0x0000007E in every mode and no files listed in error.

[B Trevathan]

Help I can't get past this stop error and I'm just looking at the computer so I can give the customer an estimate on the cost to fix it. Sorry for being so long but I wanted to list the machine and OS that I'm working on and and the error and what I have done to try and fix it.

I've got a Dell Dimension 4600 running Windows XP Home edition that is giving a 0x0000007E error in normal mode, all safe modes and also with last known good configuration. It doesn't list any files in the stop error. The error is happening after the XP logo comes up and the status bar runs across the screen for a good bit.

The customer told me that his son in law may have done something to the computer and that the son in law thinks that he is a computer guru. The customer said that his son in law was always installing different AVs, he said that one week he would install one and then the next week someone would tell him about another so he would install that one, I told him it is bad to have two AVs running.

So with the information about more than one AV running I thought that the services would be a good place to start, I loaded the recovery console and listed the services and found two AVs services running, Avira and AVG. I disabled the Avira Services and restarted and the computer did a check disk and repaired some errors ( Pagefile and some AVG files) then the computer restarted and gave the same stop error 0x0000007E

So next I loaded the recovery console and disabled the AVG services, but still got the same stop error on restart. So I'm think maybe a virus got through while the AVs were conflicting with each other so I ran an AV live CD and found several malware but nothing that looked like it would keep Windows from loading, mostly Java viruses.

Now I started think maybe its a bad update or one like the KB977165 update that caused some 0x0000007E stop errors about a year ago. Checked updates but no recent updates most where dated before 11/11/10 and no sign of update KB977165.

So I'm thinking maybe a bad drive so I run Dells IDE drive diagnostics from the Boot device menu and it passes so I run chkdsk it says “The volume appears to be in good condition and was not checked. Use /p if you want to check the volume anyway” so I ran chkdsk /p and chkdsk says found one or more errors, so I ran chkdsk /r and chkdsk runs and the computer restarts with the same stop error. Each time I run chkdsk I get the same thing. I used UBCD4Win and checked the health of the drive and everything looks good.

So I'm thinking maybe its bad RAM causing the stop error when the Windows GUI loads or cause problems when chkdsk is moving things around although I haven't had any problems running live CDs like UBCD4Win, but I run checks on the memory anyway. I used Memtest86+ and Memtest86 and Windows memory diagnostics, but everything passed. I tested both sticks at the same time because I'm just looking at the computer and the computer has a whole lot of dust in it. I looked at the caps while I had the case open and the ones that I could see all look good.

Any ideas on how to fix this stop error?

 

[DCGPX]

Whats the rest of the stop message, may help in isolating problem

 

[B Trevathan]

Whats the rest of the stop message, may help in isolating problem

STOP: 0x0000007E (0xC0000005, 0x82F7A562, 0xF8BCF7E4, 0xF8BCF4E0) No files listed with it.

 

[crabig]

I just had that exact sequence on a Dell Dimension. Disable the onboard video and put in a tester video card that you know is good.

 

[B Trevathan]

I just had that exact sequence on a Dell Dimension. Disable the onboard video and put in a tester video card that you know is good.

I have no problems with the video when in live CDs like UBCD4Win which uses a lot of graphics, I can look at all their pictures and change to different screen sizes, etc., if there was a problem with the on board graphics then I would have the same problem then also.

 

[MobileTechie]

I have no problems with the video when in live CDs like UBCD4Win which uses a lot of graphics, I can look at all their pictures and change to different screen sizes, etc., if there was a problem with the on board graphics then I would have the same problem then also.

No necessarily. Most boot disks use VGA mode, not the full card drivers.

Have you tried system restore back a few weeks?

 

[iptech]

Have you looked to see what's trying to load on startup, a bootlog would help you here. I'd also run System File Checker.

Make sure you properly log the work you're doing on this one and bill the client correctly for the job, maybe then he'll consider using a professional before a "knows a bit about computers" family member.

 

[B Trevathan]

No necessarily. Most boot disks use VGA mode, not the full card drivers.

Have you tried system restore back a few weeks?

