fatal exception 06 at 0000:00000017 and then 0000:0000001B

Yesterday I booted up my PC and received the blue screen
with "A fatal exception 06 has occurred at 0000:00000017",
so I ran some diagnostic tools (scandisk, defrag, anti-
virus). It didn't help and I was out of time for the day,
so I decided to try some more things today (RAM checker,
unchecking all the startup programs in msconfig). After I
changed the items in msconfig I got the blue screen again,
but now it reads "...06 at 0000:0000001B" The RAM checker
hasn't quite finished, so that's not eliminate yet, but
any other help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Lisa

This error used to happen with Windows 3.1 but has become really rare.

This error could indicate that there's a bad spot on the harddisk that
has corrupted a part of that program. Since this is easy to correct,
I suggest that you start there. Run ScanDisk and tell it to do a
surface scan; I'd run it two or three times, just to make sure. If
ScanDisk finds any bad spots, you then have to reinstall the affected
programs.

The next most likely cause is a bad memory chip. If you have an
analysis program run it two or three times. Unfortunately, memory
errors tend to be intermittent, so these analysis programs may fail to
find a defective chip. In that case, you may have to resort to
swapping chips in an out of the machine.

You can download a test program for RAM from www.simmtester.com. You
put it on a floppy disk that you boot in order to run it. It runs a
cycle of several differently patterned tests over and over.

You can also use RAMDrive to test the reliability of your RAM chips.
However, RAMDrive can exclude no more than 32MB so it cannot test
large amounts of memory. For instructions, see document Q142546 in the
KnowledgeBase.

If you recently installed a peripheral card, you should check to make
sure that its jumpers or switches are set correctly.

Here's an old article from MSKB that explains some alternatives.

Title: Windows Err Msg: EMM386 Exception Error #6
Document Number: Q94279 Publ Date: 22-FEB-1994

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Windows operating system version 3.1
- Microsoft Windows for Workgroups version 3.1

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

You may receive the following error message while running an
MS-DOS-based application under Windows or Windows for Workgroups:

EMM386 Exception Error #6

This error message indicates that an MS-DOS-based application has
caused the processor to execute an invalid instruction.

Although the error message is provided by EMM386.EXE, it is not the
cause, nor is it directly related to the problem. The error is
probably caused by a corrupt .EXE file or a bad memory chip.

MORE INFORMATION
================

When Windows starts, it turns off EMM386.EXE but leaves its error
handler installed. When the CPU notifies Windows of a problem, it
passes the error to the default handler, which in this case is
EMM386.EXE.

EMM386 Exception Error #6 indicates an "invalid opcode." According to
"Microsoft's 80386/80486 Programming Guide" second edition (pages
122-123), this error can be caused by either of the following:

- The processor tries to decode a bit pattern that does not
correspond to any legal machine instruction.

- The processor tries to execute an instruction that contains
invalid operands.

Both situations indicate the same thing--the CPU is trying to execute
instructions, but is being given random values from the wrong memory
location. This can be caused by one of the following:

- The application gave an invalid jump instruction, causing a jump
to an invalid memory location.

- The application gave a correct jump, but the memory it jumped to
is corrupted.

The most likely cause of these problems is either a corrupted .EXE
file or a bad memory chip. If the problem occurs on more than one
distinct program, it is probably caused by a bad memory chip. For
example, if the problem occurs when you choose Open from the File menu
in Microsoft Windows Write and Microsoft Windows Notepad, the error is
probably being caused by a corrupted common dialog box .DLL file
(COMMDLG.DLL). But if the problem occurs in two applications that do
not share any .DLL files, the error is likely caused by a bad memory
chip.


Bill Starbuck (MVP)

OK, I'll run the RAM Checker I've got more than once(which
happens to be the one you recommended). However, It's
taking several hours for it to run just once. Is that
normal? It might be for a 512MB stick.
Thanks for the help,
Lisa

It's not the RAM and I've run ScanDisk with surface scan
two times and it returns zero problems. What else may be
the issue? Motherboard, the Win 98se OS itself? Please
help if you can.
Thanks,
Lisa
-----Original Message-----
It's
taking several hours for it to run just once. Is that
normal?

How long a RAM checker takes depends on how much RAM it
has to check.
Whether takes more or less than "several hours" depends
on what you
mean by "several hours".

I'd let the checker run overnight and if it is still
running the next
morning, I'd surmise that something is not right.

Bill Starbuck (MVP)
.

It's not the RAM and I've run ScanDisk with surface scan
two times and it returns zero problems. What else may be
the issue? Motherboard, the Win 98se OS itself? Please
help if you can.
Thanks,
Lisa

It's not the RAM and I've run ScanDisk with surface scan
two times and it returns zero problems.

Yes, there could be a hardware problem and yest, the operating system
could have been damaged. The error means only that the microprocessor
received an instruction that is not intelligible to it..

I guess the next diagnostic step would be to try to reinstall Windows
(or another operating system).

Can you boot the computer from a bootable floppy disk in drive A:? If
so, make copies on floppies of any files you cannot afford to lose --
financial records, letters, reports, address lists.


