BSOD multi-messages

[gospel]

I've repaired my friend's Compaq laptop many times. I'm not sure but most of the time it seems to be memory issues. The last time it had to do with vcache. Vcache in Windows Me was not set to dump at a certain point and the error was due to this. Manually setting the vcache through system.ini fixed the problem. This time my friend brings it to me and saying "IRQL Not Less or Equal". Since the machine has the specs to support XP we decided it would be best to install XP and get rid of all the problems of Me.
I first tried the installation option of reformatting into NTFS. It gets to the "copying files" part and certain files fail to copy. Before completion the BSOD comes up saying either "IRQL not less or equal" or "PFN List Corrupt". I used a Win 98 recovery disk and formatted in FAT 32 and ended up with the same results. I'm thinking (and from google results) it could be the RAM. I tried to run memtest but I get the "invalid disk" error. How do I make a bootable memtest CD with no access to a floppy for the boot info?
If this is not the memory does anyone have any other ideas about what to do?
I have no OS disks except XP, which will not install, and don't want to buy another OS until I know the memory is good or bad. I have no other memory to test in the machine.

 

[KSoD]

Memtest should be downloaded as a bootable CD. You can just get the ISO version and then burn that. Put it in and run it.

MemTest there is the ISO. Download that. Burn it with Nero, Alcohol 1205, UltraISO, ISOBuster or whatever you choose and it should run right from boot without having to access the Floppy. I dont have a floppy drive and i can run it.

Have you also thought of the idea it might be a hardware confolict with some drivers? Just another path it could be.

 

[gospel]

Memtest should be downloaded as a bootable CD. You can just get the ISO version and then burn that. Put it in and run it.

MemTest there is the ISO. Download that. Burn it with Nero, Alcohol 1205, UltraISO, ISOBuster or whatever you choose and it should run right from boot without having to access the Floppy. I dont have a floppy drive and i can run it.

Have you also thought of the idea it might be a hardware confolict with some drivers? Just another path it could be.

That is what I did but it didn't boot. Now I know why. My neighbor has a laptop with compatible RAM. I put it in the laptop and so far everything is going great. It has gone farther in the install process than ever (and is still going as I type this). I think I have found out that it is a memory issue after all.

You live you learn. I repair computers all the time for people and don't charge that much. What I gain is knowledge. Next time I won't go through a day of searching and "chasing rabbits". I'll know that the BSODs I was getting are more than likely memory issues.