NMI: Parity Check/ Memory Parity Error -- System crash

[Flash Gordon]

Hi,

I'm on my second notebook and 3rd screen from dell. Four times now, I have got this error message that crashs my entire system:

*** Hardware Malfunction
Call your hardware vendor for support
NMI: Parity Check/Memory Parity Error
*** The system has halted ***

I've googled for the answer, but with little success. Can anyone speculate what the problem is? I after market upgraded my HDD to an Hitachi 80G 7200RMP and the memory to G.Skill 1G DDR 2 (two of those).

Is this motherboard issues or bad RAM? Needless to say, if anyone has every had any experiences will Dell, they have been terrible so far. I will never deal with them again.

HELP!

[Greg]

It is the RAM. Does it do that with the factory installed Dell RAM?

This sounds more like a G.Skill issue rather than a Dell issue.

[dumanator]

I just got the same error today while only viewing powerpoint documents. It's also happened before to me. I just restart and it's fine tho. I haven't touched anything in my system so i wouldn't think it would be his g.skill memory..

[Flash Gordon]

Thanks for sharing guys

What should I do? This has happened twice now while watching heroes online, and 2 other times just doing normally word processing stuff.

[tehnewguy]

This happens to me too. I have a E1705, about 2 months old, and it started happening about 3 weeks ago. Has 2gb of memory, installed by Dell, I ran memtest on it and it passed fine, the only thing ive done is flash the 7900GS bios to overclock, but if it crashes, my machine is generally either idleing or just using media player or something, hasnt done it playing games. It can go days too without a crash, then one appears.

[khanhfat]

I have 3 replacements and the 3rd one which i'm using is 1 month old. All 3 have a problem with BSOD.

BSOD crashes every single 2 weeks or so. After it crashes the first time , it'll crash again after about 20mins when i restarted. IT's a permanent period and it's really weird. It's not the RAM like everyone thought. I think it's the video card and it isn't cause people outhere using x1400 and 7900GS both crashes.

Final conclusion, no solution for it. Call Dell anyway to get a replacement. If you give them 3 chances and they can't fix it, demand for refund. That's what i'm going to do. Go for some other models / brands laptops out there.

The system randomly crashing makes me nervous and if it crashes when i'm doing important project and buy things online.. the whole process will be ruined. It's really sucks.

If more and more people complain this, dell will notice and make an investigation on it.

[Flash Gordon]

Thanks mate,

I put the original RAM from Dell back into the computer and it still crashed. Obviously, this isn't a RAM issue. Dell thinks it is the HDD, but I don't think so. I'm also using the x1400 video card so maybe you are on to something there.

Unfortunately, Dells just want to keep sending me components to plug into it. Next week, I'll ask for a new replacement computer. If that doesn't work, I'll try to get my money back from them, but they never give me any of my demands.

If anyone else has gotten this error message, please post!

[shinji257]

I've heard about this error but have yet to actually see it. This error has to do with anything that has memory on it. It may also be bad settings (i.e. bios set for ECC memory when non-ECC is installed). So the RAM, Video Card, or Processor is likely culprits as they all have some form of memory. Also if you had added any new devices they may be causing it. The 3 that I mentioned though are the most likely ones. The error is so vague though that it makes it difficult to diagnose.

P.S. - The error is just as vague in Windows 2000 and in Vista whenever it does occur.

[tehnewguy]

I wonder if its connected to software we have installed?

[Flash Gordon]

Pretty sure it is not the software.

For me, I have had the problem 6 times now, 4 recently while watching Streaming Flash Video online from youtube, break, or nbc.com. The other 2 times were just completely random.

And once again, for me, it isn't the RAM.