Help needed

muffler · 04-12-2009 11:46am #1

Calling all experts

Very briefly, tried to boot up the desktop PC this morning and while it began to start - got to the "winows is starting" part I am getting this message: "STOP: c000021a (fatal system error)" It just stops at that.

Running windows XP home edition.

Anyideas guys?

Thanks in advance

Spear · 04-12-2009 11:50am

muffler wrote: »

Calling all experts

Very briefly, tried to boot up the desktop PC this morning and while it began to start - got to the "winows is starting" part I am getting this message: "STOP: c000021a (fatal system error)" It just stops at that.

Running windows XP home edition.

Anyideas guys?

Thanks in advance

Can you get into safe mode at all? A quick google for that doesn't suggest any easy or nice fixes.

muffler · 04-12-2009 12:03pm

Thanks Spear. Doesnt appear to be a safe mode option. Im getting the options to boot from hard drive, cdrom etc

Lazarus2.0 · 04-12-2009 12:12pm

Hit F8 before Windows starts loading to call up Safe Mode .

Do you have an XP installation CD that might have come with the PC ?

Spear · 04-12-2009 12:13pm

muffler wrote: »

Thanks Spear. Doesnt appear to be a safe mode option. Im getting the options to boot from hard drive, cdrom etc

From looking about, it seems the error usually means somethings gone badly wrong with the Windows file structure. There's a possibility here that may help.

http://healyourchurchwebsite.com/2008/03/14/how-i-fixed-my-stop-c000021a-fatal-system-error-with-knoppix/

Does the error give a path/filename or any other details?

muffler · 04-12-2009 12:26pm

nessyguin wrote: »

Hit F8 before Windows starts loading to call up Safe Mode .

Do you have an XP installation CD that might have come with the PC ?

F8 may be my friend. I have the reinstallition CD here.

Spear wrote: »

From looking about, it seems the error usually means somethings gone badly wrong with the Windows file structure. There's a possibility here that may help.

http://healyourchurchwebsite.com/2008/03/14/how-i-fixed-my-stop-c000021a-fatal-system-error-with-knoppix/

Does the error give a path/filename or any other details?

The other part of the error messagw along the lines of "Windows logon process terminated....status of 0xc0000005 (0x00000000 0x00000000)

Spear · 04-12-2009 12:32pm

muffler wrote: »

F8 may be my friend. I have the reinstallition CD here.

The other part of the error messagw along the lines of "Windows logon process terminated....status of 0xc0000005 (0x00000000 0x00000000)

You could try the "last known good" option from under F8, but I doubt it'll work. Sounds like running a repair install from the XP CD will be the eventual fix.

muffler · 04-12-2009 12:37pm

Spear wrote: »

You could try the "last known good" option from under F8, but I doubt it'll work.

I'll try that first.

Spear wrote: »

Sounds like running a repair install from the XP CD will be the eventual fix.

Sorry but Im not into the technicalities too well so do I just inset the CD and then boot up and press F12 and then select boot fom cd rom?

Spear · 04-12-2009 12:42pm

muffler wrote: »

I'll try that first.

Sorry but Im not into the technicalities too well so do I just inset the CD and then boot up and press F12 and then select boot fom cd rom?

Boot from the XP CD and start the install process. It should detect the prior install and prompt to repair it instead. If it doesn't do this, then don't proceed unless you're happy to lose the installation.

muffler · 04-12-2009 12:47pm

Spear wrote: »

Boot from the XP CD and start the install process. It should detect the prior install and prompt to repair it instead. If it doesn't do this, then don't proceed unless you're happy to lose the installation.

Tried the "last known good" option and also rebooted in safe mode but got same error message again.

I'll put the cd in and see if it shows the repair option

Spear · 04-12-2009 12:52pm

muffler wrote: »

Tried the "last known good" option and also rebooted in safe mode but got same error message again.

I'll put the cd in and see if it shows the repair option

Be careful that it's a full XP disc and not a recovery disc.

muffler · 04-12-2009 1:04pm

It give me the option to repair but now the message is "which windows installition do you wish to log onto?

Im supposed to type something in but what?

Spear · 04-12-2009 1:05pm

muffler wrote: »

It give me the option to repair but now the message is "which windows installition do you wish to log onto?

Im supposed to type something in but what?

Sounds like you chose the repair console instead. You need to start the install process instead.

muffler · 04-12-2009 1:12pm

Spear wrote: »

Sounds like you chose the repair console instead. You need to start the install process instead.

Im sorta lost now. Booted up and selected the install from cd rom option with the installition cd in place. The options then were to install or repair so I choose repair as previously advised. Should I restart the process so and if I select install will I loose anything from before?

Spear · 04-12-2009 1:18pm

muffler wrote: »

Im sorta lost now. Booted up and selected the install from cd rom option with the installition cd in place. The options then were to install or repair so I choose repair as previously advised. Should I restart the process so and if I select install will I loose anything from before?

A repair install should reset the hardware HAL, check files etc but should keep the rest intact (users, installed apps).

muffler · 04-12-2009 1:22pm

Spear wrote: »

A repair install should reset the hardware HAL, check files etc but should keep the rest intact (users, installed apps).

