Gah error blue screen problem

Well, I am crashing to blue screen with some kmixer.sys about 1-2 times
per hour when I play Rainbow Six Vegas.

I have a dimension 8300, and have made several changes just in order to
play this and other games that require pixel shader 3.0.

recent changes:

- added a 500GB external hard drive (the game is installed and runs
off the external hard drive)
- replaced vid card with Sapphire ATI Radeon X1950 Pro (my dell is
250watt p-supply i beleive, and this card recommends 300 or something)
- added 2x1GB sticks of ram

ive installed and played splinter cell double agent on that external
drive and dont recall crashing to blue screen.

note:
for quite a while now, when booting my pc i get a "low battery"
warning.

last but not least, the very first "dell" screen when booting system is
messed up, it looks as it would if you didnt have a vid card installed
properly, but everything else works fine.

so, ive read this blue screen could be caused by power supply, and/or
corrupt ram... any suggestions?
any clear and easy ways to eliminate each possibility?

*** one last note, rainbow six recommends 3.0 GHZ, my system is 2.6
GHZ.

Hi!

> - replaced vid card with Sapphire ATI Radeon X1950 Pro (my
> dell is 250watt p-supply i beleive, and this card recommends
> 300 or something)

Dell's power supply in the Dim8300 seems to be stronger than the
specifications would have you believe.

> for quite a while now, when booting my pc i get a "low
> battery" warning.

Open the system unit and look on the motherboard until you find a
reflective silver circle. This is a CR2032 battery, available almost
anywhere. Pop the old one out and replace it with a new one, making
sure that the printing (+ side) faces up.

> last but not least, the very first "dell" screen when booting
> system is messed up, it looks as it would if you didnt have
> a vid card installed properly, but everything else works fine.

Is there a power connector on your ATI card? If so, is it connected?
It has been my experience that ATI cards with external power
connectors will produce garbage video if the connector is unplugged or
loose.

The kmixer.sys file has to do with Windows' audio support. I'd suspect
the drivers for your sound card. Do you have the integrated sound or a
sound card? (The Dim8300 was sold both ways. Mine has a Sound Blaster
Audigy card in it from the factory, and a plug over the motherboard
sound plugs.)

> so, ive read this blue screen could be caused by power supply,
> and/or corrupt ram... any suggestions?

If you suspect bad RAM, download and run either Memtest+ or Memtest/
86. Both are free and will perform thorough tests.

If you still think there is an issue with the power supply, the
Dimension 8300 uses a standard ATX type supply. Should you replace
your power supply, go with a good quality offering from a company like
PC Power and Cooling or Enlight. You will be glad you did.

William

"dreadmer" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> Well, I am crashing to blue screen with some kmixer.sys about 1-2 times
> per hour when I play Rainbow Six Vegas.
>
> I have a dimension 8300, and have made several changes just in order to
> play this and other games that require pixel shader 3.0.
>
> recent changes:
>
> - added a 500GB external hard drive (the game is installed and runs
> off the external hard drive)
> - replaced vid card with Sapphire ATI Radeon X1950 Pro (my dell is
> 250watt p-supply i beleive, and this card recommends 300 or something)
> - added 2x1GB sticks of ram
>
> ive installed and played splinter cell double agent on that external
> drive and dont recall crashing to blue screen.
>
> note:
> for quite a while now, when booting my pc i get a "low battery"
> warning.
>
> last but not least, the very first "dell" screen when booting system is
> messed up, it looks as it would if you didnt have a vid card installed
> properly, but everything else works fine.
>


1) Replace the CMOS battery.

2) Install the game (if you have HDD space to do so) on your boot/internal
drive with the external drive physically disconnected.


