Lap top crash, need tech support from the TGO gurus

[Rightwinger]

My laptop is dead!  It blue screened on me last Thursday.  Says  PROCESS1_INITIALIZATION_FAILED. The machine is a Dell XPS with Core I5 chips, Windows 7.  I have run diagnostics on it (it will still get into those screens and it says the hard drive is fine after like 6 hours of extensive checking of each sector.  I cannot get it to boot in safe mode and I have tried the factory DVD reinstall disk.  It loads all the windows files and then crashes from there as well.  I have Mcafee running so don't think its a virus and I think it was caused by the info below.

 

It started after I tried to roll back to a earlier system restore point.  Windows rolled out a update last week and it popped my factory installed Office programs.  I had a limited version that showed advertisements on the side bar but I could use Word and Excel with no issues.  After the update it wanted me to buy Office.  So I figure I would just roll it back....then BOOM crash crash crash. 

 

Technical Info says ***STOP: 0x000000006B (then four 0x000000000000000000 lines)

 

What have I done, is it salvagable?  Anyone in the local Nashville area that can bring it back for a reasonable fee or want some ammo?  (.223, 308)

 

Please advise as I don't want to be locked on my wifes laptop for any time.

 

RW

[viscero]

Should be fixable - I'm in the Nashville/Middle TN area and can take a look at it if you want.  PM me if interested.

[dralarms]

Take the memory cover off, remove the memory chips and reinstall them. That looks like a memory error.

[Raoul]

Might also be a bad video card. There was a run of the XPS that had video card failures and blue screen was a symptom.

[Rightwinger]

I'll do the memory removal tomorrow morning (going to bed now, 3rd shift here).  Thanks Dralarms.  Keep the suggestions coming.  If I can't find a DIY I'll be contacting some of the folks that have posted or PMd.

 

Thanks folks.

[TNMTBik3r]

Turn the computer on, start tapping F8 and try to boot into Safe Mode.
The blue screen you posted seems to be a missing boot file, driver, or hardware issue.
Due to the event timing/circumstances you listed, I would say a missing or corrupt file. Or just coincidence that a hardware issue occurred (memory or video card most likely culprit). Edited September 17, 2013 by jonathon1289

[johnwilliams5721]

Download a copy of Ubuntu Desktop, and burn it to disc. Try booting from that and select the "Try Ubuntu" option. Don't install. If it makes it to the Ubuntu desktop, the problem is probably in Windows somewhere. If it fails part way, it's probably a hardware problem. No guarantee either way, but it's an easy test for most skill levels.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I had an hp laptop with video card issues, but it was a situation where the screen would freeze with optional odd garbage on screen, and if I would twist the case certain ways it would come back and work for awhile before freezing again. IOW, the puter was "working fine" but you couldn't see screen updates.

Sometimes that can be a bad cable to the screen, but many folks had my symptoms and had to replace mobo because as I recall that model had a soldered in video chip rather than a tiny daughterboard. I just removed the drive and trashed the laptop.

So maybe video hardware can also cause blue screens, but that wasn't the symptom in the product run I had trouble with. Edited September 17, 2013 by Lester Weevils

[Sam1]

What part of Nashville you in? I don't want anything, but wouldn't mind to take a look at it for you.

[bersaguy]

If all else fails I have a buddy that owns a computer service center in Hendersonville that does things for my friends with a nice discount but that is an offer after you have exhausted all other options. If your in need of his services Pm me.

[analog_kidd]

Lots of hits on Google with this info:

 

 

 

This issue occurs because the Bootcat.cache file is corrupted or because the size of the Bootcat.cache file is changed since the last successful start.
Note The Bootcat.cache file is located at %SystemRoot%\system32\codeintegrity 
(The %SystemRoot% folder is where Windows is installed. This is usually C:\Windows .)

