IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL Error while playing FFXI

[altwight]

athlon 2800+ 1gig ram dunno kind ati radeon x1650 pro

This IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL error occurs quite often while playing ffxi randomly. Anyone know a fix/what it is? This is happening to my friend, not myself. Windows XP 32

[Zigma]

update drivers

[diony]

It is also possibly an overheating prob, I got that error all the time when my computer was clogged with 4 years worth of dust in the summertime... when I cleaned it out and the temperatures dropped massively, I stopped getting that error

[Fhqwghads]

Could be overheating, buggy drivers, or bad hardware.

- Go to windowsupdate.com and check for any software/hardware updates and install them. See if it still BSOD after this.
- Use the disk cleanup utility. Start ? All programs ? Accessories ? System Tools ? Disk Cleanup. Sometimes corrupt files can do some very strange things. You don't have to have him compress old files.
- Easiest thing to do now is when the machine reboots, go into the BIOS and look at the temp and see if it's running really hot. Add fans if it is.
- If heat isn't the problem, start yanking out non-essential cards. I'd strip everything but the NIC and video card. If the sound is onboard sound, disable it in BIOS.
- If it still gives the BSOD then it could be memory, download some memory testing software and see if it can find anything wrong.
- If memory looks ok, then you've narrowed it down to either the motherboard, CPU, NIC, or video card. Can he repro this outside of FFXI, preferably a game that doesn't require network access? If so, disable/remove the NIC and see if it still happens.
- If it still happens you're now left with the motherboard, CPU, or video card.
- Lend your friend your video card, since you know yours works.
- If it still gets the BSOD it's the CPU or motherboard. Try updating the BIOS since the only alternative is replacing the CPU and/or motherboard.
- Still BSOD? Time for a new CPU & motherboard. Might as well get both since it's this serious of a problem. Probably want to replace memory also, just to be safe.

[Ramor]

update drivers

i had this problem recently (albeit it was wow) but I apparently just had to update some drivers and it was fixed no problem, I can't remember what the drivers were exactly but it literally took about 2 minutes to fix.