Intermittent Blue Screens – STOP 0x00008086

Intermittent Blue Screens – STOP 0x00008086

(0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)

Some Dell Dimension 8400 desktop systems can experience intermittent blue screens with the STOP code shown above. The failures may appear randomly during normal use and are often resolved temporarily by rebooting, only to reoccur later. This behavior has been linked to the storage driver in use on the system.

Cause

The issue has been traced to the Intel Matrix Storage Manager driver version 4.0.0.6211 (dated 03‑23‑2004) installed for the Intel 82801FR SATA AHCI Controller in Dell Dimension 8400 series desktop systems. This version of the driver was supplied on earlier systems and has shown instability in the field under some conditions. When this driver is installed, the system may generate a STOP 0x00008086 blue screen with all four parameters set to 0x00000000. In reported cases, no single application or activity consistently triggers the error; it may occur during general desktop use, light disk activity, or other routine tasks. Because the failure is intermittent and the system usually restarts successfully, it can be difficult to diagnose without isolating the driver version in use.

Background

Intel Matrix Storage Manager provides the driver and management layer for the SATA controller on the Dimension 8400, including support for AHCI and, where configured, RAID features. The 4.0.0.6211 release shipped early in the lifecycle of this platform and was later followed by several updated versions of the software. Subsequent releases address various compatibility and stability issues, and field testing has shown that upgrading away from 4.0.0.6211 eliminates the STOP 0x00008086 condition on affected systems. This article documents the observed behavior and the specific driver versions that have been used successfully as replacements, so the problem can be resolved without unnecessary hardware replacement or operating system reinstallation.

Resolution

The recommended corrective action is to replace Intel Matrix Storage Manager version 4.0.0.6211 (03‑23‑2004) with a later version that supports the Intel 82801FR SATA AHCI Controller and Windows XP. The updated driver should be installed in place of the existing package, followed by a system restart.

Intel Matrix Storage Manager (* indicates recommended versions based on testing)

  • Version 5.5.0.1035*
  • Version 5.7.0.1011
  • Version 6.2.0.2002
  • Version 7.0.0.1020*
  • Version 7.8.0.1012

In testing, systems originally exhibiting intermittent STOP 0x00008086 blue screens with driver 4.0.0.6211 have operated normally after being updated to one of the versions listed above. The versions marked with an asterisk have shown the most consistent results and are preferred when available and appropriate for the configuration.

Procedure

  1. Verify that the system is a Dell Dimension 8400 and that the Intel SATA controller is enabled in the system BIOS.
  2. In Windows, confirm that Intel Matrix Storage Manager version 4.0.0.6211 (03‑23‑2004) is currently installed for the Intel 82801FR SATA AHCI Controller.
  3. Obtain one of the later Intel Matrix Storage Manager versions listed above.
  4. Install the updated Intel Matrix Storage Manager package and restart the system when prompted.
  5. After the restart, monitor the system under normal workload to confirm that the STOP 0x00008086 blue screens no longer occur.

Notes

  • Important data should be backed up before updating storage controller drivers.
  • Changing SATA or RAID mode in the BIOS without the appropriate driver support can prevent Windows from starting; only the driver should be changed for this issue.
  • This article reflects observations and driver versions in use as of November 2007.

References: www.my3cents.com, www.dellcommunity.com, www.experts-exchange.com, www.intel.com