Bill Starbuck (MVP)

Yeah, I thought that might be where I was headed. I've
already made copies of my important items. Thankfully, I
am able to access Win in safe mode, so I put everything
into a huge zip file. It's a heck of a lot faster than
copying it all through DOS. I appreciate your help.
Sincerely,
Lisa

If you can get into Safe Mode, you may be able to pin the blame on a
specific program. Hardware is probably not the cause.

Troubleshooting should follow this logic:

1. Start Win95/98 in Safe Mode.
If the trouble does not appear in Safe Mode, then the trouble is
caused by software conflicts or defects. Investigate each of the
functions that Safe Mode turns off.

2. If the trouble also occurs in Safe Mode, rename the current Windows
folder and reinstall Win95/98 into an empty folder.
If the trouble does not appear with a fresh installation, the trouble
is caused by something you have added to Win95/98 (but something that
is not turned off by Safe Mode).

3. If the trouble occurs even with a fresh install of Windows, the
trouble is arising in hardware.

Safe Mode does the following:
(a) bypasses config.sys and autoexec.bat
(b) prevents programs from starting automatically (from win.ini
or the startup folder)
(c) uses standard VGA video
(d) prevents a network from being started
(e) disables protected mode device drivers (those listed in
Device Manager)
(f) bypasses the [boot] and [386Enh] sections of system.ini
For more details, see document 122051 in the Microsoft KnowledgeBase.

If Safe Mode makes the problem go away, you can try tests from the
list below to pin down the cause of the problem. For more elaborate
instructions, see document 156126 in the KnowledgeBase, which explains
how to do troubleshooting in Safe Mode.

With Windows 98, you can use MSConfig to help you run the tests below.
With Windows 95, you can use Startup Control Panel. Startup Control
Panel is similar to the Msconfig utility that ships in Windows 98. It
can make troubleshooting easier by removing and restoring items from
the Windows startup. You can get Startup Control Panel as freeware
from:

http://home.ptd.net/~don5408/toolbox/startupcpl/

Startup Cop can also disable items loading at Windows startup and it
is freeware. You can download Startup Cop from:

http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/stori...0,,77594,.html

Yet another option is msconfig.exe as adapted to Win95:

http://www2.whidbey.net/djdenham/Msconfig.htm

1. Change the video driver to Microsoft's Standard Display Adapter
(VGA). Restart Windows and test.

2. Rename the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat to Config.sss and
Autoexec.bbb, or edit them so that the only things loading are
absolutely necessary for the computer to run. The latter items might
be a SCSI driver for the harddrive, or disk management software for an
EIDE drive. Deactivate EVERYTHING else by putting REM in front of
that line. Reboot the computer and test.

3. Remove EVERYTHING from the Start Menu/Startup folder by dragging
their icons onto the desktop. Also disable or uninstall all utilities
that are running TSR (such as Norton Navigator, SoftRam or Macafee
AV). Restart Windows and test.

4. Rename the Win.ini and System.ini to Win.iii and System.iii. Then
make a copy of System.cb and name it System.ini. Do not rename
System.cb itself. Edit the new System.ini as follows: Add
device=*vmd
to the [386Enh] section, and add
drivers=mmsystem.dll
mouse.drv=mouse.drv
to the [boot] section. Restart Windows. You probably will have no
mouse so you'll have to use keystrokes to do the following. Go into
Device Manager and select the mouse (which will have a yellow
exclamation point). Click "Remove." Again, restart Windows. Windows
should find the mouse and install software for it. Test.

5. With Windows 98, run the System File Checker. Go to Start/Run and
enter "sfc".

6. Rename the current Windows folder (directory). Then install
Win95/98 to a new, empty folder. Test. If problem does not occur, it
was caused by something in the old installation. I recommend that you
keep this new installation and reinstall your Windows applications.

When you reinstall applications, install Windows applications that
were written for Win95/98 or WinNT but do not install older
applications that were written for Windows 3.x. Install only one
application at a time and test the system thoroughly before installing
another application. Before you install and application, make a system
snapshot with a program such as ConfigSafe; this will allow you to
revert to the previous situation if (when) you install an application
that causes trouble. With Win98, it is also possible to run "ScanReg
/Backup" before you install an application, which allows you to
restore the Registry if (when) you install an application that causes
trouble. However, it is safer to make a complete system backup and
recovery with ConfigSafe or a similar product.

The following articles explain how to install into a new folder:

How to Reinstall Windows 95 to a New Folder [142096]
http://support.microsoft.com/support...s/142/0/96.asp

How to Install Windows 98 to a New Folder [193902]
http://support.microsoft.com/support...s/193/9/02.asp

Information about reinstalling is also on www.windowsreinstall.com.




Bill Starbuck (MVP)

Two more thoughts --

1. Is it possible that this error occurs when you are trying to run a
DOS program? Under DOS, it was a common practice to play around with
"conventional memory". That is one reason these 06 errors because
prevalent.

2. You say you can start in Safe Mode, which eliminates the Config.sys
file. Rename the Config.sys file to something like Config.syz and then
restart your system. If it can start OK, the trouble is being caused
by the Config.sys file.

Bill Starbuck (MVP)