Windows ME "kebugcheckex" System halted

[survector]

I was running Windows ME (clean install) and after installing my motherboard drivers and Win98/Me drivers for my data cable and CDMA cellphone (I use that for internet), upon rebooting, I would get a BSOD stating the following:

KEBUGCHECKEX: called by c0029e58

Error code 44 Parameters: c16e6da0000

System Halted

I did some googling on this and apparently it is related to a driver problem, most likely (but not sure) involving USB devices. I never had a problem with Windows ME on my previous system (Asus A7V & Duron 1.2GHz), but I didn't use any USB devices then.

Here is my current hardware configuration:

AMD Duron 1.8GHz (45C average temp)

768MB RAM (limited to 256MB in msconfig in WinME to avoid problems)

(Memory run for 24 hours in memtest86 without any errors and also in Prime95 torture test.)

ATi Radeon 9600 AGP 8x 256MB video card (used latest drivers from ATI for WinME)

(Video card is clean of any dust and fan is fully functioning)

Shuttle AN35N-400 nVidia nForce2 motherboard (used latest drivers from nVidia for WinME)

(I have good case ventilation.. mobo temp doesn't go above 40C)

80GB Maxtor 7200rpm 2mb cache HDD (primary)

20GB Maxtor 5400rpm HDD (slave drive used for my files)

(I scan both hard drives regularly for bad sectors and they are fine. Their SMART status is also

OK in Everest/AIDA32)

Samsung DVD+/-RW drive (excellent.. always using Verbatim media..never a coaster)

Creative Ectiva 5.1 soundcard (supports 98/Me/2k/XP)

Altec Lansing 321 speakers

I greatly appreciate any help. I hope I can get Windows ME up and running again.

Thanks,

Paul

[survector]

I finally found the culprit that was causing the system halt BSOD.

It is my data cable, the Prolific PL-2303 (USB), that I connect to my cell phone. I was using the latest drivers for 9x/Me from Prolific's website too. Hmm, not sure what to do.

The only thing I can do now is to make sure to unplug the USB cable when Windows ME is booting. That way I can avoid the BSOD.

I wonder if someone else wrote drivers for the Prolific PL-2303 cable? I know it is a popular brand of data cable and it is auto-detected in Linux.

[survector]

The problem is fixed now. Prolific doesn't keep older drivers on their site, so I searched via Google until I found an older driver that worked without producing a BSOD or other problem. Thank God, I thought this would never be solved and that I've have to get rid of WinMe. heh

This might be a problem for those who use Windows ME and an internet connection via cell phone using the common Prolific PL-2303 USB data cable/chipset. Not many folks use their cell phone as a way to connect to the internet, and far fewer use Windows ME, but for those that do, I hope this information helps. Don't use the latest driver on Prolific's website.

[RJARRRPCGP]

I finally found the culprit that was causing the system halt BSOD.

It is my data cable, the Prolific PL-2303 (USB), that I connect to my cell phone. I was using the latest drivers for 9x/Me from Prolific's website too. Hmm, not sure what to do.

The only thing I can do now is to make sure to unplug the USB cable when Windows ME is booting. That way I can avoid the BSOD.

I wonder if someone else wrote drivers for the Prolific PL-2303 cable? I know it is a popular brand of data cable and it is auto-detected in Linux.

LOL that reminds me of getting a BSOD with Windows 98 SE or Windows ME when my external serial 56k modem was turned on when loading Windows, back before I gotten ADSL.