Beginning Dump of Physical Memory Error Message

On starting your computer, you may find yourself faced with a blue or black screen and a message stating “Beginning dump of physical memory.” Of course, this is never a good sign, and while rebooting your computer may cause it to disappear temporarily, it is likely to come back. So, what is meant by a message claiming it is beginning dump of physical memory and what should you really do?

In the majority of cases, this error message is due to a hardware problem. It can be as simple as a loose connection, or as serious as a faulty piece of hardware, but the fact is, you will be probably dealing with the RAM found within your computer or an external memory device, such as an external hard drive or a USB memory stick.

If you have external memory devices connected to your computer, you should remove them and then run the computer to see if you still get the message. If your computer appears to work fine, without the message appearing again, you can try adding your external devices one by one. A loose connection or a bit of dirt or debris in the connection could be all that is causing the problem.

Reseating your RAM within your computer may also correct the problem. As with external devices, a loose connection or dirt or debris can cause problems when your computer tries to access the RAM. Also, if you have added memory to your computer, there could be a conflict. Finally, if none of these correct the issue, it could be that your RAM is corrupt. In this case, a visit to your local computer technician is probably in order.

Cyclic Redundancy Check Error

A cyclic redundancy check (CRC) ensures that when data is being transferred, it is secure and uncorrupted … or cyclic redundancy checks are done to make sure your data is OK. Basically, it is a procedure that continuously checks data to ensure it wasn’t damaged during the transfer process. When a CRC error message is displayed, it usually means that the file the computer is trying to access has been corrupted in some way. Although this type of message may be daunting, on the plus side, it does not always mean that you have lost all of the data.

Data that is being transferred is broken down into small pieces, and each of the blocks of data is assigned a CRC value. If something goes wrong when the data is moving between the origination of the transfer and its final destination, the CRC value that it arrives with will not match the original one that was assigned when the transfer was started. It is at this time that the CRC error message will appear.

These types of error can occur with any type of data transfer, including sharing files over the Internet or a network or trying to read data from a CD or DVD. If the error occurred during the transfer process, the original data should still work fine, so in many cases trying the transfer again should correct the problem.

Duplicate Name Exists

If you are using a computer that is connected to a network, whether at home or in the office, the duplicate name exists error message is displayed when the name of a Windows computer is the same as or causes a conflict with another computer already connected to the network. In most cases, the error appears when more than one computer has been assigned the same name, or the Windows workgroup has the same name as the computer attempting to connect to the network.

When the duplicate name exists error message is displayed, the computer that receives the error message will be unable to join the network. While the user will still be able to use the computer, it will run in an offline mode, thus any shared documents, folders or hardware will not be accessible. For most people, working offline is not acceptable, but the good news is that this type of error is usually very easy to fix.

Basically, all that needs to be done is to change the name of the computer so that it is not the same as another computer in the network or the Windows workgroup. Computer names can be accessed System in the Control Panel. Enter the new name and the computer should be able to once again connect to the network.

Limited or No Connectivity Message

The limited or no connectivity message is usually displayed when you are trying to connect to either a computer network or the Internet. When this happens, you will either be faced with an error message that reads similar to “Limited or no connectivity: The connection has limited or no connectivity. You might be unable to access the Internet or some network resources.” Or there may be a yellow exclamation point over connectivity icon in the task bar.

There are a number of different reasons why this type of message may appear, and based on your situation, one of the following should correct it:

• If you connect to the Internet using a broadband router, resetting your router often clears the glitch that is causing the connectivity problems. To reset your router, unplug it for 15 to 30 seconds and then plug it back in. If this only temporarily corrects the issue, try the next step.
• Check the IP address for your computer (see the IP address error post). Powering off your modem and your router can clear this issue. You may also need to restart your computer.
• If you are connecting using an Ethernet cable, the problem could be with the cable. Replacing the cable with one that you know works will clarify if this is the issue.
• For users who connect using WiFi, your security key may be incorrect. Check and update the security configuration to re-establish connectivity.

IP Address Conflict

An IP address, or Internet Protocol address, is a label that consists of a string of numbers that is assigned to any computer or device that is attached to a computer network or the Internet. The main reasons that IP addresses are assigned is that it gives a name to each device attached to the network or Internet and allows the location to be addressed.

When you receive an IP address conflict error message, it means that an IP address has been assigned to two or more computers or devices attached to the network or Internet at the same time. When this occurs only one of the computers or devices will be able to access the network or Internet.

While this can be frustrating for the user who cannot access the network or Internet, it is quite easy to fix, all you need to do is release and renew your IP address by completing the following steps:

1. From the Start menu in Windows, open the Command Prompt.
2. Enter ipconfig in this window to determine if you have been assigned an IP address and if your computer is holding it.
3. If an IP address is listed, type ipconfig/release to clear the address.
4. Next, type ipconfig/renew to have a new IP address assigned. (Complete this step whether an IP address was listed for your computer or not.)

IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

Unfortunately, when you see the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL message, it usually means that your computer has just crashed and you are now facing a blue or black screen with just this message displayed. In most cases, when you are confronted with the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL message, it is likely that you have a hardware issue and not a software problem.

What the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL message means is that your computer tried to go to a point in the memory of your computer and either what is was looking for wasn’t there or the address for the point was incorrect. While being faced with the blue screen of death can be daunting, particularly if you were in the middle of working on something, there are things that can be done to your computer up and running.

For many people, the IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL message is displayed when your central processing unit (CPU) has overheated. You can check this by restarting your computer right away and then pressing the F2 during the start up sequence to go to the BIOS screen. From there, you can check the temperature of your CPU. If it is too hot, purchasing a simple external fan for your computer is a quick fix for this problem.

More seriously, this error message may indicate that you have a memory problem. This is more difficult to rectify and often means having to purchase new memory and then reinstall your programs etc.