Troubleshooting Stop Messages : Common Stop Messages (part 3)

10. Stop 0x7B or INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE

The Stop 0x7B message indicates that Windows has lost access to the system partition or boot volume during the startup process. Installing incorrect device drivers when installing or upgrading storage adapter hardware typically causes Stop 0x7B errors. Stop 0x7B errors could also indicate a possible virus infection.

10.1. Interpreting the Message

This Stop message has four parameters:

The first parameter typically contains two separate pieces of data. For example, if the parameter is 0x00800020, 0x0020 is the actual length of the Unicode string and 0x0080 is the maximum ARC name string length. The next parameter contains the address of the buffer. This address is in system space, so the high-order bit is set.

If the file system is unable to mount the boot device or simply does not recognize the data on the boot device as a file system structure, the following parameter definition applies:

The value of the first parameter determines whether the parameter is a pointer to an ARC name string (ARC names are a generic method of identifying devices within the ARC environment) or a device object because a Unicode string never has an odd number of bytes, and a device object always has a Type code of 0003.

The second parameter is very important, because it can indicate whether the Stop 0x7B message was caused by file system issues or problems with storage hardware and drivers. Values of 0xC000034 or 0xC000000E typically indicate:

• Disks or storage controllers that are failing, defective, or improperly configured.

• Storage-related drivers or programs (tape management software, for example) that are not fully compatible with Windows.

10.2. Resolving the Problem

The following suggestions are specific to Stop 0x7B errors. For additional troubleshooting suggestions that apply to all Stop errors.

• During I/O system initialization, the controller or driver for the startup device (typically the hard disk) might have failed to initialize the necessary hardware. File system initialization might have failed because of disk or controller failure or because the file system did not recognize the data on the boot device.

• Repartitioning disks, adding new disks, or upgrading to a new disk controller might cause the information in the Windows Boot Manager or boot configuration data (BCD) file to become outdated. If this Stop message occurs after you install new disks to your system, edit the BCD file or adjust the Boot Manager parameters to allow the system to start. If the error occurs after upgrading the disk controller, verify that the new hardware is functioning and correctly configured. 

• Verify that the system firmware and disk controller BIOS settings are correct and that the storage device was properly installed. If you are unsure, consult your computer's documentation about restoring default firmware settings or configuring your system to auto-detect settings. If the error occurs during Windows setup, the problem might be due to unsupported disk controller hardware. In some cases, drivers for new hardware are not in the Driver.cab library, and you need to provide additional drivers to complete Windows setup successfully. If this is the case, follow the hardware manufacturer's instructions when installing drivers. Periodically check for driver and firmware updates.

• Hard disk corruption can also cause this Stop message. 

• Problems that cause 0x7B errors might also cause Stop 0xED errors. 

Note:

MORE INFO For more information about Stop 0x7B messages, see the Knowledge Base at http://support.microsoft.com/. Search the Knowledge Base using the keywords 0x0000007B, 0x7B, and Txtsetup.oem. Specifically, refer to Knowledge Base article 935806.

11. Stop 0x7F or UNEXPECTED_KERNEL_MODE_TRAP

The Stop 0x7F message indicates that one of three types of problems occurred in kernel mode:

• A condition that the kernel is not allowed to have or intercept (also known as a bound trap)

• Software problems

• Hardware failures

11.1. Interpreting the Message

This Stop message has four parameters:

The first parameter is the most important and can have several different values, indicating different causes of this error. You can find all conditions that cause a Stop 0x7F in any x86 microprocessor reference manual because they are specific to the x86 platform. Some of the most common exception codes are the following:

• 0x00, or a divide-by-zero error, occurs when a divide (DIV) instruction is run and the divisor is 0. Memory corruption, other hardware failures, or software problems can cause this message.

• 0x04, or Overflow, occurs when the processor carries out a call to an interrupt handler when the overflow (OF) flag is set.

• 0x05, or Bounds Check Fault, indicates that the processor, while carrying out a BOUND instruction, found that the operand exceeded the specified limits. BOUND instructions are used to ensure that a signed array index is within a certain range.

• 0x06, or Invalid Opcode, is generated when the processor attempts to run an invalid instruction. This typically occurs when the instruction pointer is corrupted as a result of a hardware memory problem and is pointing to a wrong location.

• 0x08, or Double Fault, indicates an exception while trying to call the handler for a prior exception. Normally, two exceptions can be handled serially, but certain exceptions (almost always caused by hardware problems) cause the processor to signal a double fault.

Less common codes include the following:

• 0x01 A system-debugger call

• 0x03 A debugger breakpoint

• 0x0A A corrupted Task State Segment

• 0x0B An access to a memory segment that was not present

• 0x0C An access to memory beyond the limits of a stack

• 0x0D An exception not covered by some other exception; a protection fault that pertains to access violations for applications

11.2. Resolving the Problem

The following suggestions are specific to Stop 0x7F errors. For additional troubleshooting suggestions that apply to all Stop errors.

• Stop 0x7F messages are typically the result of defective, malfunctioning, or failed memory hardware. If you added new hardware recently, remove and replace the hardware to determine whether it is causing or contributing to the problem.