Workaround for Windows 7 and for Windows Server 2008 R2 
To work around this issue, start the computer from the disc drive or from the USB drive by using the Windows installation media. Delete the Bootcat.cache file, and then restart the computer.

 

You should be able to get to PC to boot up in Safe Mode by repeatedly pressing F8 during the boot preocess, then selecting Safe Mode Command prompt.

 

then type these commands:

CD\Windows\System32\Codeintegrity

REN Bootcat.cache Bootcat.OLD

 

 

This will change your directory to the correct folder and then renmae the file. Don't delete like they suggest, let's just rename it in case that doesn't work and you want to put it back.

 

Reboot and see if it works

 

Good luck

[Oh Shoot]

....

 

then type these commands:

CD\Windows\System32\Codeintegrity

REN Bootcat.cache Bootcat.OLD

 

DOS comes to the rescue, I love it!

 

I used XCOPY in command prompt on a customer's crashed WIn box a couple of years ago to get off all the files on the drive of a certain type, something you simply can't easily do within Windows itself as easily even if it runs okay.

 

- OS

Edited September 17, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[Rightwinger]

Allright, tried the memory stick pull and restart, still crashed.  For all those saying go to safe mode, it won't.  I've tried safe mode, safemode with networking, safemode with command prompt.  Even boot logging, won't go.  It won't start off the DVD drive using the windows installation disk.

 

Swapped the 4gig mem stick for the 2gig secondary so its got to be in the boot cache but i tried the option of last known good configuration.  Vid card seems fine.  When I run diagnostics it looks fine, mouse works.  I just need a way to get to the command prompt. 

 

How do I get a command prompt off a usb or disk.  I can burn or copy to either on my wife's machine I'm using now.

[ironsniper1]

There are diagnostic tools on the window 7 DVD that you can run without reinstalling windows just do a google search about how to do it, pulling memory will not fix this issue but those tools on the windows 7 DVD should as a boot file got deleted or corrupted

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Jonnin]

As I recall blue screens are supposed to be "software" and the rare "red" screen is a hardware failure.  However, as others said, it *can* still be hardware as the red screen rarely comes up because the hardware failure is undetected. 

 

The most common source of blue screens apart from something being loose in the hardware is a bad driver.   You can try to boot in safe mode, and if that works it may be software.  If it fails, look for loose connections?

 

edit: I see you tried safe mode.

Now try booting from a boot disk, a DVD or a memory stick.   There should be a place on the web somewhere to explain how to make a bootable, remember you want to unplug your hard disk and/OR tell BIOS to use the other media to boot.   You could leave the disk plugged in but I usually disconnect it. 

 

Many antivirus sites have a boot disk you can use. 

 

I hate to say it but it sounds like your windows install is beyond saving.

Edited September 18, 2013 by Jonnin

[Rightwinger]

Cannot boot in SAFE mode folks!  It will not do it.

 

This is a Dell so the disk is a "reinstallation" disk, not the standard Win 7 disk.  All I can do is set it to boot from DVD drive instead of the hard disk at this point and it begins installation of the files then does the same crash.  I need to get to a command prompt somehow to try and clear the boot log or cache.

[Jonnin]

http://www.howtogeek.com/127377/the-best-free-tools-for-creating-a-bootable-windows-or-linux-usb-drive/

 

something like this.  But I have not used this one, its an example.  Do a search on the web for windows boot disk usb and make one, try to boot from it, see if you can do anything from there.  

[TNMTBik3r]

If you were closer I would help you out...
Since safe mode, last known good config aren't working then an alternative boot method is the next step.
If you can get the Windows 7 startup repair to launch you can get into a command prompt, otherwise create a boot cd or flash drive as posted. Edited September 18, 2013 by jonathon1289

[viscero]

Do you happen to have another working PC with a cd/dvd burner?  If so you can burn lots of other boot disc utilities that can emulate a command prompt, etc.  Or you can probably take the hard drive out and connect it to a simple usb adapter from Staples/Office Max/ETC and plug it into another machine and rename the file that way as well.  Depending on what suites you.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Or you can probably take the hard drive out and connect it to a simple usb adapter from Staples/Office Max/ETC and plug it into another machine and rename the file that way as well.

