Resolved BSOD with XP reinstall

I needed to use my son's computer to check something, but when I attempted to start it up (after not being used for about a year), I got a CMOS checksum error. When I went into the BIOS, I discovered the date and time were wrong, but I didn't think about changing the battery (which I did later). I corrected the date and time and reset the BIOS to optimum setting and found I could start up the computer using his backup drive. When I went into disk management, I discovered his main drive's operating system had no letter attached to it. I saved his files and then attempted to repair the operating system, but did something wrong, so ended up deleting the partition and setting it up and formatting it again.

I attempted to do a clean install of WinXP, but after the first reboot the screen is dark for a few moments before the Windows' flash screen comes up with the yellow dots going across it. Then I get the BSOD which says:
***STOP: 0X0000007B (0XF789E640, 0XC0000034, 0X00000000, 0X00000000)

I ran this 3 times and ended up with the same blue screen each time. What are your recommendations to get this computer up and running?

 

Now, I can't access his backup drive, even with the primary drive disconnected. The message I get is:
Windows could not start because of a computer drive hardware configuration problem.
Could not read from the selected boot disk. Check boot path and disk hardware.

 

Hi Barry, Found this with a Google:How to fix***STOP: 0X0000007B (0XF789E640, 0XC0000034, 0X00000000, 0X00000000)

0x0000007b (0xf789e640)

Might be worth a try. Neil
You receive a Stop 0x0000007B error after you move the Windows XP system disk to another computer

 

ACHI is found on Intel motherboards, not on AMD boards. This is an AMD CPU on a DFI NFII Ultra Infinity mobo. That sounded too good to be true. The other option is way above my pay grade. I'd need someone to walk me through that.

 

Can you try Slaving the HD in another comp and see if you can save the info. Neil.

 

I saved all his documents to his backup drive, and that one didn't show any signs of problems till this happened, so I don't think it has affected that hard drive. Even if everything is lost, it won't be too much of a disaster, as he hasn't really used this computer since he was in high school, and he is in the process of applying for his doctorate at MIT, CalTech or Stanford. It would be nice for me to have a backup computer here, in case I do need to check something on a different machine. The experts here have never let me down, so I'm sure someone has a solution for making this computer functional again.

By the way, both hard drives have the operating system on its own partition, so, as long as the drive turns, I can probably access everything else.

 

Would a master boot record repair help?

 

I attempted to boot up the backup drive using my 6 disk WinXP SP1 floppies. When I inserted disk # 2, I got the message: File \ntkrnlmp.exe could not be located. The error code is 4.
When I used a boot98se floppy, I got: The following file is missing or corrupted: HIMEM.SYS There is an error in your COMFIG.SYS file on line 21. Microsoft RAMDrive version 3.06 virtual disk D: RAMDrive: Extended Memory Manager not present. Warning: the high memory area (HMA) is not available. Additional low memory (below 640K) will be used instead. Data error reading drive A. General failure reading drive A.

Any suggestions?

 

Hi Barry, I'm guessing a bit here, but as this is an old computer and hasn't been used for a while, when did you clean it out internally?

I would give it a thorough blow out and then reseat all hardware. Take out the RAM and carefully clean the contacts with a pencil rubber and blow out the contact slots and carefully reseat them.

Take care when using compressed air to ensure that fans don't windup to excessive speeds.
Check all cable connections and reseat them.

If there is nothing to be lost (Data), I would Format the HDD and use your Floppy Boot Disc to FDISK and start from scratch. Neil.

 

I won't be able to get it cleaned till Wednesday or Thursday, but I will do that.

When I deleted the partition and then created a new one in its place and formatted it, wouldn't that be the same as FDISK and format?

I believe I must have messed up the boot.ini, as I can't start the back-up HDD with the other one disconnected. What do you recommend for this?

I'll get back to you once I have cleaned the computer.

 

OK, here's the latest. The cleaning didn't accomplish anything. I ran Seatools diagnostics and got the following on the main HDD:
SeaTools Desktop v3.02.04
Copyright (c) 2005 Kroll Ontrack Inc.

10/2/2013 @ 7:24 PM

The following information has been generated by SeaTools Desktop. Use
this information to help you recognize and resolve potential data access
problems.


System Information:
BIOS Date 11/27/03
Conventional Memory size 639 K
Extended Memory size 1908564 K
IO Channel type PCI



Drive Information:
SIZE MODEL
--------- ---------------------
250 GB ST3250820A


Serial Number = 5QE2SCDV
Int13 Num = 80, PHYS CHS = 16383x16x63.
ParmTable CHS, Rsvd = 30401x255x63

PARTITION CYLINDER SIZE
---------- ------------ ----
# Type Start End MB
PRIMARY
1 Unknown 0 509 4195
EXTENDED
2 NTFS 510 3059 20975
EXTENDED
3 NTFS 3060 6883 31455
EXTENDED
4 NTFS 6884 10707 31455
EXTENDED
5 NTFS 10708 14531 31455
EXTENDED
6 NTFS 14532 30400 130535


Diagnostic Results:

Seagate DiagATA Quick Test Result: Passed
Recommendation:
The "Quick Test" is adequate for most situations.
Consider running the "Full Test" which
verifies each sector on the drive if you need to run a more
comprehensive diagnostic.



