blue screen - IRQL not less or equal

[varflow]

I am getting an error message about once every two weeks or so. It is always while I have Outlook Express open and just after I have downloaded email (literally a second when the email finishes downloading). It does not happen every time, just once every couple weeks. I get the IRQL not less or equal - beginning dump of physical memory. Sometimes when it starts back up it says "your system has recovered from a serious error".

I have updated all drivers in my system, ran a registry cleaner, scanned for viruses & malware, and ran memtest checking my RAM (which tested good).
This started soon after I rebooted my system with Acronis (backup software).

Does anyone have any ideas?

[UncasMS]

run a memory test and check the harddrive

[admin]

My past experience with this particular type of error message is usually driver related or RAM related. When running the memtest, make sure you give it some time, because just one loop sometimes doesn't catch the problem. Run it for a couple of hours at least and then see what happens.

But you mention that it always happens when the email finishes downloading could suggest the problem is related to something that happens then - like perhaps an anti-virus scanner, or even your backup tool. But it may just be because of the additional HDD or RAM access from Outlook updating its database that causes the problem to happen, which then goes back to a RAM or HDD based problem.

You also mention Acronis - I believe it installs some kind of service to monitor backups and stuff, so you might want to uninstall that and see if it still helps.

[MilesAhead]

I don't know if this is related, but I got a problem when I used Paragon Drive Backup. I tried to use the wizard in the program to create a backup capsule. Unfortunately, this system has "fake raid" and Paragon didn't know how to handle it. After that I couldn't shrink my C: partition by more than 13 GB even though it was defragged and had like 600 GB free space. I think the Partition Table got hosed.

Anyway, I did a backup with Macrium Reflect 4.2 when I realized Paragon wasn't going to work for this system(except in compatibility mode that took 9 hours instead of 90 minutes.) When I did the restore with Macrium, it asked if I wanted to copy over the MBR with the backup. I clicked yes. Guess what? My partition table was healed!! I could shrink C: by all kinds of GB if I wanted!!

Maybe Acronis did something to your MBR or other structures that's just weird enough where it will still boot, but stuff will be strange? Stuff happens!