That is a fabulous idea and may be the least hassle way to do it, because laptop HD's are usually real easy to remove nowadays.

I have one of these little NewerTech "toolkits' to handle raw drives without putting em in an enclosure-- Real useful and never regretted paying the small price for the gadget (though I have a lot of raw drives sitting on the shelf that need using once in awhile)--

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/NewerTech/U3NVSPATA/

[analog_kidd]

You might try booting into the PC's BIOS and see if there is a Fail Safe option. Sometimes changing one of the BIOS settings will make a PC boot up differently. While in there you could also try disabling things like Printer and serial ports, usb, etc. To get into the BIOS it usually F1, F2 or Del. I usuaily press them over and over (F1 F2 Del, F1 F2 Del) until it lets me in. Do this immediately after it starts to boot up. You might go thru the screens first and take a picture of each so you can set it back later.

 

If you know someone that can get a copy of Microsoft DART (got to have an MS Enterprise Agreement), that software rocks! You can boot to a windows environment from a CD and run all kinds of included utilities, even run Command Prompt or Windows Explorer.

 

Similar to DART, you could create a Windows PE disk, but that is a lot of work to create. It doesn't have all the cool utilities like DART, but you can get to a command prompt.

 

You also might try downloading a Linux Live CD and see if that boots. Some of them have NTFS support, so you'll be able to see your hard drive and make the file changes.

 

I like Lester's idea of a USB enclosure to put the laptop hard drive in and then access it from a different PC. I bought one for under $20.

 

If you don't care about the data on the disk, as a last ditch effort you may have to just blow away the disk and see if Windows will reinstall. You might be able to format the drive from one of the Linux Live CD's, or if you have a floppy, you could get an old copy of DOS, or download FreeDOS and boot that then run FDisk to blow away the drive. Once the partition is deleted, see if the Windows install CD will run. 

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I like Lester's idea of a USB enclosure to put the laptop hard drive in and then access it from a different PC. I bought one for under $20.

 

The neat thing about that newer tech universal adapter for $38 is that it will connect just about any raw drive as an external USB drive, without having to put it in an external enclosure. Just make sure to set the raw drive on a mouse pad or some other insulator, and don't accidentally grab a dangling wire and snatch it off onto the floor while it is spaghettied in. It handles ide (large and small connectors) and SATA drives. Optical drives, 3.5" desktop drives and 2.5" laptop drives. Comes with a little box and assortment of jumper cables.

[Jonnin]

Those things are a required tool IMHO.   My biggest use of them is virus scans.... if someone gets an infection, its much easier to find on a clean PC scanning the victim drive than to try to find it on the infected machine where the malware will actively hide from you.   They are also handy to recover the files that can be saved off a dying drive.

[Sam1]

The neat thing about that newer tech universal adapter for $38 is that it will connect just about any raw drive as an external USB drive, without having to put it in an external enclosure. Just make sure to set the raw drive on a mouse pad or some other insulator, and don't accidentally grab a dangling wire and snatch it off onto the floor while it is spaghettied in. It handles ide (large and small connectors) and SATA drives. Optical drives, 3.5" desktop drives and 2.5" laptop drives. Comes with a little box and assortment of jumper cables.

 

 

This is what I use:  http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182196

 

Just pop the drive in and it takes off, but I do a lot of data recovery so it has to be something a bit more stationary than just an adapter.  

Edited September 20, 2013 by Sam1

[Dolomite_supafly]

Dell has a ghost copy of the original OS. I cannot remember the commands but I think it is ALT + F11. It will open up a window like you are installing the OS for the first time. As long as you do not have a physical problem you can reinstall it the way it came from the factory.

 

I have done this a few dozen times to our Dells.