factory default restore goes to bluescreen

streaky1987

I used a factory default restore dvd i burned to refresh the system (because C drive had 100-400 mb available and i couldn't free up more space). It completed the restore and the system went as far as the WDOs logo and then a bluscreen comes up everytime. I've tried to enter boot but can't get there. I can get into BIOS.

Bluescreen reads;

STOP: c000021a {Fatal System Error}

The windows Logon Process System process terminated unexpectedly with a status o

f 0x00000080 (0x00000000 0x00000000).The system has been shut down.

This system had a softload Vista Home Basic but the WDOs logon i can get to says WDOs XP if that means anything. What to do next?

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Tommy-Acer

I'm going to assume that you mean Windows whenever you were typing WDOs? Please just use Windows.

Please review this article:
Reloading your Acer Computer

streaky1987

Yes i meant Windows (WDOs). After that pg, i see a few seconds of a pale sea green screen then a blue screen fatal error message. I used the erecovery option,"1. The first option is Completely Restore System to Factory Defaults". I followed all the steps and believe a recovery dvd was properly created. I installed the recovery media and all went as it should have, indicating a successful install (to me)of recovery media. I got to the step " When Windows restarts it will take a few minutes to complete the restore process and once finished it will restart your computer again. "

This is where the restart looked good til after Windows XP logo screen, then get the above described blue screen.

I tried to order Acer recovery disks but got message"No RCD available for the entered Serial Number." (found something about Windows XP PRO media no longer available, hope that doesn't mean recovery media is unavailable to my system)

I think i have searched all relevant recommended fixes i can find in Acer support answers but can't make headway. What steps next.

Vince53

Streaky, try to borrow a legal copy of your OS. It should take you to an options screen. An easier but less successful option is to try to get into Safe Mode.

streaky1987

Correction: I got into boot menu by enabling F12 in the BIOS.

streaky1987

I can try to get legal OS (would this have to be only the Vista Home Basic the computer was loaded with or any Windows OS?).

I can't get to Safe mode, i keep trying.( I guess the recovery DVD has corrupted files?) Thanks everyone for trying to help me.

Tommy-Acer

If you're continuing to have blue screens and are unable to get into Safe Mode, it's quite likely that you're experiencing a hardware error.

Without knowing what the blue screens detail, or even what system you have (along with the shipping OS), it would be difficult to recommend a course of action.

Vince53

Streaky, it will have to be the same version of Windows that you have installed.

catinthedark

Hello Streaky!

I tend to agree with your diagnosis, that it is likely your restore DVD got damaged/has corrupt files. It isn't frequent with optical media but it can happen.

Couple things here:

1. You need bootable (install) media for Windows XP, not Vista. You say your restore completed, and after that you report booting to a WinXP logo. This tells me that you had XP restore media. Since restore will have wiped your HD has been wiped... there is no Vista left at this point, only XP, and you need XP installation files to repair XP.

Acer sometimes provides an optional downgrade via the restore media. I don't know the eRecovery process you used to create your media, but if XP was installed, which it clearly has, eRecovery must have been set up to create XP (and not Vista) restore media for your system.

2. You might need to change the boot order in the BIOS, to boot from CD/DVD -- if you aren't sure whether the system polls the optical drive at boot time, check your boot settings in BIOS.

Booting from an XP install disc, you'll be thrown into setup. There you'll see options for performing a New installation or Repairing an existing installation. Choose Repair, and setup will replace any bad files on your hard drive from the install disc. Then you should be all set.

streaky1987

Thank you !st for taking the time to help. Following your recommendation i am in the repair on a Win XP Home disk (in Recovery Console)and have to choose;

1: C:\Minint

2: C:\Windows

3: D:Windows

Which Windows installation would you like to log onto

I await your instructions.

Streaky

catinthedark

Hi Streaky

I'm sorry. I was thinking of the repair option one gets during setup. I did not remember the Repair Console option... was thinking it went straight to Setup. Can you boot and enter Windows Setup? From within Setup, you should get the choice to create a new installation, or to repair one. That's the repair option I was thinking of.

You should get a list of which one to repair. After a factory restore, I would expect to see only one thing in the list. Usually, the target directory for a standard installation would be C:\Windows. If there is just one hard drive on the system, it should be mounted as the C drive.

cat

catinthedark

Streaky,

Just to be sure what is happening, what exactly are the choices you see when you boot up from your XP CD?

cat.

streaky1987

Cat,

In win XP "welcome to Setup"

to setup Windows XP, Enter

To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R

Or "quit setup "

On my 1st try i chose R and then got the 3 choices i listed, then i stopped and asked you for more help. ( By the way, Streaky was my cat!).

Thanks for any further advice.

Streaky

catinthedark

Hi Streaky,

OMG that's wild that about Streaky being your cat! Smiley Surprised I am sorry about the 'was'. Smiley Sad

Ok, at that meny you just posted to me, press ENTER (to Setup Windows XP).

Before Setup proceeds to install, it should again give a set of choices, where you can install a new or repair an existing installation. That's where you choose [R]epair. IF you do NOT see a Repair option in the next list of choices you receive, then, EXIT Setup.

