Computer Error

[mikeyboy]

My computer has been acting weird lately, so I backed up the important stuff, but today, when I turned on the computer, I got this:

STOP: c000021a {Fatal System Error}
The Session Manager Initialization system process terminated unexpectedly with a status of 0xc000026c (0x00000000 0x00000000).
The system has been shut down.

So, am I completely fucked?

[Dougie Brootal]

yes.


see what happens when you take away tags!

[Furtherman]

You killed The Session Manager!!!




Who was The Session Manager?

[mikeyboy]

You killed The Session Manager!!!




Who was The Session Manager?

OneEyeJack

[KingGeno]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315241

You have a device driver failure, or there is a missing windows file.

Have you added new hardware, or updated a device driver recently? This could happen manually, or possibly through Windows Update. the most common device driver failure deals with network card updates, and those do sometimes come from Windows Update.

Edit: This may actually resolve your issue, Mikeyboy. Do a "Last known good configuration" first, as laid out here: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;156669

[mikeyboy]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315241

You have a device driver failure, or there is a missing windows file.

Have you added new hardware, or updated a device driver recently? This could happen manually, or possibly through Windows Update. the most common device driver failure deals with network card updates, and those do sometimes come from Windows Update.

Edit: This may actually resolve your issue, Mikeyboy. Do a "Last known good configuration" first, as laid out here: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;156669

I'm having trouble with this. I can't get the computer to boot up at all without the error. When I try to boot in safe mode or "last known good configuration", I also get the error. I haven't installed any programs or hardware in the last week, to the best of my knowledge. The other solutions appear to be dependant on getting the system to boot up, but it seems to be completely fucked. Any help?

Another question -- if the system is fucked and I need a new computer, what are the odds that I can recover data from my primary and secondary drives using another computer? As I said, I backed up the important stuff, but I'd hate to lose everything else.

[JPMNICK]

I'm having trouble with this. I can't get the computer to boot up at all without the error. When I try to boot in safe mode or "last known good configuration", I also get the error. I haven't installed any programs or hardware in the last week, to the best of my knowledge. The other solutions appear to be dependant on getting the system to boot up, but it seems to be completely fucked. Any help?

Another question -- if the system is fucked and I need a new computer, what are the odds that I can recover data from my primary and secondary drives using another computer? As I said, I backed up the important stuff, but I'd hate to lose everything else.

you would not need a new comp, you could easily formatt that one and start again on there. and you would be able to recover everything if done properly.

do you have a removable hard drive? if so, try to boot the PC without any devices attached by USB

[badorties]

I'm having trouble with this. I can't get the computer to boot up at all without the error. When I try to boot in safe mode or "last known good configuration", I also get the error. I haven't installed any programs or hardware in the last week, to the best of my knowledge. The other solutions appear to be dependant on getting the system to boot up, but it seems to be completely fucked. Any help?

Another question -- if the system is fucked and I need a new computer, what are the odds that I can recover data from my primary and secondary drives using another computer? As I said, I backed up the important stuff, but I'd hate to lose everything else.

it's pretty easy to take out the hard drive and treat it as an extra/external drive to recover any data

a gizmo like this, USB HDD Dock, (http://gizmodo.com/373466/hdd-usb-dock-gets-usb-hub-integrated-still-plugs-in-like-nes-cartridges) could make an easier process

[JPMNICK]

i would gladly go to St. Mikeyboy's Manhattan mansion and volunteer my services

[KingGeno]

I'm doing searched about that error, and a LOT of things could have gone wrong to cause the problem.

First, I would suggest that you boot-up to the Command Prompt, using the F8 key to get to the boot-up selection screen. You will want to run a CHKDSK /F, which is a CheckDisk utility. The /F parameter is telling it to fix errors.


Do you have an actual Windows disk, or a System Restore disc from a manufacturer?

If it is the Windows disk, you can bootup via the CD_ROM and run the Repair option. You may also try reinstalling the Windows operating the same way, but do NOT CHOOSE TO FORMAT you drive. You will lose everything. By reinstalling the Operating System, you are replacing the Windows files, so you may still be able to boot-up and save some more files that were left over.

Your computer isn't fucked, it is your Windows installation that is fucked. Something with the Session Manager Initialization system process got hosed. By simply doing a search on Google for that error, you will see a lot of different ways that it can be knocked out. Most of them seem to indicate Symantec software causing the problem. Weird.


Hit me back, and lemme know what happens. I will check the Microsoft MVP forums for info for ya. Good luck.

[mikeyboy]

To make matters worse, from my reading, my problems may be fixable with the XP CD. That would be all well and good if I could find my XP CD. (Yes, I do have a legitimate licensed copy).

[Hottub]

I thought it could work with any XP cd, as long as you have the correct s/n and validation code. Can somebody hook Mikey up with a cd?

And as Geno said, try aborting the windows set up and try a few things from the command prompt. I also believe it is Windows, not your PC.


And just so I can scoop Furie...

http://www.supertech.com/shop/images/Mac-Logo.bmp

[KingGeno]

Any Windows disk should work, as long as it is the same Service Pack and version as the one you have installed (Pro SP2, Home, Etc.).

I'd try to locate your CD though.

I feel that if you do a complete reinstall, WITHOUT reinstall, you should be fine.

By the way, is your system custom built or a manufacturer system?

