c00021a fatal system error

Question

After trying to do a regular windows update, my computer suddenly gave me a blue screen... At first, I thought the comp froze, however, after trying to restart, the same screen came up, it can't get into windows at all. The error is shown on a blue screen saying:

"Stop: c00021a {fatal system error} The windows logon process system process terminated unexpectedly with a status of 0x00000080 (0x00000000 0x00000000) The system has been shut down. "

Does anyone knows whats wrong with this? I really need the data inside my hard drive... Is there anyway to get the data back??? I don't mind to reformat the hard drive as long as i can save some of the data inside, some of which are impossible to get back.. (photos, infomation, work, etc. ) I cannot get into save mode or anything, the only thing i can get into is the windows xp "recovery console". Please help if anyone knows how to resolve this problem and be able to recover my data. I had search the web for a solution and seem to notice that this problem is common but with no solution posted. Thanks in advance.. any help would be appreciated.

redwolfe_98 · Answer

here is another recent thread where someone else is having the same problem..

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=sw_winxp&message.id=118141

it might be possible to do a "dirty" install of win xp, booting from the win xp cd as you would if you were doing a clean reinstall of win xp, only, instead, select to do a "repair install".. just an idea..

i don't know what the solution is.. there must be a problem relating to the latest windows updates.. some others have had some other problems, with "hal.dll missing"..

something you could try, if you can manage it, is to create a floppy boot disk, and see if then you can boot into windows.. look at this article about creating a boot disk:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q314079

you could copy the three files cited in the article to a floppy disk from another computer with win xp installed.. (ntldr, ntdetect.com, and boot.ini) they are located in "c:".. to copy the files onto a floppy, using another computer, switch the fiolder view to show hidden system files, and switch the files' attributes, properties, so that they are not "hidden", so that you can work with them on the floppy boot disk..

if you can boot into windows using the floppy boot disk, you could then copy the three files from the floppy to "c:" on the computer that is having the problems booting.. you may or may not need to edit the boot.ini file..

note that the article says to first format the floppy disk on a computer with win xp installed before copying the three files to it..

Message Edited by redwolfe_98 on 07-18-2004 03:07 AM

redwolfe_98 · Answer

de, i am sorry.. i had to edit my original post, posting a different mskb article about creating a floppy boot disk for win xp..

de3th · Answer

First of all, thanks for the reply.  I am kind of confuse about 'booting' a system up..  You mean that from the 1.44mb size of a floppy can actually open up microsoft windows? I had always confuse about that.  Also, there is a 'recovery console' option that I can get into when I try to boot from the microsoft windows xp cd, would that help?  What can i do using that? Thanks in advance.

redwolfe_98 · Answer

yes, you can do different things with the recovery console, but i know basically nothing about how to use it..

de3th · Answer

any idea on how to fix this problem?

redwolfe_98 · Answer

did you try booting the computer using a floppy with those 3 files on it, like it said in the mskb article?

you could try this.. look at this post about using the recovery console:

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums/board/message?board.id=sw_winxp&message.id=118339

de3th · Answer

yea, i tried booting from a floopy with the three files, but it still won't load up windows.  Gave the same blue screen and error message.

Windows General

c00021a fatal system error

Was this post helpful?