error 0xc000000e problem (topic title changed)

[piotrania]

As suggested:

1. I dissabled hard disks in BIOS and tried to boot from USB-VistaCE. Result - the error.

2. I run MemTest+. Result no errors.

Now I'm a little bit lost and can't find reason why before tests I could boot from USB-VistaCE on this computer.

BTW what tool you can recommend for analyzing MBR data file.

Edited August 5, 2008 by piotrania

[jaclaz]

Only two possibilities are left, as I see it:

1) something changed in BIOS

2) something changed on the stick that prevents it booting ONLY on that machine.

For 1) it's just a matter to play a bit with the settings, I would start with "failsafe" settings.

For 2) I would copy the files on the stick, repartition and re-format it properly, and restore back the files.

To "see" a MBR data best apps are Beeblebrox or PTEDIT32, for "code" any Hex editor (and a lot of experience ) will do.

jaclaz

[piotrania]

For 1) it's just a matter to play a bit with the settings, I would start with "failsafe" settings.

Sorry there is no failesafe option in my computer BIOS ( V. 2.51 American Megatrends)

For 2) I would copy the files on the stick, repartition and re-format it properly, and restore back the files.

Please explain what you mean by properly. I have formated another USB Samsung Mightly stick using as before Partdisk and commands mentioned before. Then I copied files from my "original" USB-VistaCE. Result the same I can boot from this stick other computers except my desktop. As I have not istalled Vista in my computers so I use Diskpart under VistaCE (booted from CD). If stick is formated let say by Acronis it doesn't works at all (non system disk)

Edited August 6, 2008 by piotrania

[jaclaz]

1) Sometimes a seemingly "stupid" setting in the BIOS like (as an example) "Enable Leagacy USB support" - designed to support USB keyboard and mouse - can alter the way the booting is done, or "PNP OS installed", I am not familiar at all with American Trends BIOS, cannot say.

2) Please post the MBR and bootsector of the newly formatted stick, I would like to check that CHS values are allright, and check whether the disk signature has changed or not.

jaclaz

[piotrania]

1) Sometimes a seemingly "stupid" setting in the BIOS like (as an example) "Enable Leagacy USB support" - designed to support USB keyboard and mouse - can alter the way the booting is done, or "PNP OS installed", I am not familiar at all with American Trends BIOS, cannot say.

I've played changing BIOS ( USB function ,Legacy USB support, USB 2.0 Controller, USB storage Device Emulation Mode , Plug and Play O/S) but no positive result.

2) Please post the MBR and bootsector of the newly formatted stick, I would like to check that CHS values are allright, and check whether the disk signature has changed or not.

I've formatted by Diskpart two new sticks :Samsung Mighty 1GB and GoodDriveED 2GB and copied VistaCE. Result the same as before I can boot from both sticks many other computers except my desktop. MBR data files enclosed.

Data2.rar

Edited August 7, 2008 by piotrania

[jaclaz]

Still you have "unconventional" MBR data, with 128 hidden sectors.

Please do the following:

1) Backup whatever you have on the Samsung stick

2) Copy with HDhacker the attached Samsung3_test.dat to the MBR of the Samsung stick

3) Remove the stick

4) Re-insert the stick

5) Right click on the drive letter assigned to the stick in Explorer and choose to format it

6) Restore the backed up files

Try booting.

Repeat with Samsung4_test.dat and Samsung5_test.dat

The supplied MBR's, besides having a (hopefully) right partition data have the disk signature "zeroed" out.

The previous signature of the Samsung was "52C4F784", you can use MBRfix to experiment either restoring it as it was or changing it to a different one.

Samsung3_test.dat has Vista MBR code (untouched from Samsung2.dat)

Samsung4_test.dat has 2K/XP/2003 MBR code

Samsung5_test.dat has 2K/XP/2003 MBR code with the HP utility workaround:

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/?showtopic=2246&st=15

I don't think that there can be a difference, but you never know, running out of ideas....

jaclaz

[jaclaz]

Still you have "unconventional" MBR data, with 128 hidden sectors.

Please do the following:

1) Backup whatever you have on the Samsung stick

2) Copy with HDhacker the attached Samsung3_test.dat to the MBR of the Samsung stick

3) Remove the stick

4) Re-insert the stick

5) Right click on the drive letter assigned to the stick in Explorer and choose to format it

6) Restore the backed up files

Try booting.

Repeat with Samsung4_test.dat and Samsung5_test.dat

The supplied MBR's, besides having a (hopefully) right partition data have the disk signature "zeroed" out.

The previous signature of the Samsung was "52C4F784", you can use MBRfix to experiment either restoring it as it was or changing it to a different one.

Samsung3_test.dat has Vista MBR code (untouched from Samsung2.dat)

Samsung4_test.dat has 2K/XP/2003 MBR code

Samsung5_test.dat has 2K/XP/2003 MBR code with the HP utility workaround:

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/?showtopic=2246&st=15

I don't think that there can be a difference, but you never know, running out of ideas....

jaclaz

Samsung_test.zip

[piotrania]

Please do the following:

1) Backup whatever you have on the Samsung stick

2) Copy with HDhacker the attached Samsung3_test.dat to the MBR of the Samsung stick

3) Remove the stick

4) Re-insert the stick

5) Right click on the drive letter assigned to the stick in Explorer and choose to format it

6) Restore the backed up files

Try booting.

