbor is running Win7 and I can make a repair disk from her OS or I still have the Geek Squads disk which is also a boot disk!?

Hi, Try StartUp Repair from a Windows 7 Installation or Repair disk which often works when it does not from System Recovery or a Recovery Disk. If you don't have a Windows 7 Installation disk the System Maker will usually sell the disk cheap since you already own Windows. Also you can make a Repair Disk on any XP, Vista, or Windows 7 disk with a CD/DVD burner since the process does not use any files from the host computer. See the last link in the first troubleshooter I posted above. Hope this helps. Rob Brown - Microsoft MVP <- profile - Windows Expert - Consumer : Bicycle - Mark Twain said it right.

Blue Screen error: DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

Anonymous

original title: Another sad story of the dreaded BSOD... error: DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL ... Please advise as to best approach to remedy problem~

I guess it would be almost two weeks ago now that my wifes laptop first had the error (tech info line is as follows):

iaStor.sys - Address FFFFF8800110BF2B base at FFFFF880010C1000, DateStamp 4a287aa4.

The Laptop is a year old and has had no problems previously. I dont know all the specs but its an ASUS with an Intel Centrino and running Windows 7 OS.

Here's what I have done so far:

I tried to boot system in all SAFE modes ... no joy... same error~
I booted system with recovery CD and tried to to perform a restore from previous resore points (tried 3 previous dates so far) ... no joy ... same error~
(after reading previous posts of others with simular problems) I booted system with recovery/driver cd and renamed existing iaStor.sys to iaStor1.sys and, then copied iaStor.sys file from recovery/driver cd ... no joy... same error~
Submitting to my level of ignorance, I told my wife to take it Best Buy and have the Geek Squad Fix it... Knowing that she had purchased the extended warranty(costing $220), I thought it would certainly be covered! She reports them saying its not a harware problem, its a driver problem and it will cost $140 for them to fix it! She went on to tell me if we didnt have the warranty, the Geeks would chage $240, so we should feel better about that! lmao!!! we cant afford either ammount! Well the Geek in question may well be very computer savy but he is and idiot in securing company software as he left his diagnostic disk in my laptop. Lucky for him, I am an honest man and I wont go and sell Geek Squad software on the black market!

*** Not wanting to loose any personal files existing, I have not completely reinstalled Windows 7... and I am really wanting to avoid that process (mostly, because figuring out how to copy everything without spending $$$ on an external is still baffling me!) I hope that you'all can walk me through the fix on this because I cant afford any other process to getting our laptop back on-line~

Thx in advance for your help,

USN ret

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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42 answers

Anonymous

2011-02-20T00:40:19+00:00

Hi,

Check with ASUStek Support and the documentation for the installation methods they recommend.

Size is not important, its version and date that is.

Also check with Intel Downloads and their support and documentation for the latest version which

may be newer than the ASUS version.

Hope this helps.

Rob Brown - Microsoft MVP <- profile - Windows Expert - Consumer : Bicycle - Mark Twain said it right.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2011-02-20T00:12:36+00:00

perhaps nothing but...??? I dunno~

I went ahead and used the Geeks disk since I already have it and why make a new one when you have one... right! One thing I noticed is that when I open the command prompt from that disk boot, it shows X:\windows\system32> and when I change directory to drivers (ie X:\windows\system32\drivers> ) and then do a "dir/p" command... there is no iaStor.sys file! There is however a "iaStorV.sys" file.

I already know from previous viewing (but checked again to verify) that the hard drive (C:) on the laptop has both an iaStor.sys and iaStorV.sys file in its directory (ie C:\windows\system32\drivers> ) ((things that make me go "hmmmmmm"... computer ignorance and being a pollack prolly arent helping! :-)

ok... so Im now looking at the unzipped download that I got from ASUS and it has 9 files... (assumablly an update program to be run from within an operating Win7 system) that are as follows:

iastor.cat , iaStor.inf , IaStor.sys , license.txt , PNPINST.exe , TXTSETUP.OEM , 2KSETUP.INI , iaahci.cat , iaAHCI.inf

when i run PNPINST.exe i get the following line: " The subsystem needed to support the image type is not present. "

Q: is there some switch (added command) I need to add?

I also noted that the size of the downloaded iaStor.sys file is 330,264 bytes and the one in the laptop harddrive is 408,600 bytes!

Q: is this a problem?
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2011-02-19T23:36:11+00:00

Hi,

The Recovery Disk is useful, particularly if you need to revert back to "out of the box" state

(which removes all programs and date from the drive). However you often need the Installation

Media to rebuild/re-install Windows if the Recovery Disk fails to work. The System Maker will

usually sell the Installation Media cheap since you already own Windows. Added a Repair Disk

can sometimes help repair the present install when the Recovery Disk does not.

You can make a Repair Disk for Vista or Window 7 (they are different disks) on ANY computer

running XP, Vista, or Windows 7 with a CD/DVD burner as the process uses no files from the

host computer, only those from the download. Be aware you can't use the Vista Repair Disk

on Windows 7 or the Windows 7 Repair Disk on Vista.

If you need to make repair disks - these help repair Windows not re-install.

For Windows 7

How to Create a Windows 7 System Repair Disc - Use option 2http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2083-system-repair-disc-create.html

For Vista

How to Make a Bootable Disk in Vista

http://www.brighthub.com/computing/windows-platform/articles/7050.aspx

Download: Windows Vista 32 bit (x86) Recovery Disc and Windows 7

http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/download-windows-vista-x64-recovery-disc/

Download: Windows Vista x64 Recovery Disc and Windows 7

http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/download-windows-vista-x64-recovery-disc/

How to Make a Windows Vista Repair Disk If You Don’t Have One

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/how-to-make-a-windows-vista-repair-disk-if-you-dont-have-one/

Hope this helps.

Rob Brown - Microsoft MVP <- profile - Windows Expert - Consumer : Bicycle - Mark Twain said it right.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2011-02-19T22:58:33+00:00

ok... I am running Vista on my desk top and the laptop is running win7. Am I correct in my understanding that I can make a system repair disk on my desktop (running Vista) that will work properly on my laptop (running Win7)?

... and yeah... I dont have the win7 Installation disk... I only have the ASUS Recovery disks~

if need be... my nieghbor is running Win7 and I can make a repair disk from her OS or I still have the Geek Squads disk which is also a boot disk!?
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2011-02-19T21:47:37+00:00

Hi,

Try StartUp Repair from a Windows 7 Installation or Repair disk which often works when it does not

from System Recovery or a Recovery Disk. If you don't have a Windows 7 Installation disk the

System Maker will usually sell the disk cheap since you already own Windows. Also you can make

a Repair Disk on any XP, Vista, or Windows 7 disk with a CD/DVD burner since the process does

not use any files from the host computer. See the last link in the first troubleshooter I posted above.

Hope this helps.

Rob Brown - Microsoft MVP <- profile - Windows Expert - Consumer : Bicycle - Mark Twain said it right.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments