Re: System Crash

Tech Tip: Click here to run a free scan for Windows Errors and optimize PC performance

Heidi Linda wrote:
Carole UK wrote:

I originally posted this on the 'mobile devices' forum, but the problem is clearly now not related to my PDA

My Dell laptop (XP, fully up to date) suddenly crashed a couple of days ago with various error codes - "STOP c000021a (Fatal System error) The session manager initialization system process terminated unexpectedley" also " BIOS not ACPI Compliant".
It crashed several times, but I managed to get it stable for long enough to do a restore. I've done research on ACPI and on the various error codes I got, and it seems to point to a problem with 'devices'.
Anyway - everything was fine until I re-installed my Toshiba PocketPC e400 and it crashed again within minutes. Unplugged the PDA, did the restore again, then uninstalled Activesync just to be extra safe, and all was OK for a couple of days.

However, today it crashed again (without PDA or anything else on that port) and I can't get it to boot at all. I'm resigned to doing a full re-install unless any of you clever people out there can give me a clue. I really don't have a couple of days to spare to re-install the whole system and everything else I've got on it. Much appreciation in advance.


Hiya. I'm afraid it looks like you've got the wrong group again, assuming you're using XPPro. The .general group might be of more help with this sort of problem.
That said, there's a few things I'd try.
Firstly, if it mostly happens when you're using a lot of USB devices etc, try running without any for a while. If it's OK when you do that and then starts going haywire when you connect them up, it could be a power problem, so a new PSU might sort you out.
I'd also try running memtest to eliminate your RAM as the problem and checking the machine's not overheating, that all the fans are working OK and that the machine isn't clogged with dust and cruft.
Whipping out any PCI cards and putting them back one at a time can help find the problem, too - if it doesn't fall over without the PCI cards, and it starts doing it when you put a particular one back, try again with *just* that one. If it stops falling over with just that one card, but does with several then that would point to a PSU issue too.

....er, obviously ignore most of that, as I failed to see the bit about 'laptop'. I think it's time for bed.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: System Crash
    ... manager initialization system process terminated unexpectedley" also " BIOS not ACPI ... Unplugged the PDA, did the restore again, then uninstalled Activesync just to be extra safe, and all was OK for a couple of days. ... I really don't have a couple of days to spare to re-install the whole system and everything else I've got on it. ... Whipping out any PCI cards and putting them back one at a time can help find the problem, too - if it doesn't fall over without the PCI cards, and it starts doing it when you put a particular one back, try again with *just* that one. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.embedded)
  • Re: System Crash
    ... I've done research on ACPI and on the various error codes I ... Unplugged the PDA, did the restore ... have a couple of days to spare to re-install the whole system and ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.perform_maintain)
  • Re: AvantGo not syncing?
    ... > Note, if you have an intenet connection on your ppc, you can do the same ... ActiveSync and PDA) and syncing at an odd time (for US and UK ... about the fact that I've lost about a meg for the re-install (given ...
    (microsoft.public.pocketpc)
  • Re: Unable to syncronise notes
    ... I think I'm going to uninstall outlook and AS, hard reset ... the pda, then re-install bit by bit to see where the ...
    (microsoft.public.pocketpc.activesync)