Kernel_Stack_Inpage_Error

It happened again. I went downstairs to the Dungeon last night, after church then a late supper, to do my various writing activities. And on my wife's computer (she's away baby sitting our grandchild) was a blue screen error. Two flat-screen monitors showed the same thing:

Kernal_Stack_Inpage_Error
then a bunch of words, then
Stop: 0X00000077 with some similar comma-delimited letters and numbers

After the last time, I learned that all this stuff means something, and that the type of error and all these letter-number combos can help diagnose the problem. So I wrote them down, went to my computer and did a Google search for "Kernal Stack Inpage Error". The first hit was a Microsoft support page, which talked about this and about parameters. It says "To determine the possible cause, you must interpret the error message. If both the first and the third parameters are zero, the four parameters are defined as follows....If either the first or the third parameter is not a zero, the following definitions apply...."

What the heck is a parameter? I assume it's those four letter-number combos in parentheses, but what does "if the parameter is zero" mean? The letter-number combos are all in the form of 0x000073B4, that is, a single digit followed by an x followed by eight digits or letters. But is the parameter the entire thing? Or is it the digit before the x? Since they all have an x in them, are they all non-zero? or is the x meaningless? The third letter-number combo was 0x00000000; is this a zero since all the digits are zero? I assume it is, and thus, per the instructions, the second parameter is the key one; except what shows in my parameter doesn't appear in the Microsoft help screen. Some help.

I don't absorb writing well from the screen, and since the failed computer is my server, I couldn't print the instructions. So I left the computer as it was and spent my much-reduced time on other stuff. Today at work I did the same search and came up with other pages, not all Microsoft, that purport to help solve the problem, but none of which seem to be speaking English. One tech support forum says:

"If you can restart your computer after the error message, Autochk runs automatically and tries to map out the bad sector. If for some reason Autochk
does not scan the hard disk for errors, manually start the disk scanner. If your
computer is formatted with the NTFS file system, run Chkdsk /f /r on the system
partition. You must restart your computer before the disk scan begins. If you
cannot start your computer due to this issue, use the Command Console and run
Chkdsk /r."

So now I have to learn what an NTFS file system is, I guess, and figure out (somehow) if my computer has that or whatever the alternative is. Back to Google, I guess. After that it will be something else.

I can't keep unplugging this machine and running down to a computer fix-it store, where they tell me it's a motherboard problem when it isn't. So I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and 1) spend beaucoups hours learning how to do it myself, 2) have in-house service for big bucks, or 3) buy a new computer.

And the dream keeps fading away, as time to pursue the dream goes from an oasis to a mirage. Don't mind me; received another rejection yesterday.

ETA on 10/10/08: The problem is not resolved, because the on-off switch, tempermental almost since we got the machine, has quit working entirely. The Dell tech support people were most unhelpful, though they didn't mean to be. The backdoor channel I have available through corporate buying power has resulted in e-mails and calls. Seems like for a $500 bill and a week I can have this resolved like new. And the dream....

ETA on 10/20/08: The problem still is not resolved. I learned I can't buy an on-off switch by itself. I have to buy the whole front of the computer box. But this only costs about $21 with shipping, and supposedly I can do the switcheroo myself. However, I have decided to bite the bullet and just order a new computer. Because of the many problems I have had with this--most of them Dell's doings--Dell is being really nice and giving me a good discount. I assume our corporate buying power has something to do with that. I don't need monitors or software, so that helps. I may get it this week sometime, which will allow me to take the weekend to install. Later, I may buy that front piece for the other computer and see what I can do with it. And the dream....