[JPMNICK]

i have a windows xp Sp2 cd if you need it

[King Hippos Bandaid]

i have a windows xp Sp2 cd if you need it

boy u will do anything to get into his house

[drjoek]

My computer has been acting weird lately, so I backed up the important stuff, but today, when I turned on the computer, I got this:



So, am I completely fucked?

Computer is completely fucked yet he continues to post from another source.
I love this guy!!!

Mikeyboy
I had a similar situation recently it required a reinstall of the operation system and I am back up and running. Good thing you backed up data

[KingGeno]

You may end having to reinstall the Windows Operating System WITHOUT the Format though, which means the data is there and you should still be able to get to it.

Give us a status update once ya look into it further, and we'll go from there. :smoke:

[Gvac]

Seriously, Windows is a fucking nightmare. I had to borrow a buddy's PC to do an upgrade on my Windows Mobile PDA and it's fucking insane. NOTHING is where it's easily accessible. It's got to be the most illogical filing system ever invented.

If you ever use a Mac you'll NEVER go back.

[Hottub]

If you ever use a Mac you'll NEVER go back.

QF NOT MFT!!
I have done it, and gone back. Running!!
I still dabble occasionally, but it is not all that.
I need a command prompt. I don't need to put my cd's in the trash.
I guess that's why I still mess with FreeBSD and unix. I like the nuts and bolts.

[Gvac]

QF NOT MFT!!
I have done it, and gone back. Running!!


You also think 80's hair metal is good.

I rest my case.

[Hottub]

You also think 80's hair metal is good.

I rest my case.

I had drinks and great conversasion with Molly's Uncle Brian. Hair metal indeed.

Good day, sir.

[Fallon]

If you ever use a Mac you'll NEVER go back.

http://www.ronfez.net/gallery//watermark.php?file=4037&size=1

[mikeyboy]

Seriously, Windows is a fucking nightmare. I had to borrow a buddy's PC to do an upgrade on my Windows Mobile PDA and it's fucking insane. NOTHING is where it's easily accessible. It's got to be the most illogical filing system ever invented.

If you ever use a Mac you'll NEVER go back.

Eh. I was a Mac convert for years and eventually moved to PC because at the time it was easier to do stuff from home for work. Now I'm not going back.

[Gvac]

at the time it was easier to do stuff from home for work. Now I'm not going back.

To work?

Or home?

Oh mikey...please let us help you!

[Devo37]

i'll give the same computer advice i give to everyone:

"format c:"

[Goatweed]

Do you know if you have Automatic Updates turned on? If so you may have unknowingly gotten some new Windows Update that fixes one thing but breaks 25 other things. I did a quick google on your message and nothing recent popped up but it's still possible.

If a new PC isnt an option you'd like to consider then any XP CD should be able to let you boot into the OS and/or repair but if you want to be thorough you should really connect that drive to another PC and get all your data off it, then format and reinstall Windows on it, then replace it in your case. The only bad thing is you'll have to reinstall drivers for stuff and applications but it'll be worth the work in the end. Once you're done, make a drive image and back that up so if something like this happens again you can just reload the image and not worry about reinstalling Windows.

[oldladyfacepuncher]

You can also download any number of Linux Live CD's. The OS runs off the CD and Linux can read your windows files if you want to make sure you got everything backed up. If not, you can copy whatever you need and go from there. http://www.frozentech.com/content/livecd.php

[mikeyboy]

As an update, after borrowing a copy of the XP install CD and spending time on the phone with Dell, I found out that the problem was my hard drive, but it wasn't bad enough that I couldn't back everything up. Long story short, I'm going to buy a new hard drive, install it in the computer and reinstall XP and all necessary drivers. Any advice on the best place to buy a high capacity drive?

[JPMNICK]

As an update, after borrowing a copy of the XP install CD and spending time on the phone with Dell, I found out that the problem was my hard drive, but it wasn't bad enough that I couldn't back everything up. Long story short, I'm going to buy a new hard drive, install it in the computer and reinstall XP and all necessary drivers. Any advice on the best place to buy a high capacity drive?

www.newegg.com.

and choose ground shipping it comes real quick and it is cheaper

[Goatweed]

I was also gonna post newegg, you can't go wring with with them - except now you're gonna pay NY Sales Tax but the shipping is crazy fast.

[KingGeno]

Do some research on Tiger Direct (http://www.tigerdirect.com) and New Egg (http://www.newegg.com), and purchase it at either of those places, Price Watch (http://www.pricewatch.com/), or Ebay (http://www.ebay.com).

Through my experience, that error you received is not related to the hard drive going bad. I feel that Dell may be giving ya the old "backside thrusty fun time". I've had bad experiences with Dell support for client computer, and have even schooled a few of them. Just my two cents. :furious:

Good luck though. I still think your drive is salvageable.

[mikeyboy]

I suck.

As I said, my main drive was fried. I bought a new drive to replace it, and got hold of a Dell XP reinstall disk because Dell never sent me one. I installed the drive today, and booted from the XP disk and followed the directions to install XP on the new drive. The setup seemed to go fine, but when I tried to boot up, I got the message that there was a disk error and telling me to hit ctrl-alt-del to reboot. Now I can't even boot from the XP CD. I get the option to boot from it, then I get a message that says that setup is inspecting my hardware configuration, and then nothing -- blank screen, no activity in CD-rom drive. I let it go for a half hour and still nothing. Not sure how, but it looks like I fucked this thing up. So much for trying to save this computer. Any advice from anyone?