BSOD during avast scan

While running an avast quick scan this blue screen appeared:

A problem has been delected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.

DRIVER_IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

If this is the first time you’ve seen this stop error screen,restart your computer. If this screen appears again, follow these steps:

Check to make sure any new hardware or software is properly installed. If this is a new installation, ask your hardware or software maunfacturer for any windows updates you might need.

If problems continue, disable or remove any newly installed hardware or software. Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing. If you need to use Safe Mode to remove or disable components, restart your computer, press F8 to select Advanced startup options, and then select safe mode.

Technical information:

*** STOP: 0x000000D1 (0x00000010,0x00000006,0x00000000,0xF74C5D26)

*** atapi.sys - Address F74C5D26 base at F74C0000, Datestamp 4802539D

Beginning dump of pysical memory

The computer them restarted itself and got stuck on the first loading page at this point:

Auto-Detecting Pri Master..ATAPI CD-ROM Auto-Detecting Pri Slave..ATAPI CD-ROM

After a short while it went to a screen that sais:

Reboot and Select proper Boot device or Insert Boot Media in selected Boot drive and press a key_

I pressed the small reset button, and it got stuck on the same CD-ROM part of the boot up, and went to the same “reboot and Select…” screen.

I turned the PC off, left it a couple of minutes and switched it back on.

It loaded fine.

I scanned with HiJack This, Malware Bytes - full scan, Windows defender - full scan, Avast Boot Scan, all were clear.

I have no new hardware or software.

Has anyone seen similar behaviour during an avast scan?

What could have caused this?

Many thanks.

Seems some potential hardware problem. If the problem shows up again, review or test temperatures, RAM and HDD connections. If all turns to be OK, run scandisk.

Thank you for your reply, it’s hasn’t happened again so far. How likely is it to be malware causing this?

Scans are still clear.

Kind regards.

Since scans results are clear, it is not likely this was some malware. As I said, either was some glitch in Windows, or some “intermittent” hardware issue would be the main reason. My previous suggestion is still valid: if the same error appears again (or some other strange issues pointing to hardware problems), then I would suggest testing your hardware. Or, you could test your hardware now (with no relation to additional errors or strange behaviours).

Hi,
If it is on windows xp, Then there is a hotfix, are you on sp3?

I got just the same problem and the laptop is in XP SP3. What Hotfix?? :slight_smile:

Was on windows update. D1 errors (BSOD) Can be hardware fault/ hard drive bad sectors.
Try chkdsk /r on cmd prompt. to check hard drive errors. 5 stages

or if you have had auto updates on turn them off as MS likes to update other vendors drivers like video and sound drivers and it may be causing this, re-boot roll back on system restore on the pc to a few days back and then try that, just keep auto updates off and only manually install the updates you need, NO driver ones.
this may fix your issue.