Stew

1. Replace the CR2032 battery ASAP. Your system needs a new battery after 4
years or so.
2. If you run MEMTEST-86, run Version 3.3. The latest version 3.4 is pretty
flaky, displaying lots and lots of errors which neither 3.3 nor MEMTEST-86+
Version 1.70 do not show. Version 3.4 of MEMTEST-86 has zero credibility, IMHO.
3. If you decide to replace the power supply, shop carefully. I think that
your Dimension 8300 chassis does not have a cutout in back for the typical
on-off rocker switch found on most standard ATX power supplies. I bought some
HiPro power supplies without rocker switches. HiPro is one of the manufacturers
of PSUs used in Dells... Ben Myers

On Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:21:38 -0600, dreadmer <>
wrote:

>
>Well, I am crashing to blue screen with some kmixer.sys about 1-2 times
>per hour when I play Rainbow Six Vegas.
>
>I have a dimension 8300, and have made several changes just in order to
>play this and other games that require pixel shader 3.0.
>
>recent changes:
>
>- added a 500GB external hard drive (the game is installed and runs
>off the external hard drive)
>- replaced vid card with Sapphire ATI Radeon X1950 Pro (my dell is
>250watt p-supply i beleive, and this card recommends 300 or something)
>- added 2x1GB sticks of ram
>
>ive installed and played splinter cell double agent on that external
>drive and dont recall crashing to blue screen.
>
>note:
>for quite a while now, when booting my pc i get a "low battery"
>warning.
>
>last but not least, the very first "dell" screen when booting system is
>messed up, it looks as it would if you didnt have a vid card installed
>properly, but everything else works fine.
>
>so, ive read this blue screen could be caused by power supply, and/or
>corrupt ram... any suggestions?
>any clear and easy ways to eliminate each possibility?
>
>*** one last note, rainbow six recommends 3.0 GHZ, my system is 2.6
>GHZ.
>

"S.Lewis" <> wrote in message
news:0Cjsj.82189$. ..
>
> "dreadmer" <> wrote in message
> news:...
>>
>> Well, I am crashing to blue screen with some kmixer.sys about 1-2 times
>> per hour when I play Rainbow Six Vegas.
>>
>> I have a dimension 8300, and have made several changes just in order to
>> play this and other games that require pixel shader 3.0.
>>
>> recent changes:
>>
>> - added a 500GB external hard drive (the game is installed and runs
>> off the external hard drive)
>> - replaced vid card with Sapphire ATI Radeon X1950 Pro (my dell is
>> 250watt p-supply i beleive, and this card recommends 300 or something)
>> - added 2x1GB sticks of ram
>>
>> ive installed and played splinter cell double agent on that external
>> drive and dont recall crashing to blue screen.
>>
>> note:
>> for quite a while now, when booting my pc i get a "low battery"
>> warning.
>>
>> last but not least, the very first "dell" screen when booting system is
>> messed up, it looks as it would if you didnt have a vid card installed
>> properly, but everything else works fine.
>>
>
>
> 1) Replace the CMOS battery.
>
> 2) Install the game (if you have HDD space to do so) on your
> boot/internal drive with the external drive physically disconnected.
>
>
> Stew
>


Oh, and I might also add that's too many changes too quick to know for sure
where the source is. Could be video drivers, could be any accompanying
software/apps tweaks to run said game.

I've never, ever heard of anyone attempting to run a game (demanding or not)
from an external HDD.

I would think between the sometimes finicky behavior of USB added to any
latency issues of an external drive would make that a real adventure.......


Stew

thanks all,
im gonna make sure my sound card drivers are up to date and probably
replace my PSU,
hopefully that will fix all my probs.

as far as running from external drive, it works just fine with the
exception that it takes a while to load the game initially.

And replace the CR2032 battery!!!! ... Ben Myers

On Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:48:45 -0600, dreadmer <>
wrote:

>
>thanks all,
>im gonna make sure my sound card drivers are up to date and probably
>replace my PSU,
>hopefully that will fix all my probs.
>
>as far as running from external drive, it works just fine with the
>exception that it takes a while to load the game initially.
>