Sorry forgot to mention I have also tried "enable VGA mode" with no luck. UBCD4Win does not use the standard Microsoft VGA driver at 640 x 480 resolution and 16 colors.


How can I do a system restore on an unbootable XP, I thought about using ERD System Restore Wizard from MSDaRT version 5 which is compatible with XP but I don't have it and the links to download it no longer work:

Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (MSDaRT) from Microsoft
File name: MSDaRT50Eval.msi
Link: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...69-0554-4595-8ab4-c34b2860e087&displaylang=en

 

[Martyn]

Sorry forgot to mention I have also tried "enable VGA mode" with no luck. UBCD4Win does not use the standard Microsoft VGA driver at 640 x 480 resolution and 16 colors.


How can I do a system restore on an unbootable XP, I thought about using ERD System Restore Wizard from MSDaRT version 5 which is compatible with XP but I don't have it and the links to download it no longer work:

Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (MSDaRT) from Microsoft
File name: MSDaRT50Eval.msi
Link: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...69-0554-4595-8ab4-c34b2860e087&displaylang=en

It's available to Technet members

 

[JosephLeo]

Have you tried RIPLinux? Very rarely have I ever required its use, but when I did I was glad it exists. It can run from USB or you can burn it to a disk if you want.

 

[B Trevathan]

Have you looked to see what's trying to load on startup, a bootlog would help you here. I'd also run System File Checker.

Make sure you properly log the work you're doing on this one and bill the client correctly for the job, maybe then he'll consider using a professional before a "knows a bit about computers" family member.

From the Recovery Console I have ran "type ntbtlog.txt" and "more ntbtlog.txt" both commands display a single blank line. I then enabled boot logging and ran the commands again and got the same results. I checked the size of the boot log and it says 124894 I don't know why its displaying a blank line.

In safe mode the last file that was loading was the AVG file AVGIDSEH and then I disabled the AVG services now the last file that loads is MUP nothing loads after that and then I get the BSOD.


I told the customer that I would just look at the computer and give them an estimate on the cost to fix it, so no bill on this one unless I can find a fix for it. I don't think he is going to let his son in law touch it again, he said while the son in law was working on it every time that he would come in the room he would switch the screen so he couldn't see what he was doing.

 

[MobileTechie]

Sorry forgot to mention I have also tried "enable VGA mode" with no luck. UBCD4Win does not use the standard Microsoft VGA driver at 640 x 480 resolution and 16 colors.


How can I do a system restore on an unbootable XP, I thought about using ERD System Restore Wizard from MSDaRT version 5 which is compatible with XP but I don't have it and the links to download it no longer work:

Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (MSDaRT) from Microsoft
File name: MSDaRT50Eval.msi
Link: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...69-0554-4595-8ab4-c34b2860e087&displaylang=en

It doesn't need to be at that res and colour depth still not to be using the full card drivers. You can try it for yourself on your own PC - uninstall and disable the videocard drivers and you'll still get video and can alter the resolution/depth within limits. I've got an old vaio with a dodgy nvidia chip that I run like this permanently. If I ever try to install the driver for it, the machine bluescreens with a 7E error.

The DART CD is the only way I know of for getting a proper restore but registry restore wizard on UBCD4Win is worth using too.

 

[ZenTree]

Setting BIOS details to default can't hurt

 

[B Trevathan]

Update: No luck I'm still getting the stop error, I don't know what is causing the error, I've called the customer to come pick it up.

I've cleaned the system it was really, really bad dusty, then I check each RAM sticks separately and both pass all test. I tried a video card but still got the stop error. Nothing looks damaged on the board.

I used ERD and went back to both the last and next to the last system restore points which was in February and still got the same stop error. Just for the heck of it I tried the first listed system restore point back in December 2010 and still got the same stop error.

I ran System File Checker from ERD and it did not find and problems.

I've checked the bootlog and all most nothing loads after mup loads except for a few things, like ten or eleven things like CD and floppy drivers. If I enable the AV services they will also load. When I enable AVG it loads a lot of AVG services and most of them load after mup loads, if I enable Avir it just loads a few Avira services and mostly at the very beginning before most other services load.

