[RESOLVED] What is "C000021A fatal error?"

Went to log onto XP to update and backup QuickBooks tonight, received the above message on two successive boots. On third try, I aborted ScanDisk and received message that XP was aborted because of a missing video driver. Machine boots into 98SE fine, no problems. At least I can retrieve files if I need to, but am thinking of a repair install of XP first before the last resort. The only thing I've added recently was LogMeIn remote computer manager--on 98SE, not XP. Could this be the cause of the error message even if it's not on the affected OS?

While I'm asking questions/advice, when I formatted D: before installing XP I formatted in FAT32, since both OSs work with it but 98SE would have problems w/NTFS. If I have to start over with a full install, should I re-format in NTFS? Before today's problem, XP worked fine, and 98SE could read and retrieve files/folders from D: drive. Would like to maintain that flexibility.

I did a search through VDr archives, but didn't see much that was appropriate to this situation. TIA.

May be of interest:

• STOP: c000021a (Fatal System Error)

Interesting, but doesn't explain why this manifested itself after a month of working perfectly (it never should have started); nor how to install to an OS that won't boot. I should be able to boot from the XP CD, shouldn't I?

I won't be doing anything about this until next week at the earliest; 98SE works fine, I have backup computers, and with that hurricane coming in a few days my priorities lie elsewhere. ;)

Have you recently installed any Windows update patches on XP?

There was a fix floating around to do with a few patches that caused this problem....either that, or if you're using IE apply SP1 to fix the problem...but i doubt that would fix the problem, as i doubt you're using IE.:)


Liam

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by liam858

Have you recently installed any Windows update patches on XP?

There was a fix floating around to do with a few patches that caused this problem....either that, or if you're using IE apply SP1 to fix the problem...but i doubt that would fix the problem, as i doubt you're using IE.:)


Liam

---

Actually, I am using IE. SP1 was installed same time as XP install. When I loaded XP into the new computer, I downloaded every M$ update and service pack applicable to XP home, then activated firewall in SP2. Did maintenance immediately and had only picked up Alexa in the 15 minutes or so that XP was online and unprotected. Since then, no malware at all has gotten past protective programs, to my knowledge. The problem first showed up last night when I wanted to use QuickBooks--but I hadn't booted in XP for a week so not sure when all this started. As noted above, only program added in the past week (Tuesday) was LogMeIn; a M$ KB article mentioned that such a program could replace a GinaDLL with its own but when I checked the registry entry it was the M$ default DLL. Still, it seems more than coincidence about the timing--but the new program isn't installed in XP, but 98SE.....wondering if uninstalling the new program and doing a repair install from the CD should fix things. (I can always use the LogMeIn on another computer.) Am unable to boot XP to reload SP1.....

Update--I was rooting around in D:\Windows\System32 and came across some XP dump files I think have to do with the situation I ran into; even through the encoding I can see the "stop-error-" and then some encryption. I can't find the application I want in 98SE that has the list of different encryptions to choose from to decode these .tmp files--anyone know offhand? If I can determine the file that caused the shutdown I can replace it. If it's only in XP, I can transfer the files to another computer but need to know the decryption program. Thx in advance.

I never did figure out how to open the dump files, doesn't matter now. Several small annoyances started pointing in one direction--system instability. After checking PSU, power supply and RAM I tried de-tuning the overclock back to only 7% (from 10%). It may be coincidence but XP is back up and running like nothing ever happened. :confused: (If anything, I figured 98SE would be a prima donna, not XP.)