Results from Seagate's DiagATA/SCSI:
-----------------------------------------------------------------

DIAGATA.EXE Version 3.08.50629ML
Copyright (c) 2002-2005 by Seagate Technology LLC. All rights reserved.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Timer Resolution: 0.000122
Short Test Begin: 02-Oct-2013 18:14:12
Cable Test - 0 Errors
Buffer Test - 0 Errors
Identify Data
Model Number: ST3250820A
Serial Number: 5QE2SCDV
Firmware Revision: 3.AAE
Default CHS: 16383-16-63
Current CHS: 16383-16-63
Current Capacity: 16514064 Sectors
Total Capacity: 488397168 Sectors
Conductor Cable Reported
ID Method: CSEL
SMART Check: Passed
DST Poll Time = 60 seconds
DST - Passed
PIO/DMA Data Compare
Total Bytes = 8245248
Estimated PIO Transfer Rates
Min: 1.12MB/s Max: 2.69MB/s Avg: 2.15MB/s
Estimated DMA Transfer Rates
Min: 73.83MB/s Max: 92.29MB/s Avg: 89.95MB/s
SMART Check: Passed
Short Test Passed: 02-Oct-2013 18:15:23


-----------------------------------------------------------------
End results from Seagate's DiagATA/SCSI

ATA Full Test Result: Passed



Results from Seagate's DiagATA/SCSI:
-----------------------------------------------------------------

DIAGATA.EXE Version 3.08.50629ML
Copyright (c) 2002-2005 by Seagate Technology LLC. All rights reserved.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Timer Resolution: 0.000122
Long Test Begin: 02-Oct-2013 18:15:25
Cable Test - 0 Errors
Buffer Test - 0 Errors
Identify Data
Model Number: ST3250820A
Serial Number: 5QE2SCDV
Firmware Revision: 3.AAE
Default CHS: 16383-16-63
Current CHS: 16383-16-63
Current Capacity: 16514064 Sectors
Total Capacity: 488397168 Sectors
Conductor Cable Reported
ID Method: CSEL
SMART Check: Passed
Full Scan (0 to 488397168) - Passed
Elapsed Time: 1.05 Hours
Estimated Internal Transfer Rates
Min: 51.52Mb/s Max: 4276.29Mb/s Avg: 556.05Mb/s
PIO/DMA Data Compare
Total Bytes = 25078272
Estimated PIO Transfer Rates
Min: 1.98MB/s Max: 2.89MB/s Avg: 2.85MB/s
Estimated DMA Transfer Rates
Min: 72.95MB/s Max: 121.58MB/s Avg: 89.79MB/s
Long Test Passed: 02-Oct-2013 19:18:50


-----------------------------------------------------------------
End results from Seagate's DiagATA/SCSI



File Structure Test Result:

Partition 1 (Unknown (4.1 GB) No Name) Unsupported
Unsupported (or Unknown) Partition

NOTE: Any report of possible errors in the file system tests are for
informational purposes only. We suggest you should consider testing with
the official file system diagnostic utilities for your operating system.
Seagate is not able to assist with troubleshooting or reviewing
file system test results.

Partition 2 (NTFS (20.9 GB) ) Result: Passed


NOTE: Any report of possible errors in the file system tests are for
informational purposes only. We suggest you should consider testing with
the official file system diagnostic utilities for your operating system.
Seagate is not able to assist with troubleshooting or reviewing
file system test results.

Partition 3 (NTFS (31.4 GB) My Documents 250) Result: Failed with critical Errors

The following errors were found while scanning the volume:
- One or more errors were found in the index
- One or more errors were found in metadata file records
- Other errors were found

NOTE: Any report of possible errors in the file system tests are for
informational purposes only. We suggest you should consider testing with
the official file system diagnostic utilities for your operating system.
Seagate is not able to assist with troubleshooting or reviewing
file system test results.

Partition 4 (NTFS (31.4 GB) MAYA 250) Result: Failed with critical Errors

The following errors were found while scanning the volume:
- One or more errors were found in metadata file records
- Other errors were found

NOTE: Any report of possible errors in the file system tests are for
informational purposes only. We suggest you should consider testing with
the official file system diagnostic utilities for your operating system.
Seagate is not able to assist with troubleshooting or reviewing
file system test results.