If you're not sure about what is asking you to do, post it here.

I will check back. Oh hey, if it does boot up, remember, not to hook it up to the internet right away... at a minimum, you'll need an antivirus and updated virus defs before you can do that safely.

cat. Smiley Wink

streaky1987

Hi Cat,

I find list in XP setup as follows;

To set up windows on the selected item, press enter.

To create a partion in the unpartitioned space, press C.

To delete the selected partition, press D.

76317 MB Disk 0 at Id on bus O on atapi {MBR}

C: Partition1 (PQSERVICES) [NTFS] 7993 MB ( 3094 MB free)

D; Partition2 (ACER) [NTFS} 34319 MB ( 28169 MB free)

E; Partition3 (DATA) {NTFS} 34005 MB ( 20496 MB free)

Well i wouldn't know what to do here, and you said exit and i will.

I've reinstalled OS on new hard drive before but this is beyond me. I'm afraid of messing up. Your help is very much appreciated.

Streaky

streaky1987

correction,

s/b ....." 76317 MB Disk 0 at Id 0 on bus 0....."

streaky

catinthedark

Hi Streaky,

OUCH! No repair option. Smiley Sad Exit was the right thing to do.

I am not sure how to help at this point.... I will try to poke around on the net for you, see if I find anything useful....

I do have one idea but I can't guarantee it will work. My thought is you could burn a *modified* Acer restore CD, where you copy over the system files with those on your XP Install CD. If the problem is merely a corrupt file, this has a chance of working. It's not failsafe because OEM installations can in theory have customized system components. Repair would have been more conservative, because it would only have borrowed the needed files, not all of them.

Anyway, give it some thought, and if you want to try I can help you set that up.

Last resort would be a clean install, I wonder if that is even available to you: do you have a retail license (key) for XP? Failing that, do you have the OEM license number for your Acer installation (could be tried, but might not work)?

cat.

catinthedark

Before doing anything strange,

Did you see the link that the Acer tech posted to this thread? The linked page points to this one:

LINK: Using Recovery Management outside of Windows

" Recovery media is not necessary to recover your computer. [...]

.

1. Restart the computer.

2. When the Acer logo appears on the screen, press the left Alt, and the F10 keys.

.

"

Click on the link to view the full text -- it isn't very long.

Basically, I believe this thing uses that PQServices partition to recover your disk. If the CD is corrupt, it may be that that partition has gone bad in which case this wouldn't work any better, but if it is just the CD that is bad... this could be the ticket!

This would be a clean, factory restore. I would try this, before trying anything else. Smiley Happy

--------------------------

Please be aware, I'm suggesting things I might do if faced with the same situation. I do ok with figuring stuff out, but I'm not an IT specialist and do not have significant experience with system recovery. Smiley Surprised

cat.

streaky1987

Hi Cat,

Thanks again for everthing.

I don't know bout how to burn a *modified* Acer restore CD.

i do have a license# fr. the dead HP (affixed to Bottom of unit) where i got the XP Install disk I am usingto try to restore. Have the Win license also fr. bottom of Acer notebook. Acer doesn't support the XP recovery disk i should be able to get("No RCD available for the entered Serial Number.") fr. Acer, cuz of non support of XP this April,I guess. Acer left me high and dry after i burned the eRecovery DVD and it didn't recover properly(why?), now they won't send me any method to recover, seems they are obligated to get me some sort of recovery option, even if i wanted/needed to install a new hard drive and reinstall the softload that came with the system. I am screwed eh.

Or am i missing something. ACER-TOMMY (above) thot a hardware error was problem, but system ran fine til I got the boneheaded idea to recover via factory default repair. ACE VINCE53 thot try safe mode but i havn't fig out how to get there.

OK, i just saw your idea on repair console while i wrote this, i will start work on that. I hoped an "easy" way out would be a clean install, but don't know the rules on what's necessary to do that.I thought a KEY was enuf but MSFT won't allow this on a diff. computer?,even tho HP is dead, where install disk is from.

Still Streaky

catinthedark

Streaky...

Yes, Acer-Tommy posted that it could be a hardware error afterwards, but first he posted a link. I just reread the posts. It was unclear, at his second post, whether you had already tried the factory restore **using the ifnromation he posted** but according to the instructions in it... no media gets created or used. So this would be something different than what you did, and certainly something worth trying IMHO.

Please try this first... it is the cleanest solution. (Chkdsk won't matter, if you are doing that... and it works... that's fine.) Here is the link again... this is the link from within the page Tommy posted. This link is specific for XP and specific for use outside Windows (ie no boot situation):

Using Recovery Management outside of Windows

If this restore procedure fails, I can help you attempt a restore with a modified CD -- can help you lay that out/burn it.

cat. Smiley Happy

streaky1987

Hi cat,

i have tried this method in the link you have but this Alt/ F10 doesn't put me into erecovery cuz i have already restored the system with the dvd i burned fr. erecovery on the Acer, and wiped out this option i guess(i end up going to the Windows XP logo then the same bluescreen,over and over. The restore dvd i burned is somehow faulty. i don't know why i can"t get to safe mode either.