Windows Vista how to get past stop error screen?

I am having a problem with my laptop (Gateway) running Vista

I got an error saying "a problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer." UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME

STOP 0X000000ED(0X875216D8,0XC0000010,0X00000000,0X00000000)

then it tells if it is my first time reboot... ect

I am sure you are all familiar with that one. I got it last time I started up, so I did reboot and it was ok. Now I went to start it up today (thinking it was in sleep mode but it was off) - I had plugged in my external drive as my sole purpose was to move pics for backup, and clean up my PC because I was very low on space. I have A HUGE amount of pictures I can not lose on this PC, I take many pictures and was ready to back the last month or so now. So when I started it with the external plugged in, I got the same error as above. So I unplugged the external drive and rebooted. Now I keep getting the same errror. I tried safe mode and still the error is coming up. Now what can I do?

I did not install any new software or hardware recently.
I do travel to and from work a lot with this laptop, so could something come lose in it?

thanks for your help

p.s. I dont have my system details on hand. I can't find how to get them now. I used to be bale to signon at gateway, but I cant get in anymore and I am at work.

when I tried to boot in safe mode, it went through a list of loaded files, stopped at Loaded: /windows/system32/drivers/crcdisk.sys for a long time, then black screen...

 

Leave the external drive unplugged from the laptop. If you can get it to boot up try this. Right click the drive in Windows Explorer, choose properties. On the tools tab you will find error checking. This tool will check your hard drive for errors and attempt to repair them. Be patient as this may take a while and at times may appear to be stuck, let it finish and report back with the results.

Could you provide the name and model number of your laptop. Can you also tell me the name and model number of the external hard drive.

Do you have a Vista disc, or can you borrow one, this link will show you how to carry out repairs.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925810/en-us

 

Mark,

I unplugged the ex drive the first time I rebooted.

Gateway MT6840 (PURCHASED AUG 07)
EX DRIVE: WD (Western Digital) wd18001032-001

I can't get the laptop past the error screen I cant do squat with it.

I did safe mode as stated above... I did let it go blank for a while and it went past the black screen and it came back to the error screen with a different set of stop codes:

STOP 0X000000F4(0X00000004,0X879E2020,0X879E216C,0X84465710)

COLLECTING DATA FOR CRASH DUMP...
INITIALIZING DISK FOR CRASH DUMP...
PHYSICAL MEMORY DUMP FAILED WITH STATUS 0XC0000010.
CONTACT SYSTEM ADMIN OR TECH SUPPORT FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE.

I beleive I have CD's at home, not sure if it is of Vista or not. I will check later when I get home. I do remember doing a recovery CD when I first got the laptop.

 

Ok, the recovery CD is the road to go down. This should get you up and running again. If you can't find the disc this link will enable you to download it and includes instructions.

http://neosmart.net/blog/2008/windows-vista-recovery-disc-download/

Hopefully you will get things going with this then you should run the test I described in my first post. This error could just be due to some corruption on the hard disk but sorry to say it may be due to the hard drives first signs of failure.

If you can get back into the system back up all your important files, just incase.

 

Thanks Mark!! I really appreciate the quick response and great info. I will be doing that backup first thing. Ho hum... these electronics are not only $$ but so time consuming!

 

OK I have my computer stuff now. I have one Vista CD, but it says "Windows upgrade anytime." I also have a homemade recovery DVD disc I made when I started up the computer the first time, I believe I was instructed by the computer to do that. And I have a Gateway Microsoft Windows Vista home premium 32-bit "Operating System Disc " So what do I put in? the Vista upgrade, the recovery CD or Gateway Microsoft Windows Vista home premium 32-bit "Operating System Disc "? I am thinking the last...

 

That's great you have everything you will need. Just follow the instructions in the link I gave you in my first post. You should use the full Vista disc not the upgrade.

 

Mark... Thanks!!! I thought that was the correct one. OK so you know it freezes on the stop screen, I have no access to anything on the compter because of this. So I couldn't do restart option. I turned it off by pressing the button. I put the cd in, it started up on the cd and started scanning, but is stopped and froze here is what I could write down as it happened

deleting corrupt atribute recored (128, " " ) from file record segment #####
(then went on and on to 197742)

209920 file records processed

deleting orphan file record segment ###

3602 large file records processed
0 bad file records processed
0 EA records processed
44 reparse records processed

THIS IS WHERE IT FROZE. IT HAS SAT HERE FOR AN HOUR SO FAR:
CHKDSK is verifying indexes ( stage 2 of 3)...
25 percent complete, (209922 of 266684 index entries processed)

What should I do now?

