My PC (Dell XPS 400, P4 XP SP3) locked up and upon restart I have stop error: 0X0000007B (OXBA4C3534, 0XC0000034, 0X00000000, 0X00000000). Can't start Windows.
Says to check for viruses and to run chkdsk /f - Not able to do either at this point.
In addition, from the DOS prompt when I type "dir" I get numerous spelling errors in the displayed text. I confirmed this is not due to a HD error by disabling my SATA HD and booting from bootable USB drive. I have run the disk diagnostics from F11 with no errors found on HD, motherboard, memory, etc. - I ran all the tests.
I have not been able to flash the BIOS yet, having trouble running from the DOS prompt the executable BIOS update I downloaded from Dell. From DOS prompt I have very limited DOS commands available, most don't work, including "help". I started on PCs in the pre-Windows days and used to be quite proficient with DOS commands - but that was 15+ years ago. I'm not sure what system files to copy onto a bootable USD drive besides what UBCD or similar provides.
command.com? config.sys? io.sys? msdos.sys? boot.ini? kernal.sys? himem.exe? readntfs.exe? usbaspi.sys? autoexec.bat? Concerned that some of that might interfere with UBCD loading and running. Any editing I need to do in boot.ini or autoexec.bat?
I dont' want to go out and buy a HD enclosure to hook up my HD to another PC due to expense and also I think it is motherboard related. What in the system controls the DOS-prompt level characters? My guess is the BIOS, but not sure.
Suggestions?

Couple options...
1. Unplug your computer from the wall. Shut off the power supply by flicking the switch on the back of it to the "O" (if you have one). Then take out the cmos battery located on the motherboard and wait for about 4-8 hours. I recommend overnight just incase. What this will do is reset the cmos and clear the capacitors of any voltage to help rule out motherboard issue. After this is done you will have to change the bios settings including date and any custom settings you set up before.

2. If you have a windows install cd, boot into recovery console by pressing r key when asked to do so. From there run chkdsk /r to make sure they isnt any errors on your disk.

3. Boot into safe mode by pressing f8 before windows loading screen and choose safe mode. From there you can try removing any newly install programs or if you have any install running anti-spyware/virus software IF they can run in safemode (most likely they cannot). If you can boot into safe mode...then you can easily dl a free command line virus scanner and scan the computer for infected files. Or...if you want custom help dl hijackthis and save it to usb and run it and select save log file and post it here...and I can try to help you remove anything. From safemode you can also do system restore which may also help fix your issue, but keep in mind if you are infected with a virus, then it wont fix the issue AND its possible that the system restore points are infected aswell and could make the problem worse.

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Thank you for your advice. I have already tried several of the items you recommended.
1. Removed from power and pulled CMOS battery for 15 minutes. Started up, went to setup, had to re-set date/time. Does that indicate it was off battery long enough?
2. I tried using Win XP install CD (actually WinXP Upgrade - used to go from Win 2K to XP three years ago on another machine), selected recovery, but it did not recognize my HD. Only the CD. Setup does properly identfy the HD by make and model, so it would appear to be connected right.
3. I can't boot to safe mode or last known good. I get the stop error message above.

I have tried building a PE boot disk on USB, but it is not working right. The instructions tell me to first format my USB drive as FAT16. On my laptop under drive management, the options are FAT, FAT32 and NTFS. I selected FAT, formatted and them followed the instructions from www.gocoding.com. There is a Youtube video to walk me through it. When I try to boot off that USB I get an error message: "remove disk or other media". It does not seem to like the format of my USB. I may go back and format it as NTFS and try again.
More suggestions?

1. Yes, that means it was out long enough. Normally you remove it and hold down the power button and it drains it faster.
2. Define how SETUP recognized it and the recovery didnt? If setup recognizes it, recovery should aswell (they use the same drivers). Make sure you use: "chkdsk c: /r". Or type "cd c:" then "chkdsk /r".
If you only have 1 hard drive then C is your HD's letter. If "cd c:" gives an error like "system cannot find the drive specified" then try another letter going down the alphabet (d:, e:, etc).




http://files.extremeoverclocking.com/file.php?f=197
Download that tool and there is an option for fat32 and FAT (fat16). Select FAT. I use it..it works great.

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~Just StopSpazzing~

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Please check your UBCD ISO MD5 Hash Sum; May prevent issues later on by not having an exact copy.

Currently Working on Common Issues and Repair Tips on the Wiki.

I think I got the correct FAT type. Either way I built a successful BartPE CD, but it does not work on my Dell desktop, works on this laptop.

What I mean by setup recognizes my HD is that it identifies it under SATA by brand, model and disc capacity (Gb)

I get to the DOS prompt by booting off the Win XP upgrade CD, select R. It says "Which Windows installation would you like to XXX (can't decipher the three letter) onto?" and only offers:
"1: C:\minint", which is a directory on my BartPE USB that has system files in that folder. When I select that I get a DOS prompt.

