Sign in with
Sign up | Sign in
Your question

Help ! Locked out of Windows 8

Tags:
  • Windows 8
Last response: in Windows 8
Share
October 16, 2014 8:52:03 AM

My laptop was working fine, but I noticed that the hard drive had started lagging a little, nothing serious though.

Today I turned it off and when I turned it back on I got a 0xc000021a error message, following which Automatic Repair initiated.

I'm now getting a message saying automatic repair couldn't fix my PC and that a log file is present in D:\Windows\System32\Logfiles\Srt\SrtTrail.txt

I have advanced options available. I tried doing a system restore but that fails. I have the command prompt available to me, but when I open it, it shows X: instead of C:

I tried rebooting and tapping F8 but I'm unable to access safe mode. I tried accessing safe mode from the Automatic Repair menu, but that doesn't work either. My BIOS is Insyde H20 and it's at default values.

Laptop: http://www.flipkart.com/acer-gateway-ne56r-laptop-2nd-g...

Windows 8 64-bit installed

More about : locked windows

a b * Windows 8
October 16, 2014 9:11:03 AM

Looks like you will just have to boot inot recovery partiton and have it wipe everything.
m
0
l
October 16, 2014 9:12:56 AM

How do I do that?
m
0
l
Related resources
October 16, 2014 9:17:54 AM

Why do I have to wipe everything? Is it possible to insert a Windows 8 boot cd and have the cd repair my laptop?

EDIT: Or can't I use ubcd to boot my laptop into safe mode?
m
0
l
a b * Windows 8
October 16, 2014 9:24:24 AM

The automatic repair that failed on you is the same thing as doing a repair from cd back in the XP days.
m
0
l
October 16, 2014 9:26:52 AM

Is wiping everything out the only alternative left? Why am I unable to access safe mode?
m
0
l
October 16, 2014 9:33:48 AM

I tried pressing Alt + F10 as the manual said and I got a message on the bottom left corner of the screen saying 'Opening acer recovery system' but Windows booted normally and I'm back to the automatic repair interface.

I have the command prompt available to me. If you could help me get into safe mode somehow maybe we could get it working again? The problem is pressing F8 does not get me to safe mode, and now Alt + F10 doesn't work either.
m
0
l
a b * Windows 8
October 16, 2014 9:36:44 AM

Some core part of the OS is completley corrupted.

Its a matter of efficiency. Even if you had the advanced knowledge of the OS, it would take way longer to find the problem then to just start from scratch.

If this is an issue with your files, this is why you need to backup.
At this point you can still take a sata-usb adapter, remove your laptop hard drive, and plug it into another computer and get your files.
m
0
l
October 16, 2014 9:40:05 AM

Will the OS being corrupted stop the laptop from performing a factory reset? Like I said it was running fine, and the problem started only when I shut it down. Also, what do you think the cause of this problem might be?
m
0
l
a b * Windows 8
October 16, 2014 9:49:54 AM

dejavu619 said:
Will the OS being corrupted stop the laptop from performing a factory reset? Like I said it was running fine, and the problem started only when I shut it down. Also, what do you think the cause of this problem might be?


OP: NO you can NOT get to SAFE MODE ANY MORE. WINDOWS IS HOSED.
You did EVERY step right, but something went wrong BEFORE you 'turned it off' (the error message). Virus? HD broke? who knows as it doesn't matter the PC is unusable.

You have TWO options
1) Remove the HD and use a USB-SATA connection then mouse around the directories (like a external HD) and find your data to copy to a SECOND hard drive
2) LESSON LEARNED ALWAYS BACKUP - So now suck it up, wipe the drive as the instructions say and get a ext. HD to 'backup' your critical data.

IF this was a Windows 8.1 Update (not Windows 8) then when you 'log in' with your 'Live! Account' into the PC, it automatically SYNCHED all your files to your LIVE! One Drive https://onedrive.live.com/ which you can check here to see if ANY of the data was backed up you needed. If it was, when you 'reimage' then go through the hours of updating WIndows (200 patches BEFORE installing Windows 8.1 through Microsoft Store), when your done that same ONEDRIVE data will be downloaded back to your PC.
m
0
l
October 16, 2014 9:52:59 AM

What do I do once I've retrieved the data from my hard drive using the USB- SATA connection? Insert a Windows 8 install disc and boot from optical drive, or should I do something else before this?
m
0
l
a b * Windows 8
October 16, 2014 10:02:00 AM

dejavu619 said:
What do I do once I've retrieved the data from my hard drive using the USB- SATA connection? Insert a Windows 8 install disc and boot from optical drive, or should I do something else before this?


