Vista home 32 sp2 bsod 21a

waddler_8

smos585 wrote: »

....must be very clever only to happen when system is cold

Ah... Misread your OP.

smos585

Well!

I have taken advice, I replaced the graphics, psu, ram, reseated the CPU with new paste, and did a chkdsk, but still got the bsod 21a.

I also tried booting from a Vista home 32 disk, and before it got to the point where it asks which country, I got a bsod 21a.

So bearing in mind the above, would you conclude that in all probablility it might be a motherboard issue? If not what else could it be?

Toxteth_OGrady

If you can get into the cmd prompt you could run system file checker:

sfc /scannow

Also try booting with min h/w installed - boot disk only, 1 stick ram, gfx. Disconnect all other disks. optical drives, peripheral cards.

You can also try Driver Verifier:

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/window-on-windows/troubleshoot-driver-problems-in-vista-with-the-driver-verifier-manager/827

More info here on advanced bsod troubleshooting:

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/windows-bsod.html

It might be getting to the point however where the least time consuming course of action for you, once the pc has successfully booted into Windows, is to back-up all your data and then do a fresh re-install of your OS.

closed

what's the full text on the bsod

make and model of machine

smos585

Toxteth_OGrady wrote: »

If you can get into the cmd prompt you could run system file checker:

sfc /scannow

Also try booting with min h/w installed - boot disk only, 1 stick ram, gfx. Disconnect all other disks. optical drives, peripheral cards.

You can also try Driver Verifier:

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/window-on-windows/troubleshoot-driver-problems-in-vista-with-the-driver-verifier-manager/827

More info here on advanced bsod troubleshooting:

http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/windows-bsod.html

It might be getting to the point however where the least time consuming course of action for you, once the pc has successfully booted into Windows, is to back-up all your data and then do a fresh re-install of your OS.

Thank you Toxteth.

I have already run sfc twice and checked the CBS logs - still the same 21a.

I agree about the time factor too. But I am concerned that when I tried to boot from the Vista OS disk I got the 21a before it allowed me to state the country details (first question on a re-install). Hence my question whether it is worth even trying to reinstall the OS? I will try again with the OS disk on a clean hdd.

Do you agree though it sounds like a mobo issue?

Toxteth_OGrady

smos585 wrote: »

Do you agree though it sounds like a mobo issue?

Not necessarily and you could waste a lot more time clutching at straws. Having said that have you tried the min h/w config?

As Closed said it may help if you post the full content of the bsod error.

If you have a Hirens Boot CD or a Linux distro CD then, once you have backed up your data, you could boot with one of those and format the disk with gParted. Then re-install Vista.

smos585

Toxteth_OGrady wrote:

Do you agree though it sounds like a mobo issue?
Not necessarily and you could waste a lot more time clutching at straws. Having said that have you tried the min h/w config?

As Closed said it may help if you post the full content of the bsod error.

If you have a Hirens Boot CD or a Linux distro CD then, once you have backed up your data, you could boot with one of those and format the disk with gParted. Then re-install Vista

Thank you - As you know the 21a goes away after it warms up so not able to recreate it at will.

Yes, I have tried on a minimal boot with everything bar the hdd/mobo/cpu either removed or replaced - same issue on cold boot. Same issue when trying to boot from the OS DVD when cold. What I was able to do when warmed up is to re-install the OS on a spare hdd. My guess is that if I get the same 21a on a cold boot - I will be content that it is a mobo issue.

Thank you for holding my hand through this!

VMTech

Are the capacitors around the CPU starting to swell up? If so they are failing.

smos585

VMTech wrote: »

Are the capacitors around the CPU starting to swell up? If so they are failing.

I don't know as I find it difficult sometimes to tell.

Anyway this morning with everything bar the cpu/mobo either removed or changed, including the hdd with a brand new Vista SP1 installed, failed 3 times before it would boot.

The error was system stopped. Initial system process terminated. c000021a (89110D68, 00000000, 0010037C) 6.0.6001 SP1 768_1 - there was no other info such as failing module, or location of the problem.

I am now convinced that this is a hardware error, probably the mobo, that gives rise to the 21a error - googling I find another example with the same symptoms which also turned out to be a bad mobo.

Thanks everyone for working with me.

Toxteth_OGrady

If your bios supports it you could try some voltage tweaks on your cpu and ram and/or underclock the cpu. Might possibly improve stability.