Reinstalling Windows XP gives C0000221 unknown hard error

[Guest]

I bought a laptop secondhand from a guy that worked in IT and it has XP
installed on it. However I have been having loads of problems, the biggest
being that apparently the XP on it isn't a valid copy, as it is preventing me
from using Windows Update.

I have a new copy of XP that I want to install over the "corrupt" version
but when I boot from the CD I get an error message (not sure how many noughts
there are in the error code but you get the idea):

STOP: C0000221 unknown hard error
\systemroot\system32\ntdll.dll

And then it stops the installation process.

Can anyone please advise me what to do?

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Clean Install Windows XP
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

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:

| I bought a laptop secondhand from a guy that worked in IT and it has XP
| installed on it. However I have been having loads of problems, the biggest
| being that apparently the XP on it isn't a valid copy, as it is preventing me
| from using Windows Update.
|
| I have a new copy of XP that I want to install over the "corrupt" version
| but when I boot from the CD I get an error message (not sure how many noughts
| there are in the error code but you get the idea):
|
| STOP: C0000221 unknown hard error
| \systemroot\system32\ntdll.dll
|
| And then it stops the installation process.
|
| Can anyone please advise me what to do?

 

[Guest]

Hi there. Thanks for your reply. However, I have read this site and am
still none the wiser as to what I am supposed to do. Can someone give me
"idiots" guide as I don't understand some of the processes listed, nor do I
know which one to use!

To reiterate, the installation process starts, it says it is copying files
then stops dead and displays the mentioned error message.

I appreciate ANY help, but please spell it out as I am relatively new to all
this. Thanks.