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I have
Dell Dimension 2300 desktop.
4 years old, hard drive replaced once since then, not sure when.
512 Meg Ram
40 GB HD

HDD health software indicated a TEC (which, I believe, indicates an impending crash) for 5/28 on 5/28, then 5/29 on 5/29.

In case it was a "false positive", I removed the software, then re-installed it. Today, 5/30, it indicated a 5/31 TEC, then changed to N/A, which implies, I believe, either no impending crash, or not enough info.

6 weeks ago I had a blue screen crash, and again this past weekend (5/29/06), giving the following info:
IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL.

Both times the MS site crash analysis suggested "BIOS system version on this computer does not match the specfications for the processor that is installed on your computer." They're both as supplied by Dell.

I have all important documents backed up, but a crash would still be a royal pain. Not sure if hard drive crash is truly impending. If it is, not sure if new hard drive or new computer is best solution. Or perhaps I need a new BIOS chip or CPU chip.

Have run diagnostics supplied by Dell on CD but found no problems.

Appreciate any help offered. Thank you.

Howdy Mark99 and welcome to the forums
Have you tried going into your BIOS and changing to fail safe defaults?

Your IRQL error is usally ram related or a program installed inpproperly. I never go by the HD monitors as I had one and it told me my Raptor was going to die in 4 days.

Edit: Can you right click my computer..click manage..then click event viewer and let us know what it says under applications and system (most duplicated errors) will be red or yellow.

ASA Sniper, thanks for posting reply.

I have not gone into BIOS to change anything because I don't have the expertise.

If IRQL error is usually RAM related, does that indicate my hard drive is failing?

I did go to event viewer and got the following:

Applications:
source category event
error 5/30 Application error none 1001
error 5/30 Application error none 1000
Warning 5/29 Userenv none 1517
Warning 5/29 Userenv none 1517
Warning 5/29 Userenv none 1517
Error 5/29 Application hang (101) 1002
(this last was listed identically 10 times in a row)
Error 5/29 Application error none 1000
(and a bunch more)
Warning 5/28 MsiInstaller none 1015
(and a lot more)

System:

Error 5/30 W32Time none 29
(lots of these W32Time listings)
Warning 5/30 Dhcp none 1007
Error 5/29 Service Control M...
none 7010

howdy again mark,
sorry for the delay in postings got a rumbly in my tummy lol.

No ram and hard drive are totally different.

to get into your BIOS you dont need to have any expertise,

Just upon pc startup ( as soon as you turn it on) start pressing DEL then there will be a black or blue screen

On the right hand side you will see like Press F10 to save and exit.
You should see a resotre fail safe defaults or retore BIOS defaults. then press the corrosponding key then press F10 then reboot

ASA Sniper: Thanks again for your new reply.

I went into the...well, whatever it is you get by pressing del while loading.

I do not see a "restore fail safe defaults" or "restore BIOS defaults", but I do see that something like "extended configuration" (not exactly what it said, I thought I'd remember, but didn't ) and it was disabled. Is this what you mean? I didn't enable it because I wanted to check with you first. Is this enough information for you to say, or do I need to go back into the "del" world and write down exactly what it said?

you shouls be able to use the directional keys to the left and right and find the BIOS defaults there should be at least 3 tabs there.

ASA Sniper:

I went to the BIOS setup program again - hey, now I know what it's called, at least.

There are 6 tabs

Main Advanced Security Power Boot Exit

Under "Advanced", I have the option to enable "Reset Configuration data", which is currently disabled.

Under "Exit", I have the following options:
Exit saving changes
Exit Discarding changes
Load Setup Defaults
Load Custom Defaults
Save Custom Defaults
Discard Changes

& perhaps "Load Setup Defaults" is what you're suggesting I do. Or, perhaps enabling "Reset Configuration data".

One other option seems to be "load optimized defaults"

But I don't see, specifically, "Restore fail safe defaults" or "restore BIOS defaults."

Meanwhile, HDD Health, which - I know, I know - you told me to ignore, has gone to a predicted 6/1 TEC and then back to N/A.

You're a champ for taking time to help me with this.

Also, over the past 2 months or so, I have downloaded a number of programs from PC World, and perhaps there has been a faulty installation, and/or perhaps my use of the programs has been incorrect - orrrrrr, perhaps the programs themselves do bad bad things, instead of what I'd hoped for.

By the way, I regularly run antivirus and spyware and malware programs and registry mechanic and all sorts of hopefully useful programs. By regularly, I mean twice a week, usually.