Put back the drive and follow PAGE 87 as noted above. It explains every step.

Honestly if you have to ask that, you should STOP and bring the computer to a local PC shop for them to do all this. WE on the forums can't provide EVERY step, because sometimes it is just something ONLY STANDING in front of the PC we would 'know to do', and we can't / don't provide that level of 'every possible step' as your looking for.
m
0
l
October 16, 2014 10:14:31 AM

I already said that I tried to follow what was said on page 87 but that didn't work:

Quote:
I tried pressing Alt + F10 as the manual said and I got a message on the bottom left corner of the screen saying 'Opening acer recovery system' but Windows booted normally and I'm back to the automatic repair interface.


I'll retrieve the data and use my Win 8 install disc to reinstall windows. Thanks.
m
0
l
a b * Windows 8
October 16, 2014 10:27:10 AM

0xc000021a means a core user mode program
most often WinLogon or the Client Server Run-Time Subsystem (CSRSS)
has been corrupted and windows detected that corruption and shut down.

These are often the result of malware attacks, but can also be cause by other problems.
(memory corruption issues in hardware, some driver overwriting the memory, disk corruption,...)

if it is cause by malware, they often go an delete your backups/recover images and make it very hard to do a automatic repair.

-when you boot off of another image of windows. it is normal for the image to be on x:
the repair does this because you will have the your copy of windows on c:\

Now the fact that the error log is on D:\Windows\System32\Logfiles\Srt\SrtTrail.txt
is of interest because it may mean you have a simple problem where your drive letter has been remapped from c: to d:
and all you have to do is change it back and reboot.

I think you would boot on the windows repair image
then use the bootrec.exe command
bootrec.exe /fixboot
bootrec.exe /rebuidbcb
bootrec.exe /fixmbr
bootrec.exe /scanos

here is info http://www.7tutorials.com/command-prompt-fix-issues-you...

dejavu619 said:
My laptop was working fine, but I noticed that the hard drive had started lagging a little, nothing serious though.

Today I turned it off and when I turned it back on I got a 0xc000021a error message, following which Automatic Repair initiated.

I'm now getting a message saying automatic repair couldn't fix my PC and that a log file is present in D:\Windows\System32\Logfiles\Srt\SrtTrail.txt

I have advanced options available. I tried doing a system restore but that fails. I have the command prompt available to me, but when I open it, it shows X: instead of C:

I tried rebooting and tapping F8 but I'm unable to access safe mode. I tried accessing safe mode from the Automatic Repair menu, but that doesn't work either. My BIOS is Insyde H20 and it's at default values.

Laptop: http://www.flipkart.com/acer-gateway-ne56r-laptop-2nd-g...

Windows 8 64-bit installed


m
0
l
October 16, 2014 10:59:58 PM

I ran the commands you have mentioned in command prompt and after running the last command, ie. bootrec.exe /scanos I got this
"Total identified Windows installations: 0
The operation completed successfully."

Also, I'm able to run the Microsoft Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset and open the "Computer Management" tool.

Disk Management shows me three volumes for the laptop:

C: - System Reserved - NTFS - 350 MB - Local Disc
D: - NTFS - 100.53 GB - Local Disc
E: Akshay - NTFS - 364.89 GB - Local Disc

And the fourth one of course is my Windows 8 DVD.

From here, should I format any of the partitions?
m
0
l
October 17, 2014 12:19:51 AM

Ok so I installed Windows 8.1 but the problem is that some games and programs that were installed earlier were located on the non-Windows partition of the hard drive. And although they're still here their registry entries were wiped out due to installation of Windows. Is there a way to solve this problem?
m
0
l
a b * Windows 8
October 17, 2014 10:54:48 AM

Yep REINSTALL ever single one from scratch.
m
0
l
October 17, 2014 10:36:03 PM

Thanks guys. I formatted and reinstalled Windows on the partition it was present on and everything is fine now :) 
m
0
l
!