Blue Screen of Death...Help Please!!

CHIRO1020 · Apr 19, 2010

I need help...please!! When I start-up my Dell laptop it goes to a screen that gives me several options: start with safe mode, start normal...etc. No matter which choice I select, It then proceeds to the blue screen with the following stop message: 0X0000007E (0XC0000005, 0XF74E47C0, 0XF79AA528, 0XF79AA224) atapi.sys - address F74E47C0 base at F74CE000, datestamp 4802539d
I have made several attemps to start the computer in safe mode and each time it goes to the blue screen.
My wife was using the computer last, and while surfing the internet....she states that the computer was acting "weird".

thesmokingun · Apr 19, 2010

what operating system? I'm assuming it's xp, due to the choices you have for startup.
was there an option to select "last known good configuration" ?

my suggestion would be to get a windows xp disk and do the following:

Starting the Windows Recovery Console from the Windows XP CD-ROM
If you have not preinstalled the Windows Recovery Console, you can start the computer and use the Recovery Console directly from your original Windows XP installation disc. If your computer is already in Windows and you want to add the Windows Recovery Console as a startup option, go to the next section "Adding the Windows Recovery Console as a startup option."

1. Insert the Windows XP CD into your CD drive and restart your computer. If you are prompted, select any options required to start (boot) from the CD.
2. When the text-based part of Setup begins, follow the prompts. Select the repair or recover option by pressing R.
3. If you have a dual-boot or multiboot system, select the installation that you want to access from the Recovery Console.
4. When you are prompted, type the Administrator password.
5. At the command prompt, type Recovery Console commands, and then you can refer to the commands that are listed in the "Available commands within Windows Recovery Console" section.
6. At any time, you can type Help for a list of available commands.
7. At any time, you can type Help commandname for help on a specific command. For example, you can type help attrib to display the help on the attributes command.
8. At any time, you can exit Windows Recovery Console by typing Exit at the command line.
Click to expand...

at the command prompt, type chkdsk /p

CHIRO1020 · Apr 19, 2010

It is Windows XP...there is a choice for "last known good configuration". That sends me to the blue screen as well. Thanks for the help.

plodr · Apr 19, 2010

Two possible causes and neither are pleasant, from seeing that atapi.sys is listed
1. you have malware (possibly installed while your wife was surfing)
2. you have a rootkit; a windows update will bluescreen a computer (this first showed up in Feb. due to a windows update and I believe it is the same in April).

Unfortunately, you need to be able to boot into windows to use the malware removal section here.

I'm not at all sure this will work: replace the atapi.sys in the Dell with an atapi.sys from another computer running the same version, including service packs of windows that you are.

Hold off doing that. Some geek might appear with a much better idea.

CHIRO1020 · Apr 19, 2010

OK...I found 2 disks. One is labeled Drivers and Utilities the other is labeled Operating system reinstallation CD windows XP professional service pack 2. I also found something that says "your new computer does not require an operating system CD or drivers CD. Instead, if you need to reinstall.....use one of the following....

What do I use?

CHIRO1020 · Apr 19, 2010

OK....my blue screen stop message has now changed to stop: 0x0000007B (0xF79AA524, 0xC0000034,0x00000000, 0x00000000)......now what! I'm pulling my hair out!!

brandypeppy · Apr 20, 2010

Do you have your data saved? Can you boot into safe mode? If safe mode runs good, it probably is what plodr days.

Then, you have two choices. Go through the Malware removal:
http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=35407

Or do a reinstall with that disk, which will lose ALL of your data. A repair won't remove the malware. :wave:wave

CHIRO1020 · Apr 20, 2010

It will not start from safe mode....no matter which choice I select...it goes to the blue screen. I do not have my data saved either.

TimW · Apr 20, 2010

Is it still pointing to the atapi.sys file? You may need to replace that file in the recovery console.

copy d:\i386\atapi.sys c:\windows\system32\drivers\atapi.sys

or:
expand d:\i386\atapi.sy_ c:\windows\system32\drivers\atapi.sys

Note: D: = Drive letter of your CD/DVD drive.

CHIRO1020 · Apr 20, 2010

No. The atapi.sys message is gone. It changed to stop: 0x0000007B (0xF79AA524, 0xC0000034,0x00000000, 0x00000000). So, has it now become a hard drive issue? I'm starting to think that its time to take it out back and shoot it!!

LI_Geek_95 · Apr 20, 2010

Please don't shoot your computer. It doesn't need to go to computer heaven like my fan, and TeeCee's processer, et al.

Use this guide to back up your data to a flash drive, then boot from the CD you have labeled Operating System

CHIRO1020 · Apr 20, 2010

zDAWG, the link was to Ubuntu Live CD Guide....is that corrrect? I didn't see how to download my data to a flash drive. If there is a way that I can extract the data on my computer at this point....I'm happy. So, if someone can get me there...that would be awesome. Saving the computer, at this point, is just a bonus! It's a 3.5 year old dell laptop...I don't know how much longer it's gonna last anyway. Thanks to everyone for the help so far....this is great!

CHIRO1020 · Apr 24, 2010

Hi everyone....So, I am still getting the BSOD with the following: stop: 0x0000007B (0xF79AA524, 0xC0000034,0x00000000, 0x00000000). Which is a different message from the one that I was getting earlier in this thread. The computer is a dell inspiron E1505 that has the Media Direct option. If I open the Media Direct, I can view all of the pictures that are on my computer. I can not start my computer in the safe mode. I would like to get to my pictures and files and down load them off of the computer before this gets worse. Can someone please help me with this. At this point, I am not as concerned with saving the computer as I am with saving my stuff. Thanks.

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Blue Screen of Death...Help Please!!

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