Windows 7 won't boot BOD c000021a code

[tron82]

So I've been working on a computer that has windows 7 ultimate x64 on it. It will get to the windows starting icon and then the hard drive will shut down and I get a BOD with the code of c000021a. It won't get into the safe mode. It was part of a raid 1 setup. I had to brake it and so I'm trying to work on one hard drive. It would also do the BOD with the same code when chkdsk /f was run before windows started. I tried the windows startup repair and it said it couldn't fix it. The file system appears to be corrupted. I was wondering if it's a hardware problem? I have checked the ram and it checks out. I'm checking the hard drives right now. That BOD code seems to go with a driver that may not be working right? I had done the fix mbr, fix boot, scanos and rebuildbcd and it didn't help it.

Is there a way to somehow do a repair install on windows 7 like what you could do in windows xp? I tried doing sfc /scannow and it found corrupted files but it didn't fix the problmem of the blue screen.

Any ideas?

 

[johnb35]

Could be bad memory, corrupted system files, an update when horribly wrong or a hardware issue. Even though the hard drive has errors on it, they could be from the bluescreens and improper shutdowns. Was there any updates or program installs done right before this happend?

 

[tron82]

Could be bad memory, corrupted system files, an update when horribly wrong or a hardware issue. Even though the hard drive has errors on it, they could be from the bluescreens and improper shutdowns. Was there any updates or program installs done right before this happend?

The one time that I was able to get into windows it was appyling updates and I got in. I looked around and checked the virus history and nothing was there. I ran windows update and it had a few updates and I downloaded them and setup chkdsk /f on the next boot. And then I restarted and it found a ton of corrupterd files and was trying to fix them and then it BOD on me. It would try to run chkdsk after that everytime and it would BOD in chkdsk everytime.

The memory test from windows memory digonistic says the ram is okay. I'm running some third party tests right now.

This isn't my computer but I'm wondering if it got shut down wrong during an update.

Is there anyway to some how do a repair install of the OS? That's something I really did like about Windows XP on that.

 

[spirit]

It would try to run chkdsk after that everytime and it would BOD in chkdsk everytime.

Sounds like one of the hard disks in your RAID configuration is diying, or Windows has managed to corrupt itself whilst updating.

Just a thought, try rebuilding the RAID array in the BIOS, that might help. It could be that whilst the OS was trying to write one of the disks there was a problem that's cuasing it to blue screen. It's possible one of your disks is failing and with RAID0 this is a problem, not so much of a problem with RAID1 (which you said you were using). I would also try to plug the hard drives into different SATA ports on the motherboard, as I've experienced BSODs caused be faulty/dying SATA ports on the motherboard.

The memory test from windows memory digonistic says the ram is okay. I'm running some third party tests right now.

You're right running the third party tests, when I built my system about a year ago now I had endless blue screens and it was due to a faulty RAM stick, but when I ran the Windows Memory Diagnostics it said my RAM was fine, but when I ran memtest86 it said one of my DIMMs was faulty. Replaced the DIMM and not had any problems since.

Is there anyway to some how do a repair install of the OS?

If you have access to a Windows 7 Recovery DVD (the DVD you create when you make a system image of Windows 7) if I remember correctly there is an option to repair the startup files. I'm not sure if this is on the Windows 7 installation disc as well or if it's only on the recovery disc.

 

[tron82]

Sounds like one of the hard disks in your RAID configuration is diying, or Windows has managed to corrupt itself whilst updating.

Just a thought, try rebuilding the RAID array in the BIOS, that might help. It could be that whilst the OS was trying to write one of the disks there was a problem that's cuasing it to blue screen. It's possible one of your disks is failing and with RAID0 this is a problem, not so much of a problem with RAID1 (which you said you were using). I would also try to plug the hard drives into different SATA ports on the motherboard, as I've experienced BSODs caused be faulty/dying SATA ports on the motherboard.


You're right running the third party tests, when I built my system about a year ago now I had endless blue screens and it was due to a faulty RAM stick, but when I ran the Windows Memory Diagnostics it said my RAM was fine, but when I ran memtest86 it said one of my DIMMs was faulty. Replaced the DIMM and not had any problems since.


If you have access to a Windows 7 Recovery DVD (the DVD you create when you make a system image of Windows 7) if I remember correctly there is an option to repair the startup files. I'm not sure if this is on the Windows 7 installation disc as well or if it's only on the recovery disc.

Yeah it's raid-1. I tried re-building it. But it didn't work. It still BOD'd on me. The disk I have is the oem version of windows ultimate. Still running a few more tests.

 

[spirit]

Once you've finished running the tests, load up the Windows 7 disc and see if there is the option to repair the OS installation.

 

[tron82]

Once you've finished running the tests, load up the Windows 7 disc and see if there is the option to repair the OS installation.

I tried the repair option. It didn't work. It's too bad that I can't get into windows and try to run the upgrade option. I thought there was a way to do the equivalent of the repair install like windows xp does. That's something that I haven't liked about vista and windows 7. I thought though you could do it through the command prompt from the recovery mode? And the memory checks out fine.

 

[spirit]

I'm gonna say it's some sort of hard drive or RAID error. Try installing Windows 7 onto another hard drive if you have one laying around to see if it works.

Microsoft reckon the BSOD is caused to due failed Windows Update or Service Pack installations, you can see the Knowledge Base article here http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;156669 - I think you may have to either get a new hard drive and install Windows 7 on it or reinstall Windows 7 on the existing hard drive if the current hard drive proves to be OK.

 

[tron82]

I'm gonna say it's some sort of hard drive or RAID error. Try installing Windows 7 onto another hard drive if you have one laying around to see if it works.

Microsoft reckon the BSOD is caused to due failed Windows Update or Service Pack installations, you can see the Knowledge Base article here http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;156669 - I think you may have to either get a new hard drive and install Windows 7 on it or reinstall Windows 7 on the existing hard drive if the current hard drive proves to be OK.

Both hard drives and memory tested out good.

I'm pretty sure it was something to do with a windows update that went wrong.

 

[spirit]

Yep, I think you need to reinstall Windows