 

OK, because of the problems on your PC it is automatically launching into diagnostics and running CHKDSK which will be scanning the hard drive for errors. You could try it again and see what happens, or:

You need to get into 'set up' from the first screen that appears at boot up and change the first boot device to the CD drive so it runs from the Vista disc. Do you know how to do this?

 

o.k. I turned it off and tried again. then the system recovery box opened... asking me to select op sys to repair... nothing came up so it told me click to load drivers. system 32 appears and a bunch of folders, now what should I choose?

 

p.s peeking at the computer I see c drive doesnt show sizes , ms-ramdrive R 5.97 mb or 5.97mb, x drive 1.66 GB free of 10.4 GB

not sure if that helps

 

Sounds like the hard drive has got some bad corruption. Best action is to go for a new installation from the Vista CD. But first, you need to change the boot order in the bios. This link will give you some idea of how to do it.

http://www.hiren.info/pages/bios-boot-cdrom

You need to press the F2 key while the first screen you see is displayed at boot up. This screen goes very quickly, if you miss it you will have to reboot. Best to keep tapping the key from the moment you switch it on.

 

Mark, From where I was, I clicked next and got to system recovery tools, I chose startup repair. It is running and said it will take over an hour, is this a waste if time? or should I let it keep running?

that didnt work either. I will try new install, but what will I lose? any of my files or pics?

 

I hope I am wrong but it is begining to sound to me as if the hard drive is faulty. Either that or it has been badly corrupted by a virus. System repair should have completed but as this runs off a part of the hard drive it does suggest the hard drive is not very healthy. We will have to see how it goes.

I suggested taking a back up off all your important files back in post 4 but as you have not been able to get back into the system there is not much you can do.

You could keep trying to see if the system will repair itself which may save your files but if the file system on the hard drive is badly damaged this process may never succeed.

The next thing I would try is to set the bios to boot from the CD drive as above. Boot with the Vista disc in and see if it will do a Repair install, you will be offered a choice of installation types as it progresses, this should save your files but no promises.

After the install you will have to change the first boot device back to the hard drive.

If this repair fails in any way, change the boot device back to CD drive and try the Recovery disc that you made yourself, this will most likely delete everything on the hard drive.

Again, change the first boot device back to the hard drive before you try it out.

If that also fails you could try the same process again with the Vista disc and try a full install but at this point I would deduce that your hard drive has failed and will need to be replaced.

 

Hi again mark, I am still trying.when I have the cd in it goes to system recovery but the c drive doesnt show. No drive does. I click next and it has repair restore etc.options..... but operating system shows unknown. Should I chose load drivers? How can I get it to find my c drive? Would a system restore help? Recovery management? I get all u said above. I am on my cell so excuse my typing.

 

Which disc are you using? Have you tried all three options as I gave above, ending with the Vista disc to try for a full install.

Does the hard drive appear in the Bios, in the boot order list.

It is looking more and more likely from all the symptons that your hard drive has failed. If the hard drive shows in the Bios and you have tried all three options as above that pretty much confirms it.

I can only think of one other test which will prove this but you will have to remove and identify your hard drive, download diagnostics software from the manufactureres site and then make a bootable disc to run in Dos for it to work. I'll help all I can whatever action you choose to take.

Sorry I cannot be more certain with a diagnosis but you will appreciate without the machine in front of me I cannot be more positive.

 

Missy77, just a thought about the files and pics you have on the suspect hard drive. This link will give you a piece of software that may just enable you to save these to your external drive. It all depends how functional your hard drive still is. If it will not function that will just be further proof that your hard drive is dead.

http://downloads.zdnet.com/abstract.aspx?docid=2141879&tag=nl.e530

You will need another computer to download and burn the image as is the case with the hard drive diagnostics, the disc can then be booted from.

 

Hi Mark!

Ok I got it to BIOS reboot on vista cd, it started up and went right repair/recovering... it ran and is stuck here now... here are the last 2 lines

CHKDSK IS VERIFYING SECURITY DISCRIPTORS (STAGE 3 OF 3)
REPAIRING THE UNREADABLE SECURITY DISCRIPTORS DATA STREAM

It has been stuck here over and hour. What do you think my next step is? It was good to see movement, but now it stopped