Hi, I am having a major problem with my computer (dell dimension 8300, XP home edition pre-installed on my computer). Whenever I open my computer, windows doesn’t load anymore and I get a blue screen saying that I have some problems because of “bad pool caller” 0x000000c2. I cannot even manage to repair windows using the windows xp cd: the process fails and I always end up on this same blue screen every time. Can anybody tell me how to repair the system… I don’t mind formatting everything but I would really need to save the data stored on the hard drive of my computer first. How can I do this? is there anyway for me to access windows at least once? Thanks.
If you do a Windows reinstall from the CD you should have the option to just repair what's wrong without overwriting your data. For the actual error try here... http://www.kayodeok.btinternet.co.uk/favorites/kbasewinxp.htm#kbstop Also there's info here... http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/winxp/n1058647041
but i can't get the reinstall process to work... basically , i am trying to reinstall but when the computer is trying to find the previously installed version of windows it goes back to the blue screen with the "bad pool caller" thing. i can't get the repair or the reinstall process to work.
In that case I fear you're screwed. Sounds like a reformat job. You have your data backed up? Right? (Bet you will next time LOL!) Maybe you can install your hard drive as a slave in another PC and get your data off first?
no i have a lot of vital data locked in the computer. is it hard to remove a hard drive and install it as a slave in another computer? will i be able to have access to the all the data that was previously on the original computer? thanks
It's pretty easy if you understand PCs - do you have a friend who does? If you install it as a slave in another PC you will be able get your data - even better if the other PC has a CD Writer.
It looks like you have some bad RAM. If you don't know how to test, replace or diagnose RAM, take the PC to a repair centre. Tell them the error you are getting. Or you could try (if you know how), repartitioning the drive, formatting, then re-installing. But I'm pretty sure the RAM is your problem. Let us know how you get on.
Why does it sound like bad RAM? Stop C2 Errors are usually driver related - and if they ARE hardware related it's more often than not driver dependant hardware lile a modem or drive controller.
Driver related? Then why would XP fail to install when only checking for a previous installation? If a repartition don't fix it, I'm sticking to RAM. We'll see .
It happens on startup too - I suspect drive controller I hope I'm wrong - swapping RAM is much more pleasant
thank you very mcuh for your answers! i don't know how to test, replace or diagnose RAM but I am sure i can learn! I ran into this microsoft website (see link below) allowing you to create a memory diagnostics disk. You think i should run it on my computer or it could harm it? http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp
Hmm... I don't know about a Windows Microsoft diag... I was thinking something more.... industrial. AMIDiag http://www.amidiag.com/ ...for dos.
amidiag looks like a very difficult application to handle... so if i understand you right i have to create an ms dos boot floppy disk, then install amidiag using another floppy and then run amidiag. what do i have to check with amidiag? is amidiag able to solve my problem or is it just going to do a diagnostic? i have additionnal information about the C2 error since last time. The first parameter of the error is 0x00000043 which means that there is an Attempt to free a virtual address that was never in any pool...
Once you create the two boot disks, load them up by retstarting your computer. Once it is loaded, select the Memory menu, and select all the tests (by pressing spacebar). Go the last menu, and select "Run selected tests" It' going to take around 15-120 minutes. depending ont eh amount of RAM you have. At the end, you need to check the error codes it gives you. Do see the error codes, you need to save the result to a log file. You can do this in the last menu. Open the log file from within the same menu. Write down the error codes (they'll look something like E0717, 0A98), then open the help system. Type in the codes Write down the error explanation. If it comes up clean, you may want to run all tests on the machine. To do that, select the last menu, and choose "Select all tests", and "Run selected tests".
"The Stop 0xC2 error message indicates that a kernel-mode process or driver incorrectly attempted to perform a memory operation. This error message is typically caused by a faulty device driver or software." From Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 314492 In english: some software or a malfunctioning device is trying to do something only the "kernel" (core instuctions of WindowsXP) is allowed to do. Have you tried hitting F8 when windows starts and starting in safe mode? Just offhand, I'm guessing it's a video driver. Starting with the generic VGA that safe mode uses will work until you can fix it. Even if it isn't the video driver with safe mode you can start Windows and kill off any TSRs (terminate and stay resident programs) that could be the cause and use a process of elimination to find what is causing the problem.
Thank you all for your help. i have managed to find my data back using a new hard drive and putting the old one as a slave on my computer. To keep you posted, it is very strange because the problem is clearly linked to my old hard drive but at the same time all my old files are still available when the drive is linked as a slave drive. For some reason it was impossible to re-install XP on the old hard drive because some parts where corrupt i guess. Now, Windows XP is installed on my computer but i could need some help on the way to reinstall all the drivers... assuming i can find the CD's with the drivers for all the hardware linked to my PC what is the best way to install them back? i'm mainly thinking about how to reinstall the audio card, the video card, the printer, the dvd burner and how to restore my connection to my internet provider. also, do you think it would be safer for me to burn all the data on my old hard drive and then format it or i can leave it the way it is as a slave? thank you
Yay! I was wrong Windows XP should pickup and install most of the drivers for the devices you have. Check Device Manager to see what is left over. You can install the new drivers by A) Running a CD that came with the computer/device B) Downloading a new driver off the Internet and installing it. Run the Add New Hardware Wizard to install the inf drivers you downloaded. Or go back into the Device Manager and select the device that needs a driver installed -update. Drivers can be real ******* sometimes. Let us know how you fair. Contact your ISP for your connection details and settings. If you have importent data on the hard drive, the safe thing you could do is burn the data, and copy it to your new drive, and leave it on the old drive. Or you could just pick any two of these options. If you need the extra space, you could burn the data and delete it from the old hard drive. Deleting it should not be an issue aslong as you are not using any programs from it.
