the stranger Posted June 26, 2001 Share Posted June 26, 2001 As I'm sure everyone knows, the Microsoft site is about as much help as nothing. In the last week I have gotten the dreaded blue screen about 3 or 4 times. It states "A fatal exception OE has occurred at 0028:C29F7E58 in VXD PCIMP (01)+ 00001C78" What in the hell does this mean? Windows always has this cryptic shit. GRRR... The best I can figure is maybe I have some bad RAM. Can ram go bad? My computer is almost two years old. Or maybe I have some corrupted files. Who can tell by that message? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
- Posted June 26, 2001 Share Posted June 26, 2001 Yeah, the Blue Screen Of Death is pretty much useless in figuring out what the problem is... I know this is what you'll hear from any tech support place, but have you tried wiping the hard drive clean and reinstalling Windows? It could be bad RAM... It could be a bad motherboard... It could be none of the above... But I'd start with a clean install of Windows, install only the software you need and nothing else, and then see if you're still getting problems a few weeks from now. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudioMaverick Posted June 26, 2001 Share Posted June 26, 2001 You have a driver in your SYSTEM or SYSTEM32 directory (under Windows), called PCIMP.VXD which is causing problems with the OS. Do a directory search for it, right-click on it and select "Properties" from the pop-up box. Select the "Version" tab and click on each item in the white box. You will find out the company that wrote it and the version. You should check out their web site for latest driver updates for your OS (Win9x/ME or NT4 or W2K). Chances are, you will have to totally remove the software installtion it is associates with and re-install. Good luck! "It's all about the... um-m-m, uh-h-h..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miroslav Posted June 26, 2001 Share Posted June 26, 2001 Originally posted by dr destructo: ...Can ram go bad? Yes...if it stays out of the fridge too long. Just throw on an extra dab of mint jelly. (Oh...and don't forget to re-install your current Service Pack X...if you do a lot of application installs/uninstalls sometimes things go south...) miroslav - miroslavmusic.com "Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderton Posted June 26, 2001 Share Posted June 26, 2001 Before you re-install everything, let Windows search for corrupted system files. If it finds any, it will ask you to insert the Windows CD-ROM, and copy over a fresh version of the file. This has saved my butt more than once, but it does this only if a Microsoft file screws up, not something added by another program. Here's the procedure: Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Information. From the system information window, Tools > System File Checker. Follow the instructions, and cross your fingers. If you backed up your system when it was working properly, which of course I know EVERYBODY does, you can just copy over the driver and replace the corrupted one. It's a shame people aren't that aware of all the diagnostic tools within Windows, they can often help you out, or at least identify the problem. Re-installation is an "if all else fails" procedure that should be tried only as a last resort. Many times the problem is just some little file somewhere. Craig Anderton Educational site: http://www.craiganderton.org Music: http://www.youtube.com/thecraiganderton Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/craig_anderton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AudioMaverick Posted June 26, 2001 Share Posted June 26, 2001 Look at the PCIMP.VXD file, first. I don't think it is Windows, itself. See above post.... "It's all about the... um-m-m, uh-h-h..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hop-frog Posted June 27, 2001 Share Posted June 27, 2001 A vxd is a device driver. It is a driver associated with various software installs. I bet you deleted it along with some other third party software you might have been running. You probably didn't use the control panel and just deleted a program am I right? Now your registry has an entry but no file and it wants one to be there. Try to re-install whatever you might have deleted. Look in your recycle bin if you havent emptied it. A fresh install of Windows will work but you should only do that if nothing else works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hippie Posted June 28, 2001 Share Posted June 28, 2001 A lifesaver for me has been "Norton System Works 2001". It contains a program that will go through your OS and check for problems with your registry, duplicate or multiple files, lost files & associations, plus disk utilities, and a whole lot more. It found & corrected 438 problems the first time I ran it on my PC. I have not had an unexpected crash since running it once a week. I'm sold. -Hippie In two days, it won't matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Posted June 28, 2001 Share Posted June 28, 2001 Originally posted by Hippie: A lifesaver for me has been "Norton