Windows XP: Can't get into window--Stop: c000021a {Fatal System Er

[ezsobre]

I've got a Dell Inspiron B120 that's at least four years old. Recently, upon
reboot, i got a blue screen and a "Stop: c000021a {Fatal System Error}." I
can't boot into safe mode of any kind. I can get into the control prompt
through the repair console and looked around. I don't see any recent updates.
The most recent directory on the C: is from February 10, 2009.I have read a
lot of threads on this suggesting a specific hotfix is the problem, but that
hotfix seems to be on the drive as of 2006, and hasn't caused any problems in
the interim.

Also, when i choose the option to install windows off the XP disc i've got,
i don't get the option to "repair" windows. I've followed various guides on
the web for running commands in the command prompt to repair files that may
be "hiding" the windows partition from the "repair" module, but to no avail.

Ideally, i want to get to system restore, but can't get to safe mode with
command prompt and I can't run system restore off of the repair console
prompt.

What should my next steps be? Is there anything I can do in repair console?
Can I reinstall windows some way without wiping the other data on the drive?

Thanks very much

 

[Andrew E.]

Try tapping the F8 key at start up,select safe-mode,enter xp as thee
administrator.You might also boot to xp cd, recovery console,type:CHKDSK C:
/R

 

[ezsobre]

I cannot boot into safe mode, or any mode, other than the recovery console.

In the repair console, I've run chkdsk /p /r several times, and on two
occasions, it reported repairng one or more errors. After each instance, i
restarted, but continued to get the blue screen.

So where I'm at now is that i can only boot to recovery console and would
like nothing more to run the system restore exe from there somehow...

 

[Tim Meddick]

I have no suggestions on how you might repair your current situation.

However, you did ask, "Can I reinstall windows some way without wiping the other data
on the drive?"

One way you may accomplish this is to either find a computer "savvy" friend or
perhaps a local PC repair shop, and ask them to attach your hard-drive (you would
have to remove it from your PC first) as a secondary "slave drive" to another
NT-based computer.

That way, with the help of a suitably sized pen-drive, they could transfer all your
"data" (usually the contents of the "My Documents" folder) to the portable drive.

It's not a very difficult procedure, one which I think many local PC repair shops
would do for you, if not for free, for a very reasonable consideration.

If you have a friend who can do this for you, so much the better.

On getting your hard-drive back, you can then over-write it with a fresh install of
XP and then return your personal files back off your flash-drive to the "My
Documents" folder.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.

 

[ezsobre]

Thank you for the response. That's a good idea, but i'm hoping to avoid that
last resort and am trying to trouble shoot myself.

Is there some way to reinstall windows on the current computer other than by
the "repair" option in the "repair" console (which i can't get to show up as
an option in any event)?

 

[Malke]

Thank you for the response. That's a good idea, but i'm hoping to avoid
that last resort and am trying to trouble shoot myself.

Is there some way to reinstall windows on the current computer other than
by the "repair" option in the "repair" console (which i can't get to show
up as an option in any event)?

Run System Restore from Recovery Console -
http://ramanathan.wordpress.com/2007/12/21/system-restore-from-recovery-
console/

I would not do this without first backing up the data using a Linux Live CD
(Knoppix, Ubuntu) to copy the files to an external hard drive.

If you don't get the option to repair Windows, it's because Windows is too
corrupted/damaged to repair.

General steps for this kind of problem:

1. Back up data using Knoppix.

2. Test at least the hard drive and the RAM to make sure they are viable.
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Hardware_Tshoot
[If a component is faulty, replace it.]

3. If the hardware is good, you can try the steps listed at the first link
above (I personally wouldn't bother but I do this for a living and you don't
so time isn't a factor for you).

4. If running System Restore doesn't help and you know the hardware is good,
do a clean install/restore to factory condition of Windows. Every time I've
seen your Stop Error on a client's machine it has been because that machine
was severely infected so a clean install was a necessity.

http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html - Clean Install How-To
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Reinstalling_Windows - What
you will need on-hand

Malke

 

[BillW50]

In Malke typed on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:10:13 -0700:

I would not do this without first backing up the data using a Linux
Live CD (Knoppix, Ubuntu) to copy the files to an external hard drive.

I put Ubuntu Live on a flash and I didn't even access the Windows XP
drive and it toasted it. I restored the registry with BartPE and ERUNT
and Windows would boot again. Ran Ubuntu Live again and it happened
again. Fixed and tried again and Ubuntu broke XP again.

So I don't trust Linux at all. I only trust Linux running on a machine
without Windows. And I would *only* recommend BartPE or WinPE touching
any Windows drive. Unless you don't mind Linux screwing up your Windows
system.

 

[Malke]

In Malke typed on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:10:13 -0700:

I put Ubuntu Live on a flash and I didn't even access the Windows XP
drive and it toasted it. I restored the registry with BartPE and ERUNT
and Windows would boot again. Ran Ubuntu Live again and it happened
again. Fixed and tried again and Ubuntu broke XP again.

So I don't trust Linux at all. I only trust Linux running on a machine
without Windows. And I would *only* recommend BartPE or WinPE touching
any Windows drive. Unless you don't mind Linux screwing up your Windows
system.

Then you're doing it wrong. I have used Knoppix for many, many years as have
many of my tech colleagues. Even though one can add NTFS support, I prefer
not to write to a Windows disk with Linux. I have other tools if I need to
write to a Windows disk.

I can't say what you are doing wrong and I don't use Ubuntu for Windows data
retrieval (although I'm using it now to post), but your statement of not
trusting Linux as a troubleshooting tool for Windows is flawed. While I don't
doubt that you had problems, it wasn't because a Linux Live CD shouldn't be
used to troubleshoot Windows.

Malke

 

[BillW50]

In Malke typed on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:51:34 -0700:

Then you're doing it wrong. I have used Knoppix for many, many years
as have many of my tech colleagues. Even though one can add NTFS
support, I prefer not to write to a Windows disk with Linux. I have
other tools if I need to write to a Windows disk.

I can't say what you are doing wrong and I don't use Ubuntu for
Windows data retrieval (although I'm using it now to post), but your
statement of not trusting Linux as a troubleshooting tool for Windows
is flawed. While I don't doubt that you had problems, it wasn't
because a Linux Live CD shouldn't be used to troubleshoot Windows.

Well I used UNetbootin - Universal Netboot Installer (iso to SD)
http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/ to create a bootable Ubuntu Live SD
and a Puppy Linux Live SD. And just booting up Ubuntu and shutting it
down corrupted the Windows install. While Puppy Linux did not. So blame
either Ubuntu or UNetbootin, but one of them writes on a Windows drive
when it isn't supposed to. The problem I had with XP is that it would
boot up without a desktop (just the background (no taskbar) and show
Windows Installer window (no other message) and just sit there forever
with the hourglass. I couldn't believe it and did it two more times to
make sure it was Ubuntu that was causing the problem.

 

[ezsobre]

Malke, thanks, this looks very comprehensive and exactly what I was looking
for. I will give it a shot this weekend when I have the time and report back
on how it worked out.

 

[Malke]

Malke, thanks, this looks very comprehensive and exactly what I was
looking for. I will give it a shot this weekend when I have the time and
report back on how it worked out.

OK. If you have any problems, let me know.

Malke