On a relatively fresh installation of Windows XP with SP2 on a Compaq Presqrio desktop running an AMD processor, Windows XP SP3 was applied. After an apparently successful installation, upon reboot, at the Windows XP logo, the system quickly flashed a blue screen of death and rebooted. Fortunately, I was able to login to the computer in safe mode to perform a system restore.
The logic was perhaps maybe some of the drivers needed updating as they were likely the original ones that came with the system. After updating nearly all of the drivers, SP3 was re-applied. The end result did not change – blue screen of death.
Knowing that this is not likely unique to this system or to me, a quick Internet search revealed the following solution, which at first glance really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, but it resolved any issue that was related to SP3. According to one article, the value that is changed disables the offending driver without any negative side-effect.
The solution
- Restart your computer in Safe Mode.
- Click Start, click Run, type regedit , and then click OK.
- Locate and then click the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Intelppm - In the right pane, right-click the Start entry, and then click Modify.
- In the Value data box, type 4 , and then click OK.
- Quit Registry Editor.
- Restart your computer.
Alternate solutions are available at Dan White’s blog at runPCrun. Perhaps the most eligant solution is this one from May 2008.
sc config intelppm start=disabled
No matter the solution, the cause seems to be similar, Compaq/HP computers with AMD processors.
Source (s)
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/b5156c6f-9bd4-43b3-a6e5-a4ff1bdef143/blue-screen-after-installing-sp3?forum=itproxpsp
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/virtual_pc_guy/archive/2005/10/24/484461.aspx
http://www.runpcrun.com/0x0000007E