let's look at some of the more common BSODs in Windows XP. I'll only cover just a few of the BSOD conditions, but there are lots of possible Stop errors. For each BSOD I discuss, I'll provide a link to an article on the Microsoft Knowledge Base that covers that particular Stop error. (Since more than one article might address a Stop error, you may want to search the Knowledge Base if you discover that you need more information.)
STOP: 0x0000000A
IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
This Stop error, which can be caused by either software or hardware, indicates that a kernel-mode process or driver attempted to access a memory location it did not have permission to access or a memory location that exists at a kernel interrupt request level (IRQL) that was too high. A kernel-mode process can access other only processes that have an IRQL that's equal to or lower than its own.
Troubleshooting a Stop 0x0000000A error in Windows XP
STOP: 0x0000001E
KMODE_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED
This Stop error indicates that indicates that the Windows XP kernel detected an illegal or unknown processor instruction. The problems that cause this Stop error can be either software or hardware related and result from invalid memory and access violations, which are intercepted by Windows' default error handler if error-handling routines are not present in the code itself.
Possible Resolutions to STOP 0x0A, 0x01E, and 0x50 Errors
STOP: 0x00000050
PAGE_FAULT_IN_NONPAGED_AREA
This Stop error indicates that requested data was not in memory. The system generates an exception error when using a reference to an invalid system memory address. Defective memory (including main memory, L2 RAM cache, video RAM) or incompatible software (including remote control and antivirus software) might cause this Stop error.
Possible Resolutions to STOP 0x0A, 0x01E, and 0x50 Errors
STOP: 0x0000007B
INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE
This Stop error indicates that Windows XP has lost access to the system partition or boot volume during the startup process. Installing incorrect device drivers when installing or upgrading storage adapter hardware typically causes this Stop error. This error could also indicate a possible virus infection.
Troubleshooting Stop 0x0000007B or "0x4,0,0,0" Error
STOP: 0x0000007F
UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP
This Stop error indicates a hardware problem resulting from mismatched memory, defective memory, a malfunctioning CPU, or a fan failure that's causing overheating.
General causes of "STOP 0x0000007F" errors
STOP: 0x0000009F
DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE
This Stop error indicates that a driver is in an inconsistent or invalid power state. This Stop error typically occurs during events that involve power state transitions, such as shutting down, or moving in or out of standby or hibernate mode.
Troubleshooting a Stop 0x9F Error in Windows XP
STOP: 0x000000D1
DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL
This Stop error indicates that the system attempted to access pageable memory using a kernel process IRQL that was too high. The most typical cause is a bad device driver (one that uses improper addresses). It can also be caused by faulty or mismatched RAM or a damaged pagefile.
Error Message with RAM Problems or Damaged Virtual Memory Manager
STOP: 0x000000EA
THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER
This Stop error indicates that a device driver problem is causing the system to pause indefinitely. Typically, this problem is caused by a display driver waiting for the video hardware to enter an idle state. This might indicate a hardware problem with the video adapter or a faulty video driver.
Error message: STOP 0x000000EA THREAD_STUCK_IN_DEVICE_DRIVER
STOP: 0x00000024
NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM
This Stop error indicates that a problem occurred within Ntfs.sys, the driver file that allows the system to read and write to drives formatted with the NTFS file system. (A similar Stop message, 0x00000023, exists for the file allocation table [FAT16 or FAT32)] file systems.)
Troubleshooting Stop 0x24 or NTFS_FILE_SYSTEM Error Messages
STOP: 0xC0000218
UNKNOWN_HARD_ERROR
This Stop error indicates that a necessary registry hive file could not be loaded. The file may be corrupt or missing. The registry file may have been corrupted due to hard disk corruption or some other hardware problem. A driver may have corrupted the registry data while loading into memory or the memory where the registry is loading may have a parity error.
How to Troubleshoot a Stop 0xC0000218 Error Message
STOP: 0xC0000221
STATUS_IMAGE_CHECKSUM_MISMATCH
This Stop message indicates driver, system file, or disk corruption problems (such as a damaged paging file). Faulty memory hardware can also cause this Stop message to appear.
"STOP: C0000221 unknown hard error" or "STOP: C0000221
STATUS_IMAGE_CHECKSUM_MISMATCH" error message occurs