From DOS, it recognizes my USB drive as C:, my CD drive with a disc (Win setup) as H:, but going through all the other drive letters (e.g. dir d: ) it says either "There is no floppy disk or CD in the drive", or "The path or file specied is not valid".
It either is not assigning a drive letter to my HD, doesn't recognize the HD controller, or something else.

From DOS I cannot run the update .exe files that I downloaded from Dell for that PC - chipset driver upgrade, etc. However one time I was able from DOS to run the BIOS upgrade exe file and that worked because the BIOS date now matches that for the file I ran. Don't remember how I got a mur functional DOS prompt at this time.

*PLUS*, on all DOS-based screens there are numerous misspellings - characters replaced by the wrong character. Why??

From the DOs Prompt I can run chkdsk on my USB and on the CD - can't see the HD and therefore can't run it on it. I have limited use of DOS commands. When I type "help" I have a hard time reading the commands available, and the list is shorter and different than what I get if I go to a DOS prompt out of Windows on this XP laptop.

Here is a summary of what am offered and then below what I I can do with it:
I can use F12 to get to an options menu with boot to:
* Onboard or USB CD-ROM Drive
* USB Device
* Onboard SATA Hard Drive

* System Setup
* Hard Drive Diagnostics
* Boot to Utility Partition

From on-board CD it boots off Win XP upgrade, does not boot of BartPE.
From USB device with BartPE it says "remove disks or other media, press any key to restart" Pressing any key just repeats that message.
From Onnboard SATA I get BSOD stop error.

System Setup gets me to BIOS setup and everything there looks right.
HD diagnostics it runs the Diagnostic in a couple minutes, identifies correctly Drive 0 as Maxtor 7L250xx and says "Pass" Also correctly identifies Drives 1, 2 and 3 as no device, and drives 4 and 5 as CD-ROM and DVD. Then says test complet, press enter to reboot

Boot to utility partition gives a GUI interface that says "Main Menu, Service Tag xxxxxxx, with Express Test, Extended Test, Custom Test and System Tree. I have run all the tests there with no errors (except for video modes for my LCD monitor with digital connection - says "detected a failure while writing and reading video memory" for all resolution and number of color modes - don't know what to make of that) It will even run all the tests on the HD and says they pass.

I think I either have a boot sector virus or undetected corruption somewhere on the motherboard. More suggestions would be welcomed. Thanks!

Are you running a addon graphics card? Or the NVidia GeForce 6800 integrated?

When I had an issue with random letters and characters in the BIOS it was related to me accidently (stupid of me i know) touching the ram while the computer was on when I was just new to computers. Tho, I will also say that during that time also had a just bought graphics card that turned out to be broken..so what I would try first is to change the ram and change the graphics card to the onboard. IF you have the resources too that is (extra laying around or in the ram case 2 sticks and remove 1 of the sticks and then try then try with the other). That may fix the graphical glitches you are having.

But the hard drive is another matter...
http://www.lostechies.com/blogs/jason_m ... -ntfs.aspx
There is your possible fix for the hard drive, if its not the motherboard and is a hd issue.
You can dl knoppix here: http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html
I have been using knoppix for forever and always have the disc as a backup just in case nothing else works.

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~Just StopSpazzing~

Visit the UBCD Wiki: http://wiki.ultimatebootcd.com
Please check your UBCD ISO MD5 Hash Sum; May prevent issues later on by not having an exact copy.

Currently Working on Common Issues and Repair Tips on the Wiki.

I have not touched the RAM while connected to power and try to follow ESD procedures but no wrist strap.

I have an Nvidea 6800 AGP card and no integrated video. I pulled that card and installed a PCI card. Fired it up. The DOS misspellings went away but everything else is still the same. That tells me it is something 32 bit related but I do not know where to go with that.

I still don't understand why my BartPE disc is not recognized - my laptop reads and loads it fine. I'll dig into that too.

I will look into the HD info you gave me. It still dies during Windows loading and goes to Stop error. When I try safe mode it still halts at or after loading Mup.sys. I found some info on that http://www.aitechsolutions.net/mupdotsysXPhang.html which I will also pursue.
Thanks for your help. I'll try some more things and report what I find tomorrow.

Ive also seen the mup.sys issue aswell..but only with windows media center edition. The problem was solved after I did a windows repair using the windows install disc and selected repair OS. Ofcourse lost all my windows updates but no biggy. I would scan and fix the hard drive first then would try booting and if it still has issue then do a windows repair.

Maybe the cd/dvd drive is bad? Couldnt hurt to open it up and try blowing in it to see if dirt is blocking it. Maybe its racist against brands of cd's?

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~Just StopSpazzing~

Visit the UBCD Wiki: http://wiki.ultimatebootcd.com
Please check your UBCD ISO MD5 Hash Sum; May prevent issues later on by not having an exact copy.

Currently Working on Common Issues and Repair Tips on the Wiki.