Dell laptop problem please help

yesno1234

My dell inspiron 1011 will not boot everytime I try it gives me this message.

Stop: c000021a {fatal system error}
The session manager initialization system process terminated unexpectedly
with a status of 0xc0000034 (0x00000000, 0x0000000) The system has been shutdown.

Is there anyway I can do a system restore or something to quickly get it working again.
Please help

yesno1234

Anybody please

Dulchie

Doing a quick google search I found the following
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/156669

ricman

turn on pc,press f8,wait for safe mode,menu to load select last known good configuration, or directory services restore mode.Use arrow keys,up,down, enter to select it.

jpl888

I recommend making sure the latest service pack is installed. That error is caused by inconsistent system files which the service pack update will probably sort out. It's the easiest thing to try first anyway.

yesno1234

jpl888 wrote: »

I recommend making sure the latest service pack is installed. That error is caused by inconsistent system files which the service pack update will probably sort out. It's the easiest thing to try first anyway.

How do I install the latest service pack if I can't get the pc to turn on?

Dulchie wrote: »

Doing a quick google search I found the following
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/156669

I am unable to get into a command prompt so this will not work or is there another way I can get into a command prompt as when I try the same screen comes up

jpl888

yesno1234 wrote: »

How do I install the latest service pack if I can't get the pc to turn on?



I am unable to get into a command prompt so this will not work or is there another way I can get into a command prompt as when I try the same screen comes up

Can you get into safe mode? i.e. repeatedly press F8 straight after the BIOS screen and choose "safe mode with network support" from the menu.

yesno1234

jpl888 wrote: »

Can you get into safe mode? i.e. repeatedly press F8 straight after the BIOS screen and choose "safe mode with network support" from the menu.

No when I try it goes to this blue screen again.

jpl888

When you press F8 straight after the BIOS screen do you get the menu?

yesno1234

Ye I get the menu alright but after I select anything it goes to this blue screen.

jpl888

yesno1234 wrote: »

Ye I get the menu alright but after I select anything it goes to this blue screen.

A repair reinstall might be the best option. Have you got the CD.

yesno1234

jpl888 wrote: »

A repair reinstall might be the best option. Have you got the CD.

I'm not sure but no CD drive and surely I wouldn't be able to just connect an external one as it'll need drivers?

jpl888

yesno1234 wrote: »

I'm not sure but no CD drive and surely I wouldn't be able to just connect an external one as it'll need drivers?

I haven't tried lately but I'm fairly sure an external one should have BIOS support, twould be silly not to.

yesno1234

Ok would a repair reinstall format the drive? Just I have a lot of family photos that I need to keep.

Dacelonid

Put a liveCd version of ubuntu on a usb drive and boot off that
When it has booted, copy you photos to an external drive
Than you can mess around with trying to fix the problem without worrying about losing the photos

Details on putting ubuntu on usb

yesno1234

Dacelonid wrote: »

Put a liveCd version of ubuntu on a usb drive and boot off that
When it has booted, copy you photos to an external drive
Than you can mess around with trying to fix the problem without worrying about losing the photos

Details on putting ubuntu on usb

OK cheers Dacelonid

jpl888

A repair reinstall will not reformat no, but you need to be careful about which options you choose.

Enter Username

Probably the easiest way to sort this would be to buy an external casing for your hard drive sata/ide. When you buy the external casing you simply connect the drive to it and plug the usb cable into another PC. This will then install as a removeable drive that you can browse and access your folders.

The casing will be around 30€ from peats komplette or similar.

when your finished with this you can then format the drive and use it a backup drive so you wont be in this mess again

yesno1234

Enter Username wrote: »

Probably the easiest way to sort this would be to buy an external casing for your hard drive sata/ide. When you buy the external casing you simply connect the drive to it and plug the usb cable into another PC. This will then install as a removeable drive that you can browse and access your folders.

The casing will be around 30€ from peats komplette or similar.

when your finished with this you can then format the drive and use it a backup drive so you wont be in this mess again

I am installing the ubuntu so I'm really just worried about fixing it at the moment. Thanks for the suggestion though.

jpl888

The easiest way would be to run the repair reinstall and not worry about the drive, but he needs to be careful he doesn't choose the wrong option.

If you post the setup questions here I will tell you what to choose.

yesno1234

jpl888 wrote: »

The easiest way would be to run the repair reinstall and not worry about the drive, but he needs to be careful he doesn't choose the wrong option.

If you post the setup questions here I will tell you what to choose.

Thanks a lot jpl888 you have been a great help if I manage to aqcuire an external cd drive I'd be extremely grateful if you would.

jpl888

yesno1234 wrote: »

Thanks a lot jpl888 you have been a great help if I manage to aqcuire an external cd drive I'd be extremely grateful if you would.

Yes no problem.

yesno1234

jpl888 wrote: »

Yes no problem.

Bump!! Finally managed to get an external drive would be great if you could help please.

jpl888

Sorry it took a day or 2 to comeback, 4 kids and brown snots.

Ok boot with the CD in the drive. When you see the prompt "press any key to boot from CD" (or words to that effect) press enter.

Then press enter to "setup Windows XP now".

Press F8 to agree to the EULA.

Press "r" to repair.

A few minutes later it will ask you to choose your keyboard layout, just click next.

Go and make a cup of tay

Please see attached screen shots.

Any questions?

yesno1234

jpl888 wrote: »

Sorry it took a day or 2 to comeback, 4 kids and brown snots.

Ok boot with the CD in the drive. When you see the prompt "press any key to boot from CD" (or words to that effect) press enter.

Then press enter to "setup Windows XP now".

Press F8 to agree to the EULA.

Press "r" to repair.

A few minutes later it will ask you to choose your keyboard layout, just click next.

Go and make a cup of tay

Please see attached screen shots.

Any questions?

No need for you to apologise anyways considering you're doing me the favour. That's brilliant thanks have to get my father to do it as I am in college and don't have it with me but I will get back to you if he has any problems. That won't format the harddrive then no? Just there are a lot of photos on the laptop that are needed.

Thanks again.

jpl888

No it will only overwrite the windows directory. There's no guarantee it will fix it but it has a fairly good chance as long as there isn't borked hardware.

Assuming it works you will want to get straight onto Windows Update to reinstall service packs and security updates before you get infected!

Best of luck.

yesno1234

No luck apparently another error came up when he tried to do it. So looks like I'll have to send it back to dell for repair. Thanks for all your help jpl888.

bonzodog2

I'd get any photos,videos etc that you want to keep off it before you send it away anywhere.