• Running the CPU beyond the rated specification, known as overclocking, can cause Stop 0x7F or other error messages because of heat buildup. When diagnosing problems on overclocked systems, first restore all clock and bus speed settings to the manufacturer-recommended values to determine whether this resolves the issues.

• The problem might also be due to cracks, scratched traces, or defective features on the motherboard. If all else fails, take the system motherboard to a repair facility for diagnostic testing.

• Stop 0x7F messages can occur after you install incompatible applications, drivers, or system services. Contact the software manufacturer about possible Windows 7–specific updates. Using updated software is especially important for backup programs, multimedia applications, antivirus scanners, and CD mastering tools.

Note:

MORE INFO For more information about Stop 0x7F messages, see the Knowledge Base at http://support.microsoft.com/. Search the Knowledge Base using the keywords 0x0000007F and 0x7F.

12. Stop 0x9F or DRIVER_POWER_STATE_FAILURE

The Stop 0x9F message indicates that a driver is in an inconsistent or invalid power state.

12.1. Interpreting the Message

Table 1 describes the information provided by Stop 0x9F messages. The value of the first parameter indicates the type of violation (see the Description column) and determines the meaning of the next three parameters.

This Stop error typically occurs during events that involve power state transitions, such as shutting down, suspending, or resuming from sleep.

12.2. Resolving the Problem

The following suggestions are specific to Stop 0x9F errors. For additional troubleshooting suggestions that apply to all Stop errors.

• Stop 0x9F messages can occur after you install faulty applications, drivers, or system services. If a file is listed by name and you can associate it with an application, uninstall the application. For drivers, disable, remove, or roll back that driver to determine whether this resolves the error. If it does, contact the hardware manufacturer for a possible update. Using updated software is especially important for backup programs, multimedia applications, antivirus scanners, and CD mastering tools.

• Stop 0x9F messages can occur when you perform one of the following operations:

  • Connect to a shared printer on the network, and then run the "Common Scenario Stress with IO" test in Driver Test Manager (DTM).

  • Print to a shared printer on the network.

  • Perform a power management operation. For example, put the computer to sleep or into hibernation. Or wake the computer from sleep or from hibernation.

Note:

MORE INFO For more information about Stop 0x9F messages, see the Knowledge Base at http://support.microsoft.com/. Search the Knowledge Base using the keywords 0x0000009F and 0x9F. Specifically, refer to Knowledge Base articles 937322, 941858, 937322, 937500, and 931671.

13. Stop 0xBE or ATTEMPTED_WRITE_TO_READONLY_MEMORY

The Stop 0xBE message indicates that a driver attempted to write to read-only memory.

13.1. Interpreting the Message

This Stop message has four parameters:

13.2. Resolving the Problem

A Stop 0xBE message might occur after you install a faulty device driver, system service, or firmware. If a Stop message lists a driver by name, disable, remove, or roll back that driver to correct the problem. If disabling or removing drivers resolves the issues, contact the manufacturer about a possible update. Using updated software is especially important for multimedia applications, antivirus scanners, DVD playback, and CD mastering tools.

Note:

MORE INFO For more information about Stop 0xBE messages, see the Knowledge Base at http://support.microsoft.com/. Search the Knowledge Base using the keywords 0x000000BE and 0xBE.

14. Stop 0xC2 or BAD_POOL_CALLER

The Stop 0xC2 message indicates that a kernel-mode process or driver incorrectly attempted to perform memory operations in the following ways:

• By allocating a memory pool size of zero bytes

• By allocating a memory pool that does not exist

• By attempting to free a memory pool that is already free

• By allocating or freeing a memory pool at an IRQL that was too high

This Stop message is typically the result of a faulty driver or software.

14.1. Interpreting the Message

Table 2 describes the information provided by Stop 0xC2 messages. The value of the first parameter indicates the type of violation (see the Description column) and determines the meaning of the next three parameters.

14.2. Resolving the Problem

The following suggestions are specific to Stop 0xC2 errors. For additional troubleshooting suggestions that apply to all Stop errors.

• A Stop 0xC2 message might occur after you install a faulty device driver, system service, or firmware. If a Stop message lists a driver by name, disable, remove, or roll back that driver to correct the problem. If disabling or removing drivers resolves the issues, contact the manufacturer about a possible update. Using updated software is especially important for multimedia applications, antivirus scanners, DVD playback, and CD mastering tools.

• A Stop 0xC2 message might also be due to failing or defective hardware. If a Stop message points to a category of devices (such as disk controllers, for example), try removing or replacing the hardware to determine whether it is causing the problem.

• If you encounter a Stop 0xC2 message while upgrading to Windows, the problem might be due to an incompatible driver, system service, virus scanner, or backup. To avoid problems while upgrading, simplify your hardware configuration and remove all third-party device drivers and system services (including virus scanners) prior to running setup. After you have successfully installed Windows, contact the hardware manufacturer to obtain compatible updates.

Note:

MORE INFO For more information about Stop 0xC2 messages, see the Knowledge Base at http://support.microsoft.com/. Search the Knowledge Base using the keywords 0x000000C2 and 0xC2.