Partition 5 (NTFS (31.4 GB) Photo 250) Result: Failed with critical Errors

The following errors were found while scanning the volume:
- One or more errors were found in the index
- One or more errors were found in metadata file records
- Other errors were found

NOTE: Any report of possible errors in the file system tests are for
informational purposes only. We suggest you should consider testing with
the official file system diagnostic utilities for your operating system.
Seagate is not able to assist with troubleshooting or reviewing
file system test results.

Partition 6 (NTFS (130.5 GB) Storage 250) Result: Failed with critical Errors

The following errors were found while scanning the volume:
- One or more errors were found in the index
- One or more errors were found in metadata file records
- Other errors were found

NOTE: Any report of possible errors in the file system tests are for
informational purposes only. We suggest you should consider testing with
the official file system diagnostic utilities for your operating system.
Seagate is not able to assist with troubleshooting or reviewing
file system test results.



******************************************


Recommendation:
All selected physical diagnostics passed.

If you are not experiencing data loss and SeaTools reports File
System Structure errors, they may be caused by a lock-up or
failure to shutdown Windows correctly. Many times, these errors
may be repaired through normal system maintenance which
includes using the Windows provided "Defrag" and
"Scandisk / Chkdsk / Error Checking" utilities.

If you are experiencing a hardware error, you should isolate
the cause and replace the failing component. If you are unsure how
to proceed with repairs, contact a computer professional. After
completing any maintenance tasks, run SeaTools again to
verify that all errors have been repaired. If errors continue to
occur, the system may not be stable. Again, contact a computer
professional.




========================================================

Apparently there is a file structure problem in the HDD. I am hoping I can fix it by fdisking the drive and reinstalling XP, though I'd like to understand what happened, so I can hopefully prevent it from happening in the future.

I found a 6GB HDD laying around, so I replaced the main HDD with it and had no problem installing WinXP. I guess that is telling me the problem lies with the hard drives, not the computer.

When I connected the backup HDD, I got a very odd startup. Rather than an error message, it was a quick repetitive scrolling of some type of message, though the letters were mainly deformed. When I attempt to use Seatools or WinXP disk or F8 or delete or normal start with the backup drive alone, I get "Non-System disk or disk error." I'm sensing that disk must be fried. Any suggestions on how to test it?

I'm going to see if I can install the files from the main HDD onto my computer before FDISKing and reinstalling XP on that drive, but I'm not sure what I can do about the backup drive. What may have caused all this to happen? I sense it was more than just a low voltage CMOS battery.

As long as I am doing all this, are there any other diagnostics you'd recommend me running to test out the rest of the computer? Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

 

I seem to be digging myself deeper and deeper into problems. I notice that every combination on my son's computer comes up with "Non-System disk or disk error," including the 6GB HDD I just installed with WinXP.

I put my son's main HDD into my computer, and now I have problems with my computer. I can get on my backup HDD, but my primary one shows a missing driver. I'll get back to you regarding what that driver is after all my updates on this HDD complete. I can access my files on my primary HDD through the backup HDD.

 

Did you install your son's HD as the Slave unit?
I have installed HD's in my comps and the Slave does not have control over the comp.
I can only imagine that if the Slave was infected, when you open it you may transfer an infection. Broni might be the person to ask. Neil.

 

The problem with my computer seems to be the boot.ini. The error message I get when I attempt to start is:Windows could not start because the following file is missing:
Windows root>system32\hal.dll

My boot.ini in system>advanced tab>startup & recovery settings accurately shows this:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS= "Samsung 750" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS= "Backup" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn

When I try Run> msconfig, it inaccurately shows this:
[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(3)\WINDOWS=" Microsoft Home Edition 750" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(1)partition(2)\WINDOWS= "Microsoft Home Edition 160" /fastdetect /NoExecute=OptIn /NoExecute=OptIn

I believe this discrepancy is preventing me from starting up my 750GB drive, as there is nothing bootable on partition 3. Also, though I can start my 160GB drive/Backup, it has /NoExecute=OptIn stated twice. How do I correct these discrepancies?

 

You've got two OS showing. You will have to highlight one as the one to boot. Neil.

 

I understand that. I can boot fine on the 160GB drive, but it is the 750GB drive that has the boot.ini heading for the wrong partition. My operating systems are on the second partition of each HDD. I don't know how it changed to the 3rd partition in msconfig, especially since it has never changed at the place I can edit it. How can I change that 3 to a 2?

 

I figured out the problem. Somehow, my son must have jammed in the "\" key on his keyboard, so that was giving the hardware error. That, plus the CMOS checksum and my efforts to reinstall XP on his primary drive messed up both his C & D partitions. By deleting and reinstalling those partitions and then formatting them, I was able to reinstall XP with no problem. Now both drives work smoothly and interact well together. Thanks for all the help.