System Works 2001". It contains a program that will go through your OS and check for problems with your registry, duplicate or multiple files, lost files & associations, plus disk utilities, and a whole lot more. With all due respect, I totally disagree with the idea of installing ANY third party system utility on your DAW. Especially the Norton suite. About the only useful part of Norton is Speed Disk (a defrag program), but most people advise against defragging your audio drive to begin with. Often times, these utility programs run in the background without you knowing and in the process use up system resources and cause other conflicts. Windows comes with all of the tools you need to optimize your DAW, so I wouldn't spend a dime on any programs that are boasted to help your performance as they usually end up causing more problems in the end. The only system tools I recommend when necessary are Partition Magic and Ghost. Regarding your problem, from the sound of it, it looks like you are using Windows 98 and are having a conflicting driver somewhere. Try booting into safe mode to see if you see the same error message. If you don't, then start pulling out some cards until the error goes away. My guess is that this is being caused by a modem, network adapter, or some other third party PCI card. I used to see these kinds of problems previously when I was using Windows 98, but since I've upgraded to Windows Me and especially Windows 2000, these problems have disappeared. As I've said before, I find Windows 98 and even 98SE to be about as stable as a one-legged cat trying to bury turds on a frozen pond. Eventually you might consider upgrading to Windows 2000 or better yet, wait for XP to come out later this year. Both are far superior OS's to any version of Windows 9x, including Millennium. But out of all of the Windows 9x OS's I have found Windows Millennium to be the most solid. -Dylan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uh Clem Posted June 28, 2001 Share Posted June 28, 2001 What Dylan and AudioMav said. The message you got is very instructive in this case - which is rare. Steve Powell - Bull Moon Digital www.bullmoondigital.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hop-frog Posted June 28, 2001 Share Posted June 28, 2001 Windows 98SE is a good stable operating system. Don't instal 2000 unless you are using it as a NOS what is the point? So your cat has certain shares and permissions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miroslav Posted June 28, 2001 Share Posted June 28, 2001 Windows 95, 98, NT...they are on the way out...accept it. If you already have a full running system on any of these OSs...then stick with it as long as you can. But if you are just starting to put one together...don't put your money in 4-8 year old technology. As you buy additional software/hardware...you might find that there just arent' any new drivers for those older OSs. Recently...Sonic Foundry dropped NT from their Sound Forge 5.0 support list...how long before the 95/98 stuff gets dummped too... I've been an 98/NT fan for that last few years...refusing to accept the fact thet Win 2K was here...but finally I bit the bullit and bought a brand new ass-kicking system with...(deep breath)...Win 2K on it...so far...I love it! Very smooth, and it really does/will have the MOST SUPPORT of any other Win OS...until Win 200x(?) comes out...hehehe So...don't buy anything new and then load it up with old software...unless of course it something you just can't live without and you NEED that old software/hardware...like me and my ATARI 1040 ST w/Cubase 3.0... http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif miroslav - miroslavmusic.com "Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Posted June 28, 2001 Share Posted June 28, 2001 98 SE is solid for many users, but in my own experiences it has not been that way. The NT kernel used in Windows NT, 2000, and now XP is much more robust than any of the Windows 9x OS's, which is why I recommend using Win 2k. Plus, the driver support for major hardware in both Win 2k and Me is fantastic. Besides my audio interfaces, Windows installs all of the necessary drivers for all of my hardware. And since all of these drivers are Microsoft certified they work very well. It's a damn shame that Windows NT is getting phased out by Sonic Foundry (among others). The latest rev of Vegas 2.0 doesn't support NT either. I use NT 4.0 my work PC, and I NEVER have to reboot or crash. Sure, plug and play and USB support are missing for this OS, but it works like a charm after all of these years of existence. Although I love Win 2k, I find that it has more overhead than NT. It's looking like Windows XP is going to have some evil online registration business as well as renewal fee's, so if all of these rumors are true then most people will probably not install in on their DAW's. But I'm perfectly happy using Windows 2000 for the time being. -Dylan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miroslav Posted June 28, 2001 Share Posted June 28, 2001 BREAKING NEWS!!! CNN just announced that the decision