Member Avatar for farisito

Hi
ok so I'm getting the Blue Screen message

*** STOP: 0x0000007E (0xc0000005, 0xF77CA3C0, 0xF7C6A528, 0XF7C6A224)
*** atapi.sys - Address F77CA3CO base at F77B4000, DateStamp 41107b4d

so i tried to run in Safe Mode but went back to the blue screen.

so I ran the XP Boot Disk, and had the option of pressing 'Enter' to Install XP, (although after a series of further options it tells me Windows already exists and re-installing will lose all Windows related files as well as potentially losing My Documents - something I am unwilling to lose)
whilst the other option is 'R', to run the recovery console.
Should I go down this route?
If so, would I be right in then typing FIXBOOT at the DOS Command Screen, selecting 'y' for the partition, and then typing Exit. Upon restarting then ignoring the 'Press Any Key' and seeing what happens?
Or is the 'R' recovery route not a good option?

thanks in advance

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by caperjack

Dani AI

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A blue-screen that names the ATAPI driver and shows a system-thread exception usually means a storage/driver/kernel problem rather than a random Windows glitch: common causes are a failing drive or controller, a corrupted or mismatched driver file, BIOS/controller mode changes, or—less commonly—malware that tampers with the atapi.sys driver. (learn.microsoft.com)

First priority is data safety. Stop doing repeated “repair” writes to the disk until you copy your important files off the drive. The safest options are to remove the drive and attach it to a second PC (USB enclosure) or boot a Live USB and copy files to an external drive; that avoids making changes to the failing volume. (askubuntu.com)

Do non‑destructive diagnostics next. Run a full RAM test to rule out memory faults, then run a bootable manufacturer disk test (SMART and surface scans) to check for bad sectors or electronics failure. Also try the simple, low-risk step suggested: power down and reseat or replace the data/power cable and boot with only the primary disk connected — intermittent cables/controllers are a frequent cause. (memtest.org)

If the atapi.sys file itself is altered by malware (there are documented cases where rootkits modified that driver and triggered BSODs), scan the drive from a clean machine with an offline rootkit remover before attempting file replacement or repairs. If hardware checks out, a Windows XP repair (in‑place reinstall) can restore system files without erasing user data—but only after you have a verified backup. (pcworld.com)

Quick checklist: 1) backup immediately; 2) memtest; 3) bootable HDD diagnostics; 4) offline rootkit scan from another PC; 5) if disk is healthy, consider repair install per Microsoft. The photo‑copy approach (backup first) preserves recovery options if the drive is failing.

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Member Avatar for caperjack

i would go the "R" route but would type chkdsk /r, not fixboot, space between k and /

Member Avatar for farisito

thanks for the reply;
i did the chkdsk /r
and rebooted in safe mode but i'm back to the same blue screen..

what should i do now?..

thanks

Member Avatar for caperjack

thanks for the reply;
i did the chkdsk /r

and did it say if it found and fixed any errors

and rebooted in safe mode but i'm back to the same blue screen..

and did you try to boot to regular mode .

what should i do now?..

thanks

it could be a bad hardrive ,if its a desktop computer try opening the case and unplugging cable to hdd and cdrom and then plugging them back in , remove tower fro wall plug first

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