System Restore error 0x0000007b during WinXP boot

quikfingaz

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Mar 30, 2009
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I have a 4yo Dell Dimension 8400 with Windows XP which I have restored to factory settings twice before (because I never knew how to do Hard Disk Clean Formats) but when I tried it again today I encountered some horrendous error which I have yet to bypass. It's a blue screen of death that appears while attempting to load Windows. I supposedly completed the system restore and Windows set up due to being able to configure admin password, time, etc.

I googled the 0x0000007b error but nothing applies to me. I haven't installed any hardware or messed with any cables or BIOS prior to doing the Factory System Restore. I have also installed Windows via the Reinstallation CD on a backup internal Hard Drive but that also gets the same problem.

I did the HD diagnostics but nothing, then used the Recovery Console from the Reinstallation CD to run "chkdsk /p" and said that it encountered 2 errors, so then I did "chkdsk /r" to fix but nothing, so then I did "FIXMBR" but I'm still seeing that darn BSOD...

I ran Knoppix off a live CD just to see if I could see the Hard Drive files and they seem to be intact. While researching the problem in forums people said that they ran Linux live to fix that 0x0000007b problem but I have no clue on what to do...

Full error message is "Stop: 0x0000007b (0xf7a40528, 0xc0000034, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)"


Help please, I have 300GB+ of years of work of data and entertainment. I do not want to lose it all just like that...




PS: I'm new so I'm not sure where help questions are supposed to go. I apologize in advance.
 

suidaeempathy

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I had this happen to me. After running a hard disk check on the hard drive (within the bios), it was determined this was a bad hard drive. Chances are you will not be able to recover the data with software programs, or normal hardware utilities. However, you can always send the hard drive to companies that specialize data recover through HI_TECH means. For example, ontrack is such a company, but there are many more. Of course, specialized data recovery is very expensive.
 

quikfingaz

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But the thing is while running Knoppix I saw the files I backed up to the second HD and I could open pics and videos (only a few because Knoppix can't open many Windows files) and the Windows OS files were all installed.
 

quikfingaz

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But the thing is while running Knoppix I saw the files I backed up to the second HD and I could open pics and videos (only a few because Knoppix can't open many Windows file formats) and the Windows OS files were all installed.

I have installed WXP on both my main HD and Backup internal HD and they both give me that BSOD error despite being able to read the HD with Knoppix...

I can't understand how they could both get messed up in a single day.


Sorry for double post for this forum is not allowing me to edit my message.