The BIOS doesn't have a setting to load default settings, I also check the motherboard for a jumper to clear the BIOS but there was just a jumper to clear the CMOS password. I thought about pulling the CMOS battery but the only settings I have to put back in the BIOS is the ones already loaded in the BIOS which the computer does boot with.

I tried booting to the Dell utility partition but it just tries to load Windows instead and still give the same stop error.

 

[SmithFamilyDesigns]

If the computer is still in your possession, I STRONGLY recommend rewriting the MBR. This is a primary tool for any windows issue I have (BSOD, blinking cursor, virus, etc). Bootkits will play havoc with everything (as will corrupt boot sectors and whatnot) and seeing as you can boot from another source and have tested everything else...

Just saying

 

[B Trevathan]

If the computer is still in your possession, I STRONGLY recommend rewriting the MBR. This is a primary tool for any windows issue I have (BSOD, blinking cursor, virus, etc). Bootkits will play havoc with everything (as will corrupt boot sectors and whatnot) and seeing as you can boot from another source and have tested everything else...

Just saying

This is a Dell computer, I STRONGLY recommend you do NOT rewrite the MBR on Dells because it will damage the Dell custom MBR and not be able to boot to any of Dell custom partitions like the Dell Utility partition and Dell System Restore partition.

Installing Windows from a Windows installation CD and the usual methods of restoring the MBR--e.g., "fixmbr" or "fdisk /mbr"--will also break Dell's PC Restore ability.

If you want to read more:
http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/
http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/dellmbr.shtml

 

[SmithFamilyDesigns]

This is a Dell computer, I STRONGLY recommend you do NOT rewrite the MBR on Dells because it will damage the Dell custom MBR and not be able to boot to any of Dell custom partitions like the Dell Utility partition and Dell System Restore partition.

If you want to read more:
http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/
http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/dellmbr.shtml

That is all well and good, however I would much rather have a functioning computer that the dell MBR can be restored on (reading the post, trying to boot the dell partition just boots to windows, so it's probably already gone!) than a computer that does not function WHATSOEVER! Rewriting the MBR doesn't damage the dell partition, just the function to access it (which doesn't work anyways, if it's even still there).

 

[B Trevathan]

That is all well and good, however I would much rather have a functioning computer that the dell MBR can be restored on (reading the post, trying to boot the dell partition just boots to windows, so it's probably already gone!) than a computer that does not function WHATSOEVER! Rewriting the MBR doesn't damage the dell partition, just the function to access it (which doesn't work anyways, if it's even still there).

I know there are at least three partitions on the drive, the third one is the Dell system restore partition and I can see all the files on it. As for the Dell utility partition I can not see any files on it but the diagnostic programs that should be on that partition can also be run from a restore CD which I think the customer has and they can also be downloaded and run from floppies. I may run DSRfix to have a good check on the partitions and custom MBR but to be honest with you I don't think that the MBR is the problem.

 

[red12049]

Since you've already got the UBCD4WIN, try using registry restore wizard to go back in time.

You can also use Blue Screen View while running UBCD4WIN to get an idea of what may have caused the BSOD's.

Rick

 

[B Trevathan]

Since you've already got the UBCD4WIN, try using registry restore wizard to go back in time.

You can also use Blue Screen View while running UBCD4WIN to get an idea of what may have caused the BSOD's.

I have used ERD and restored to three different restore points with no luck, I have also used ERD to run system file checker which did not find any problems.

I ran Blue Screen View, the stop error that I get when Windows tries to load is 0x0000007E. In Blue Screen View it shows 5 minidumps dated 4/3/2011, 4/2/2011, 12/2/2003, 12/1/2003 and 11/6/2003 All showed the stop error as 0x1000007e and the Bug Check string as SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED most had (highlighted in pink) drivers found in stack was ntoskrnl.exe and the 04/2/2011 one also had Ntfs.sys and the 11/6/2003 one had ALCXWDM.sys and portcls.sys in the drivers found in the stack.

???