Good stuff but what do I type now in order to proceed - see post above

Spear · 04-12-2009 1:28pm

muffler wrote: »

Good stuff but what do I type now in order to proceed - see post above

There should be a list of detected pre-existing Windows installations, should just be a case of hitting return to choose it. You're not at a DOS prompt with black background are you? It should be in the blue background and white/yellow text of the installer.

muffler · 04-12-2009 1:36pm

Black bacground Im afraid and its either type or cancel

Spear · 04-12-2009 1:50pm

muffler wrote: »

Black bacground Im afraid and its either type or cancel

That's the repair console, you're in the wrong place.

muffler · 04-12-2009 1:57pm

Sorry for putting you to all this bother Spear. So do I just go for a full install?

Spear · 04-12-2009 2:02pm

muffler wrote: »

Sorry for putting you to all this bother Spear. So do I just go for a full install?

Yes, it should then detect the previous one and then prompt for a repair install instead.

Like this image.

http://philscomputerrepair.com/images/xp_repair_install.jpg

muffler · 04-12-2009 2:04pm

Spear wrote: »

Yes, it should then detect the previous one and then prompt for a repair install instead.

But this is what I done as outlined in my previous posts.

Spear · 04-12-2009 2:32pm

muffler wrote: »

But this is what I done as outlined in my previous posts.

Can you get a pic (phone or something) or what it shows you?

muffler · 04-12-2009 2:59pm

Not great pics but I think you will understand them. When I got as far as the screen to choose the repair option I pressed the R key (1st pic) and it took me to the black screen (2nd pic) where I now have to type something

Spear · 04-12-2009 3:13pm

You're choosing the wrong item. At the bluescreen in the first image, hit enter for the install process, not R for the repair console.

muffler · 04-12-2009 4:18pm

I went through the proces again and got it right as I thought. Everything was loading away for about 40 minutes and then this..............

Spear · 04-12-2009 4:31pm

That's not good. This time to choose the repair console. At the prompt, just hit 1 for the current Windows install. Run chkdsk on the c: drive (may be lengthy) and see if it's healthy.

fatmander · 04-12-2009 5:09pm

two options if you give up on repair,

1/ buy another hard drive and plug it in, disconnect your old one, reinstall windows, plug in old drive, copy files across to new drive.
No risk of data loss

2/reinstall windows onto same drive without format.
When you get to the "welcome to setup" page,
Enter to install windows.
When you get to next screen DO NOT do anything to partitions, install windows to the C drive,
DO NOT FORMAT!,
do not delete any partition!,
do not press D or use the DELETE button!
If you make a mistake, you will lose everything on the disk, all user files...gone

Anyway, the reinstall to same drive will delete your 'windows folder' but leave your documents and settings folder & all other files intact.
99% of all programs and applications and drivers will need to be reinstalled.
Also when you reinstall select a different user name, otherwise in docs&settings you will have muffler.muffler-pc, muffler.muffler-pc2 etc

tbh driverirql needs a re-install if you cant find the driver thats causing the problems
If your still having problems with driverIRQL bsod's on reinstall, check your RAM, try a different CD and run a SMART diagnostic on your HDD

If you have your profile marked as private, you might get access denied when trying to access your old profile in a new windows.
If you have that problem, let me know & I will inform you of the steps needed to get it back
hth

muffler · 04-12-2009 6:35pm

Sorry for the delay and thanks again for the replies. Now just a wee update.

After the last failure I shut the PC down and rebooted but had forgotten that the installation CD was still in the drive. Anyhow it proceeded as before to install so I just let it go on as I didnt want to stop it by holding the button in to shut down the PC. And then finally it was up and running. Im actually posting from it now.

A couple of problems I have noticed however are the AVG update manager showed an error (licence key out of date) yet it is licenced to 2018. Google home is coming up as "non trusted" site as are a few others. This appears to be a problem with Firefox as its OK on IE. Im downloading FF at the moment and will install it again. Checked the files and everything seems to be fine so hopefully all is more or less sorted.

Many thanks for all the help.

Kevin! · 04-12-2009 7:56pm

muffler wrote: »

Sorry for the delay and thanks again for the replies. Now just a wee update.

After the last failure I shut the PC down and rebooted but had forgotten that the installation CD was still in the drive. Anyhow it proceeded as before to install so I just let it go on as I didnt want to stop it by holding the button in to shut down the PC. And then finally it was up and running. Im actually posting from it now.

A couple of problems I have noticed however are the AVG update manager showed an error (licence key out of date) yet it is licenced to 2018. Google home is coming up as "non trusted" site as are a few others. This appears to be a problem with Firefox as its OK on IE. Im downloading FF at the moment and will install it again. Checked the files and everything seems to be fine so hopefully all is more or less sorted.

Many thanks for all the help.

If it's licenced till 2018, the chances are it's warez. might have been a bad patch that you applied.

muffler · 04-12-2009 8:16pm

Kevin! wrote: »

If it's licenced till 2018, the chances are it's warez. might have been a bad patch that you applied.

It was a special offer at the time from AVG about a year ago I think. A free 9 or 10 year license (expirey date 2018 always showed when opened) and it was working fine for the last year and up to the present problem occured.

Help needed

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