ATAPI.sys Corrupt

[Len]

Hi folks!

A quick question hoping someone has seen this situation before. My XP SP1
system is having a problem with the atapi.sys file becoming corrupted as
soon as it is placed in the system32\drivers directory. Have used both the
file that came with XP and with SP1 and have had the same situation.

The initial problem is going into device manager and into the ATA IDE
controllers section. When choosing driver details the atapi.sys is shown as
unsigned and has no information regarding version number, etc. Going
directly into the drivers directory shows the same - no version information
and unknown publisher.

Taking the updated (or original) atapi.sys file from the dll cache folder
which checks out correctly as a MS file and with proper version number and
copying it into the drivers file immediately changes it to unknown?

When trying to do the hotfix to upgrade the atapi.sys file the installer
gives an error regarding atapi.sys being in use and the only way to get it
to proceed is to physically remove the current atapi.sys file from the
drivers directory! Then it will install the newer file (with the correct
size and date) but shows it as unsigned and from an unknown source.

I have never seen this behavior before but feel it is causing some other
system problems (although the system does ran very stable). If anyone has
information about this please feel free to share. On an aside... this
system dual boots with W2K which does not exhibit this issue?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!
Len

 

[Rich Barry]

Len, have you seen this

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;331958&Product=WinXP

 

[Len]

Thanks for the response...

Yes I did and have installed the fix or updated atapi.sys. The size and
version number were spot on as was the original. However, even to install
the fix I had to first remove the atapi.sys from the drivers folder as the
installer for the fix could not turn it off or remove it!

If I remove the atapi.sys file from the drivers directory and allow it to be
automatically replaced from the dll cache folder all is well... Until I let
it set for some time or restart the system. Then it goes back to the
unknown publisher - unknown version properties page.

In the meantime a friend and I have: replaced all of the drive data cables
(hdd & optical) confirmed power readings from the PSU, disconnected each
channel (primary, secondary, SATA and IDE Raid) individually to see if there
removal would stop the corruption. No change on a reboot.

It has truly got me stumped! Any further thoughts would be useful! Thanks!

Len

 

[Rich Barry]

Len, what make and model Motherboard are you using?

 

[Len]

Hello Rich,

Thanks for sticking with me on this one... Sorry for the delay - am working
with attempts to learn Linux and have been in that OS for a time.

My MB is an ASUS P4P800Dlx with a 2.4c CPU and 512MB of PC3500 DDR. Am
running 3 OSs currently: XP Pro SP1, W2K SP4 and Mandrake Linux 10 with all
RPMS. The only OS seeming to have an issue is XP - W2ks atapi.sys is not
effected - Linux unfortunately I don't know enough about to check its
equivalent.

The fact that W2K appears uneffected tends to downgrade the HW problem
possibility - but not illiminate it. Any thoughts would be useful!

Thanks again,
Len

 

[Nathan McNulty]

Here is my first question. Do you have Daemon Tools or Alcohol 120%
installed? Those both lock up the atapi.sys file and cause problems
with it. Second thing, you cannot just copy and paste over from the
dllcache. What you want to do is to rename the atapi.sys file and then
allow Windows to copy the file over. You will then have to reboot in
order to have the new atapi.sys file take over.

It just really sounds to me that you are using a CD Emulation program on
your system and that has placed its own atapi.sys file in the system32
folder

Nathan McNulty