Windows Repair

Dell 8400
Windows XP Home

My windows wouldn't boot up, so I tried a repair from the cd. It goes ok for a while then I get a bsod. The recovery console won't recognize the hard drive, so I'm stuck in setup. Can't get to Safe Mode.

Dell sent me a lot of articles but they are so confusing (to me) that I can't get anywhere with them.

I either have to get the recovery console to read the hard drive or get past the error in repair.

Error is:

Bad Pool Caller
Stop: 0X000000C2 (0X00000007, 0X00000CD4, 0X00340045, 0XE1ADCB74)

Can anybody tell me what to do?

http://www.duxcw.com/yabbse/index.ph...;threadid=4104

?

Hi,

This Stop message is typically due to a faulty driver or software. Trouble is finding which one it is when you can`t get in to the system.

Try unplugging/removing all you can and try again

Elaine:)

I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to do much with the error, since I can't get into Safe Mode.

I think this all started with the registry.

How about getting the recovery console to recognize the hard drive?

Check your physical connections to the hard drive. Reseat the cables. Then boot up and go into the BIOS and see if the hard drive is recognized there. If so, set your boot options to boot from cd first or on Dells as you see the Dell logo you should be able to hit the F12 key and tell it to boot from cd. You want to put your XP cd in the drive first. Then see if you can get to the recovery console. If not sure how look here:
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...c_str_bjid.asp

The hard drive is recognized everywhere except by the recovery console. I've checked everything inside the case.

I'm stuck in setup and it starts each time I boot up. Sometimes it tells me it's already tried to repair and I have a choice of going to the recovery console. That's when it tells me it can't find a hard drive.

Do you ever see the prompt that asks which installion of XP do you want to load followed by a number 1)?

What exactly is the error message you receive as you try to load the recovery console?

I can't get far enough for the 1. When I try to use Recovery Console it says it can't find a hard drive.

I'm stumped, ror repair seems to recognize it until it comes to the error.

Maybe a failing hard drive? :confused:

What brand hard drive? A few of the most popular hard drive manufacturers now have downloadable diagnostics.

I've got it unplugged now, going to check the insides again.
It's a new Dell and I don't have the hard drive specs written down. A diagnosis wouldn't do much good as I can't get out of setup.

I don't know too much about how the repair and install work but a messed up registry wouldn't cause these symptoms, would it?

You could keep pressing ctrl+alt+d as the soon as you see the Dell logo on bootup. This will run a hard drive diag. It will run for a while and either give you a PASS 00 or FAIL with a code.

This checks the drives hardware if you will. It is not testing Windows in any way.

Hi,

Have you tried using the Dell diagnostics? If you have not removed it, it should be on a hidden partition. I think hitting F12 at rebooting gets into mine. If you removed diagnostics from your HD it is also on one of the Dell CDs I think it is the Drivers and Utilities CD. If you boot up with this CD in the drive the Diagnostics are supposed to start. That is what happens with mine, Have a look at your manual

Elaine:)

Doesn't work, just goes to setup.
I've never done much inside a computer except for modem and net boards but I may make a stab at putting the hard drive of the one I'm using now in it and see what happens.

Elaine, I'll try that, thanks.

I ran the diagnostics and it says Drive 0: ST380013AS - Pass

Could it be something about the CD drive?

You could try windows xp home setup disks. I believe you need 6 floppies. Boot from the first floppy and follow the steps and try to get to the recovery console.

Microsoft boot disk download:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...5-BD5AFEE126D8

I'll give that a try. I've run about every test I can find and everything passes. Thanks a bunch.

I "believe" that 8400 uses an SATA drive, and which is attached to a raid host controller. If so the Recovery Console does not have a driver for this by default. It needs to be supplied at the start of the recovery console process (by hitting F6 and providing the driver(s) via floppy). Without this the drive is not seen.

I think this link here has the drivers you want.

OK, I'll give that a try first. I sure appreciate it. Will check back.

It won't install the driver I downloaded. It asks for a company disk with setup.exe on it.

How can you tell if RAID is enabled?

You downloaded the R78496.exe, ran it to create the floppy, and passed that to setup (by pressing F6 at the appropriate time)? And after searching the floppy it said it found no dirvers, or couldn't install them?

PS. Whether raid is enabled or not is not particularly the issue here. The issue (my guess any way) is that the (SATA) controller itself (whether operating in raid or non-raid mode) is not one that the recovery console drivers can natively account for (thus you have to supply a driver).

By the way, I just looked (should have before) at the id string returned when you ran the diagnostics (ST380013AS). That definately is an SATA drive, so I think I am on target about what the problem is here.

The exact message is:

txtsetup.oem could not be found.

Sorry Dr, I downloaded the driver direct to the floppy. Did it the right way and it's working now, thanks a million.

WHEW!, had me worried there. LOL. Figured that's what had happened. Glad all is well. And thanks for posting back...