to break up Microsoft HAS BEEN REVERSED by the Appeals Court...hmmmmmm...good or bad for our audio world? miroslav - miroslavmusic.com "Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan Winer Posted June 28, 2001 Share Posted June 28, 2001 Dylan, > With all due respect, I totally disagree with the idea of installing ANY third party system utility on your DAW. Especially the Norton suite ... Often times, these utility programs run in the background without you knowing and in the process use up system resources and cause other conflicts. < I have Norton on my DAW and it is very useful. Yes, you have to turn off all the background crap. But that's no big deal! The main tools I use are Speed Disk, WinDoctor, Ghost, and the Registry Editor. But I also use the AntiVirus program (manually to check files in Explorer). I really appreciate the Live Update option and I update weekly. The Registry Editor is very useful for finding and cleaning out junk left behind by programs that have been uninstalled. And Norton's Protected Recycle Bin has been a life-saver many times. --Ethan The acoustic treatment experts Ethan's Audio Expert Book Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Posted June 28, 2001 Share Posted June 28, 2001 Either way it won't affect us DAW guys. But I'm glad that judge Jackson is off the case. What a dumb-ass! There is no reason to split up Microft, and if they did it would just make 2 Microsoft companies to worry about. -Dylan Originally posted by miroslav: BREAKING NEWS!!! CNN just announced that the decision to break up Microsoft HAS BEEN REVERSED by the Appeals Court...hmmmmmm...good or bad for our audio world? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the stranger Posted June 28, 2001 Author Share Posted June 28, 2001 Well, aside from the nice debate that I should have known would take place.... AudMav-I could locate no such file on my system anywhere. Any tips beyond "find files" or "window's explorer" would be great. I searched every square inch of the System and System 32 folders. I even tried searching it out using different file extensions. Craig, I did what you said after not locating the above file. I found two corrupt files. SYSWIZ.386 and PCWIZ.386. These do appear to be virtual device drivers. What is crazed is they are attributed to Microsoft in properties, but these files do not exost on my installation/recovery discs. They seem to exist nowhere that I can find. I have come across other users that have these files (also corrupt) and they also cannot locate these files. Another piece of info I forgot to mention. The first time I got this messge was when I was using Acid. I have an Iomega Usb burner. As everyone probably knows, you can burn track at a time from Acid and close the disc later (Which is one of it's best features). I have used this function many times with no problem. But, the other night I finished up a little thing in Acid and went to burn the track. It started burning away, but it never stopped burning once it started. It just keep writing and writing and writing. I have no clue what the hell it was writing as this little Acid thing was like a minute long. Anyway, once it got in this burnfest, my systen was locked. It wouldn't respond to anything. Cntrl/Alt/Del was useless. After killing the power and screaming at Scan Disc http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif (Fucking window's! You wouldn't let me shut down properly, you bastard! How dare you scold me, you inanimate piece of shit!) The reboot seemed to clear up the problem. I looked at the disc, which was trashed. You could see the track which should have been burned, then a small space and a whole disc worth up something???? I fired up Acid, put in a fresh disc and tried again. It did it again. Same thing. This time I was able to escape Acid, but somewhere in the escape I got that blue screen with that message.(I still couldn't get the burner stopped-I had to pull the plug again) I have gotten the message since a few times doing unrelated things. I'm sure all this info is must be related, but I'm at a loss. I really appreciate Audio Mav, Craig, and everyone's help, so far. ------- As for the politics... Busting up Microsoft is probably going to do as much good as Ma Bell, and Standard Oil. (Look where we are now) I think some minor regulation is about the best solution. Speaking of which, deregulation always seems to be a disaster, too. Everytime they deregulate something, we get screwed. It seems to me that if the Windows OS is on what ever insane percentage of computers, wouldn't the easiest solution be to make it public domain? I could see a set up where Microsoft would get royalties from the every use of their OS. It would be like a public domain with exceptions. Limited Public Domain. This would rule out the need for a breakup or further wasted tax money on litigation. And if the source code was open (but subject to royalties for the use of), think about how the massive progress that would result in the OS itself and the applications we use with it. This message has been edited by dr destructo on 06-28-2001 at 02:52 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie-brm Posted June 29, 2001 Share Posted June 29, 2001 Dr. D' You didn't say what operating system you're running. ??? Most importantly what is your motherboard and chipset? (watch the bottom line of text on your monitor when you cold start. All I can find out so far is PCIMP is the PCI miniport driver. PCIMP.PCI is supplied with 98 SE but PCIMP.VXD is not listed. It doesn't show up on a search for drivers at MS, Intel or driversguide.com VXDs are a real pain when they go bad, right down at the heart of your system. Even so, I've had multimedia program conflicts bugger up a VXD, go figure. You said you couldn't find anything on your drives named pcimp.