Can an unused PS/2 to USB adaptor port cause blue screens?

[jsallen]

My PowerSpec G160 computer -- Intel I5 processor, ATI Radeon 5450 video card -- had started throwing blue screens, with code BCC124. The computer was restored last Friday by a tech at Micro Center, where I bought it -- he started by reformatting the C:\ drive, which had been corrupted in the previous crash, then reinstalled Windows. The computer has run only one update since, retrieved automatically online, to Windows. I haven't gone looking for more updates. I'm wary of changing anything and making myself responsible for a problem.

Two thoughts about what may have happened:

* An updated driver may be the problem. The ATI Radeon 5450 video card asks for updates frequently, though actually I think that most of them are only pushing game and entertainment content.

* Because one of the original problems I took the computer in for was a worn-out keyboard, I had been using a PS/2 keyboard connected to a USB port through an adapter which also had a socket for a mouse. That socket was empty because I was using a USB mouse. Checking yesterday after writing to this forum, I saw that the Device Manager reported two mice.

The latest crash occurred after the system was set up the latest time, and with the open mouse port which the Device Manager reported as a mouse.

I have now plugged in a PS/2 mouse and removed the USB mouse. The Device Manager now reports one mouse and the computer has been stable for 24 hours. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

It is a bit surprising that anything as seemingly trivial and peripheral as a PS/2-to-USB adapter with an open port could crash the computer and corrupt the hard drive, but that may be what happened.

When you have two mice, you will soon have many more, but in this case with one mouse and one non-mouse, it may be that I got bugs instead :-)

[BATcher]

If you gave the actual Blue Screen stop code (it won't be BCC124) you could look it up and might find something relevant about drivers, perhaps.

[satrow]

0x124 WHEA_UNCORRECTABLE_ERROR?
http://www.carrona.org/bsodindx.html#0x00000124
http://www.sevenforums.com/crash-loc...-what-try.html
If you copy the latest minidumps from C:\Windows\Minidump\ to your Desktop then zip and attach them here, I'll try to find further details, likely problems.

[CLiNT]

Look in the Event Viewer for errors, type "eventvwr.msc" into the run box without the quotes.
Navigate to administrative view.

Some recommended reading for the near future:
Build a complete Windows 7 safety net