Memory Parity Error

I'm new to this newsgroup, but I hope someone out there can answer a
perplexing question for me. Yesterday I installed a D-Link DWL 520+
wireless PCI network adapter card in my IBM NetVista desktop. It's a type
2292, model 35U running Windows XP Home Edition. After a bit of fiddling,
the card connected to my network and works just great. Everything else
about the machine seems to work perfectly also...EXCEPT. Yes, always the
"except". Whenever the wireless network connection is enabled in Windows
and the adapter card is in place, the computer will not turn off after
Windows closes. Instead I get the following blue screen message: Hardware
Malfunction; Call your hardware vendor for support; NMI:Parity Check/Memory
Parity Error; The system has halted. At that point I have to hold the power
button in for several seconds before the computer actually turns off. I've
contacted D-Link about this, but I've received no reply regarding this
abnormal shut-down. Any ideas??? Thanks.

Download the IBM NetVista standalone diagnostics T3GT97A from the IBM web
site and run (from a floppy) the full memory test. It's just possible you're
accessing a memory address you've never been to before.
"Joe Rose" <> wrote in message
news:qCu8b.86436$...
> I'm new to this newsgroup, but I hope someone out there can answer a
> perplexing question for me. Yesterday I installed a D-Link DWL 520+
> wireless PCI network adapter card in my IBM NetVista desktop. It's a type
> 2292, model 35U running Windows XP Home Edition. After a bit of fiddling,
> the card connected to my network and works just great. Everything else
> about the machine seems to work perfectly also...EXCEPT. Yes, always the
> "except". Whenever the wireless network connection is enabled in Windows
> and the adapter card is in place, the computer will not turn off after
> Windows closes. Instead I get the following blue screen message:
Hardware
> Malfunction; Call your hardware vendor for support; NMI:Parity
Check/Memory
> Parity Error; The system has halted. At that point I have to hold the
power
> button in for several seconds before the computer actually turns off. I've
> contacted D-Link about this, but I've received no reply regarding this
> abnormal shut-down. Any ideas??? Thanks.
>
>

Well, I've run the IBM NetVista standalone diagnostics T3GT97A full memory
test as suggested, but to no avail. All memory tests passed. I then ran
the full battery of tests on this program, and still all tests passed. Any
other ideas as to why I get that abnormal shut-down and that Memory Parity
Error message?? Thanks to all and a special thanks to Don Hickey for his
suggestion.

Joe Rose wrote:
> Well, I've run the IBM NetVista standalone diagnostics T3GT97A full memory
> test as suggested, but to no avail. All memory tests passed. I then ran
> the full battery of tests on this program, and still all tests passed. Any
> other ideas as to why I get that abnormal shut-down and that Memory Parity
> Error message?? Thanks to all and a special thanks to Don Hickey for his
> suggestion.
>
>
>
Joe, go to
http://www-3.ibm.com/pc/support/site...id=MIGR-4Y6KVX.
If your bios hasn't been updated try the 20it42a referenced there.

I've got a NetVista 6823 myself and am somewhat paranoid about keeping
it up to date.

If that doesn't help, I'm afraid it's back to dlink.

And now I've downloaded and applied the latest BIOS from IBM and guess
what...still no luck. After Windows closes, the blue screen with the Memory
Parity Error message still appears, and I have to shut my machine down still
by holding the power button in for several seconds. None of this happens,
though, if I disable the wireless connection on the network connections page
or if I physically remove the D-Link wireless PCI card. I guess I'll have
to bug D-Link a bit more. Thanks for your suggestions, however.

Joe Rose wrote:

> And now I've downloaded and applied the latest BIOS from IBM and guess
> what...still no luck. After Windows closes, the blue screen with the Memory
> Parity Error message still appears, and I have to shut my machine down still
> by holding the power button in for several seconds. None of this happens,
> though, if I disable the wireless connection on the network connections page
> or if I physically remove the D-Link wireless PCI card. I guess I'll have
> to bug D-Link a bit more. Thanks for your suggestions, however.
>
>
Can't you just take it back and get another brand?

Hmmm, I guess I could send it back...bought it from PC Connection. The
problem, though, is there are not too many different 802.11b PCI adapters
out there to interface properly with my old D-Link 713P wireless router.
There's Linksys--and I've had terrible luck with their products in the
past--and there's SMC which I believe to be the same as D-Link. I don't
think NetGear makes one anymore, so I think I'll stick to the devil I know.
It works great...even though my computer doesn't seem to like it on
shut-down. I have written D-Link again asking if I could possibly have a
defective card. Let's see what they have to say.

OK, folks, I think I figured it out myself. I decided to press the F1 key
at start-up to look at the IBM setup utility. All settings were at default.
Under the setup category "Advanced", however, I saw something which caught
my eye--a setting called PCI Parity. By default it was enabled. The
description for this feature reads: "This allows parity checking of data
across the PCI bus. Some adapters do not generate parity and will require
this option to be disabled." Hmmm...I disabled it and guess what--my
computer shuts down normally again. Everything else seems to work just
fine, too. Hope this discovery helps someone else. Thanks for your help.

Many thanks for that pointer. A real life saver.

I was getting exactly the same problem on a Dell Dimension 4700 that I was rebuilding following a hard disk crash.

Upgraded the RAM from 512MB (DDRII-400MHz) to 2GB (DDRII-533MHz) along with the new HD. Reloaded OS, programs, drivers, s/w etc - not a single glitch with loads of reboots as required when installing. Imagine my surprise then when I shut down all pleased that I'd finally finished to be confronted by a Blue Screen stating NMI: Memory Parity Error. This is just after Windows XP Pro saves all settings, and just before the power is supposed to go off.

Suspecting it might be the RAM, swapped sticks, no avail. Tried the slower 400MHz DDR-II along with the newer 533MHz to slow everything down to the slowest speed just to see if the increased speed was causing the problem. Nope. Tried the diagnostic partition mem test - all passed.

Some forums suggested a power supply problem - checked voltages all good. Some suggested replacing the CMOS batt, still no good. Checked BIOS, no parity options for memory or PCI cards. Flashed BIOS from A05 to A10 (latest ver avail). Reseated RAM and the Netgear WG311 v2 WiFi card (latest driver). No good. A number of other forums also mentioned a connection with WiFi cards - sometimes D-Link. So thought this was the avenue to pursue. Was getting desperate to solve, so did the following all in one go - I know not ideal to pinpoint exactly what fixed it, but there's not that many steps:

The Netgear card was already plugged in when Windows was reinstalled so the drivers got installed with the card still in - whereas I know Netgear usually recommend installing drivers first.
So removed card and Netgear s/w. Retested and found machine no longer crashed when shutting down. So much for it being a "memory parity error".

Just to be sure, updated the Dell DSS and Intel chipset drivers (rebooting as requested each time).
Installed the Netgear drivers. Moved the Netgear WiFi card down into the next PCI slot when reinstalling.

Configured WiFi connection upon rebooting, Loaded up loads of programs and then tried shutting down. All working sweet. Tried a few times now. Still good whereas before it was crashing everytime before once a few programs had been run.

Hope this is of some use to anyone else with this problem.