Dell XPS 400 Issue

[WolfNIll]

Hello to all. New to the forum but have been working with Dell for 4 years.

First issue, working on a customers computer and the first issue she see's is the following.

"Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
\Windows\System32\Config\System

You can attempt to repair this file by starting Windows Setup using the original Setup CD-ROM.
Select 'r' at the first screen to start repair.

Okay so it is apparent that there is something wrong with the Windows files or Windows System.

Okay so I begin to work on this..

User does not have restore CD's or Main Windows CD so I have to order it.

User is running Windows XP Media Center 2005

Begin to run the Windows to attempt to run a repair, and it appears that it is going to run as it will examine the drive; it will even take you to the recovery console and ask you which Windows directory you want to repair. When you give it the number of the location you will get the following BSOD

A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.

Bad_Pool_Caller

If this is the first time you've seen this Stop error screen, restart your computer. If this screen appears again, follow these steps:

Check to make sure any new hardware or software is properly installed. If this is a new installation, ask your hardware or software manufacturer for any Windows updates you might need.

If problems continue, disable or remove any newly installed hardware or software. Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing. If you need to use Safe Mode to remove or disable components, restart your computer, press F8 to select Advanced Startup Options, and then select Safe Mode.

Technical information:

*** Stop: 0X000000c2 (0x00000043, 0xC36E8000,0x00000000, 0x00000000)

So I attempt to just do a wipe and reinstall of Windows XP once again go through the whole steps, it looks like it is going to run with no problems examines the drive and just as it looks like it is going to run.

I get the same above listed BSOD.

I am not able to get into Safe Mode, and the version of the BIOS you can not disable BIOS memory options caching or shadowing. They do not give you that option in Dell BIOS settings.

So has anyone seen this issue.

Any help would be great.

Oh and one other note to mention is as follows. User forgot to tell me this as I asked her about it tonight.

At the time of the computer crash that gives her the corrupted Windows message on boot up she was trying to set up and install an external USB Seagate HDD.

 

[wolluf]

Googling Bad_Pool_Caller will give you many hits.

The original error just means the system registry hive is corrupt. My normal fix for this is to boot from a BartPE CD, backup the registry hives (sam, security, software, system & default) and then replace them with backup set from system restore (system volume information folder - drill down an look under snapshot folder - there's one for each restore point. Backups are prefixed _REGISTRY_MACHINE_). I'd also run chkdsk c: /f prior to doing this.

If you have a hardware problem, then the BartPE CD may blue screen also - so useful test to try it. If it doesn't, method above should fix your problem. If you don't have a bartPE Cd and don't want to create one, the MSKB version of this method is here:-

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307545

 

[linney]

If the above solutions don't work, try setting the Bios back to any Safe Default settings?

Stop 0xC2 or BAD_POOL_CALLER

http://www.updatexp.com/stop-messages.html

 

[BadBigBen]

0x000000C2: BAD_POOL_CALLER

A kernel-mode process or driver incorrectly attempted to perform memory operations. Typically, a faulty driver or buggy software causes this.

KB 310527 -

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310527

KB 265879 -

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=265879

source:

http://aumha.org

Ben

"If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer..."

 

[WolfNIll]

Thanks to everyone's advice on this. I have continued to search the MS atricles and so forth. I have tried the BartPE as well and still continue to have problems.

BartPE allows me but it will not allow me to browse to the C:\ drive.

I still can not boot off the CD Rom with out a blue screen and still continue to get the same message as in the beginning.

Any other ideas or clues.

 

[linney]

Can the hard drive be read on any other machine that you might be able to connect it to?

The hard drive manufacturer will have free bootable diagnostic software to thoroughly check the condition of the hard drive.

It might pay to check your RAM too.

http://www.memtest86.com/

http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp

 

[wolluf]

BartPE allows me but it will not allow me to browse to the C:\ drive.

Do you mean you CAN boot from BartPE, but you can't access the filestore on the system drive? Will it let you run chkdsk?

I still can not boot off the CD Rom with out a blue screen

Does this mean the windows install CD (comment confused me as seemed to conflict with first - bartpe being a CD!)

What are you using from bart to access the drive? (I usually use total commander). What actually happens - eg, can you 'see' the drive - and get error messages trying to access it? Or not see the drive at all?