It could be that the problem was a one time only thing, Windows could
have made a bad disk read or made a bad write then tried to read from
it. It is quite possible that a simple reboot might have taken care of
the problem. It could be that a minor case of disk corruption caused
the error. It is difficult to know exactly what caused the error, this
is an excerpt from a Windows Resource Kit troubleshooting guide:
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Stop 0x0000007A or KERNEL_DATA_INPAGE_ERROR
This Stop message, also known as Stop 0x7A, indicates that the requested
page of kernel data from the paging file could not be read into memory.
One of the following conditions usually causes a Stop 0x7A: a bad sector
in a paging file, a virus, a disk controller error, defective hardware,
or failing RAM. In rare cases, a Stop 0x7A occurs when nonpaged pool
resources run out.
====================================================================
The Windows 2000 Resource Kit offers further advice which may also apply
to Windows XP:
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Resolving the Problem
Stop 0x7A is usually caused by a bad block (sector) in a paging file, a
virus, a disk controller error, or failing RAM. In rare cases, it is
caused when nonpaged pool resources run out. It is also caused by
defective hardware.
Viruses. Check your computer for viruses, using any up-to-date,
commercial virus scanning software that examines the Master Boot Record
of the hard disk. Any Windows 2000 file system can be infected by viruses.
Bad block. An I/O status code of 0xC000009C or 0xC000016A normally
indicates the data cannot be read from the disk due to a bad block
(sector). If you can restart the system after the error, Autochk runs
automatically and attempts to map out the bad sector. If Autochk does
not scan the hard disk for errors, you can manually launch the disk
scanner. Run Chkdsk /f /r on the system partition. You must restart the
system before the disk scan begins. If you cannot start the system due
to the error, use the Recovery Console and run Chkdsk /r. For more
information about the Recovery Console, see "Troubleshooting Tools and
Strategies" in this book.
Failing RAM. Another common cause of this error message is failing RAM.
Run hardware diagnostics supplied by the system manufacturer, especially
the memory scanner. For details on these procedures, see the owner's
manual for your computer.
Also, check that all the adapter cards in the computer, including memory
modules, are properly seated. Use an ink eraser or an electrical contact
treatment, available at electronics supply stores, to ensure adapter
card contacts are clean. Be sure to wipe the cleaned contacts off,
removing all cleaning debris, before reinstalling the adapter card into
the computer. If compressed air is available, use it to clear out the
adapter card slot.
Check the System Log in Event Viewer for additional error messages that
might help pinpoint the device that is causing the error. Disabling
memory caching of the BIOS might also resolve it.
Finally, if all the above steps fail to resolve the error, take the
system motherboard to a repair facility for diagnostic testing. A crack,
a scratched trace, or a defective component on the motherboard can also
cause this error.
For more troubleshooting information about the 0x7A Stop message, refer
to the Microsoft Knowledge Base link, using the keywords winnt and
0x0000007A. For information about this resource, see "Additional
Resources" at the end of this chapter.
======================================================================
The one thing that is a bit unsettling about the error is seeing
NTFS.sys associated with it. I do not want to unduly alarm you but that
can sometimes be very bad news! I cannot stress enough that you should
make sure that your important files are properly backed up! After the
files are backed up it may be a good idea to run a chkdsk on the drive.
Be warned that running chkdsk may lead to loss of data, it is always
advisable to have a proper backup before running chkdsk. Not running
chkdsk may be a bad decision if disk corruption is suspected. If left
unchecked minor disk corruption may develop into a major corruption
problem that may lead to loss of data. Microsoft sums it up this way:
"For a mission-critical computer that is expected to be online 24 hours
a day, doing nothing (not running chkdsk) might be a necessary choice.
The drawback to this option is that relatively minor corruption can
become major corruption if you do not repair the volume as soon as
possible after you detect the corruption. Therefore, consider this
option only if keeping a system online is more important than the
integrity of the data stored on the corrupted volume. You must consider
all data on the corrupted volume at risk until you run Chkdsk."
John