* ? Try running regedit and do a Find for pcimp.vxd. It might take a minute. If an entry comes up, see if it notes a component or chipset right above the filename in the right panel. Continue doing Find next (F3) until it runs out of results. We're trying to find an association between the file and what needs it. PS: How can you not love Microsoft - think of the millions of people gainfully employed around the globe shoring up their buggy software. It's OK to tempt fate. Just don't drop your drawers and moon her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the stranger Posted June 29, 2001 Author Share Posted June 29, 2001 Charlie, I'm running 98. Pentium 2. Not sure about the motherboard. It's an HP 6470z. I found Pcimp.pci It is located in WINDOWS/SYSTEM... (I still need to do the regedit) Is it possible that this file is corrupt but doesn't show up as such when I run the diagnostic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzz Posted June 29, 2001 Share Posted June 29, 2001 well i did a search on google and came up with a some similar promblems from other users here are some links that may or may not help. http://www.computing.net/windows95/wwwboard/forum/4160.html http://www.visiongs.de/faq.html http://members.home.net/revolutn/index.html have fun =) "fuzz" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Posted June 29, 2001 Share Posted June 29, 2001 For what it's worth, at this point you might try nuking your drive and reinstalling your OS from scratch. This shouldn't take any longer than about an hour and will give you a fresh starting point. I'd do a fresh install meaning that you reformat the hard drive first then reinstall Windows. Sure having to back up your data and reinstall all of your apps is a pain in the ass, but so if troubleshooting these types of errors. -Dylan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the stranger Posted June 29, 2001 Author Share Posted June 29, 2001 Dylan, I'm planning on getting more ram and a second hard drive in the near future, so I've been planning on starting with a fresh install then. My hard drive is 5400 and I want two running at 7200, so I'm going to ditch my original drive. As of now, I haven't gotten the error message since I originally posted this. I know it will appear again, but I think I'll just deal with it until I upgrade my system. Speaking of which...(attn eveyone here) I've been told two different thing regarding a second HD. One side tells me that when running two drives, you can only go as fast as the fastest drive. Somebody else told me that if the primary/master drive is the fast one you can run both speeds. Also... Here's the big question...Is it going to be worth it to spend approx. $400 or more to upgrade my system or should I just get a second tower (newer, faster, etc)? I have an HP Pentium II-400 Mhz 12.7 Gig HD 96 Megs Of Ram Windows 98 I want to upgrade it to 256 Megs Ram, Two 30 Gig HD's. Should I just get a new system and dedicate it too audio and use my existing one for the usual internet/graphics/wp/etc? Can I have a system where two towers use the same monitor? P.S. I'm not using the system as a DAW (or I'm not multi tracking). I do my two track editing (Sound Forge) and Acid. This message has been edited by dr destructo on 06-29-2001 at 02:20 PM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hop-frog Posted June 30, 2001 Share Posted June 30, 2001 You could have all the stuff you want new for about 899. and that would be a pentium running at 1gighz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dansouth Posted June 30, 2001 Share Posted June 30, 2001 I REALLY feel for you guys. I don't have time to deal with this crap. As soon as I get Office 2001 installed on my Ti G4, I'm officially Wintel free (except for Office, the only Microsoft product that I'll use). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHAN Posted June 30, 2001 Share Posted June 30, 2001 Posted by Dan South: >>>As soon as I get Office 2001 installed on my Ti G4, I'm officially Wintel free. ------- Dan, did you use the gum or the patch??? http://macdesktops.com/images/640x480/AVAfollowApple640x480.jpg ------------------ ----------- KHAN (Always hopeful, yet discontent) www.floydtribute.hpwebhost.com So Many Drummers. So Little Time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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