Repeat with Samsung4_test.dat and Samsung5_test.dat

I followed above instruction and in all cases (Samsung 3, 4, 5 test.dat) no boot at all on my desktop and other computers - DISK ERROR. I think the reason is formating in WindowsXP Explorer

I've made additional tests . Stick was formatted with Diskpart and then using HDhacker I changed MBR from dat files (Samsung 3, 4, 5 test.dat). In all cases I could boot to other computers (except my Desktop). I also used mbrfix (fixmbr command) the result was the same.

[jaclaz]

piotrania, sorry, but "no boot" means nothing to me, I need a description of what happens and what errors (if any) are displayed, like "non system disk", "cannot find NTLDR" a flashing cursor, a "j" or "k" in top left of the screen....something.

I omitted a step that I gave for implicit.

When using the format command on the stick with the MBR's I posted, you should have a VALID partition.

If you do that on XP the bootsector code will of course invoke NTLDR.

Copy a NTLDR+NTDETECT.COM+BOOT.INI (this latter with at least two entries) to the stick.

If you can see the BOOT.INI choices, the "real" (CHS/LBA/MBR/bootsector related) part of the booting process.

If you use the format command under Vista the bootsector code will be that invoking BOOTMGR.

To "switch" between the two codes you can use the bootsect.exe utility.

bootsect.exe /nt52 <DriveLetter>: will produce a NT/2K/XP/2003 compatible bootsector invoking NTLDR.

bootsect.exe /nt60 <DriveLetter>: will produce a Vista/2008 compatible bootsector invoking BOOTMGR.

Pleas try again applying the posted MBR's, formatting under XP and adding NTLDR, NTDETECT.COM and BOOT.INI, this way we can make sure that it is not a problem in the "initial" "real" part of booting.

Another test that you should/could make is using fuwi's batch here:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=21702

What I still cannot get is whether the problem is something related to "general" USB booting or to the particular VistaPE/VistaCE.

jaclaz

[piotrania]

piotrania, sorry, but "no boot" means nothing to me, I need a description of what happens and what errors (if any) are displayed, like "non system disk", "cannot find NTLDR" a flashing cursor, a "j" or "k" in top left of the screen....something.

To be frank I do not understand you. I know that it's important to you so I put down an error in capital letters "DISK ERROR" ( see above)

I see that you are proposing to go another way. As I said at the beginng I do not want to change method of booting. I want only to get explanation why I can not boot my dektop from my USB-VistaCE ( before I could). I boot another computers easily from my stick ( till now I've checked 20 computers and no failed try).

Maybe some more information on my USB-VistaCE stick. It is simply created by formating USB stick using Diskpart and copying files from CD VistaCE ( this CD was attached to Chip Magazine last year)

Structure of files is as follows:

1. Boot (folder) containing: BCD, BOOT.SDI, BOOTFIX.BIN, ETFSBOOT.COM

2. EFI (folder) >Microsoft (folder) >Boot (foder) containing BCD

3. Sources (folder) containing BOOT.WIM

4. BOOTMGR

If you need I can send you CD image.

To summarize:

It was confirmed that error "0xc000000e" was not caused by Microdrive Drive Filter or Acronis Disk Director (I disconnected hard disk drives and the error appeared)

Probably BIOS of my Desktop is causing "0xc000000e" error but why it was OK before it is mystery. I have not changed hardware or updated BIOS. I use default settings in BIOS.

[jaclaz]

Well, I was just trying to understand where the error came from.

"DISK ERROR" does not come from MBR, which has:

Invalid partition table
Error loading operating system
Missing operating system

It does not come from the bootsector, that has either (2K/XP/2003 version):

Invalid system disk
Disk I/O error
Replace the disk, and then press any key

or:

NTLDR is missing
Disk error
Press any key to restart

You may note how the "Disk error" message in bootsector is not ALL CAPITALS, so, either the error comes from the BIOS or it was a "Disk error" reported as "DISK ERROR".

However since you are afraid that I may take you on "another way" that you wish not to take, I guess we can live the matter as is, as said:

I don't think that there can be a difference, but you never know, running out of ideas....

The point I was trying to understand was whether the unusual 128 hidden sectors had a role in this or not.

To try understanding this, I need reports of tests done as I recommend, otherways I cannot see if there is a relationship.

The report about having the stick first formatted by diskpart with the MBR replaced by the one(s) I posted does not make sense to me, as is.

If diskpart partitons the stick "correctly" writing a MBR with 63 hidden sectors, and then formats it with that geometry, replacing the MBR with the ones I posted, should work as you report, but then HOW the hidden sectors were made 128 before?

If you used diskpart to only format the stick starting with the "old" MBR with 128 hidden sectors, there is no way that replacing the MBR will result in a bootable stick.

The only other test that I would try, but that you do not want to is trying booting another operating system from that stick on that computer, in order to understand whether the problem is only Vista (or VistaCE) related or is a "general" USB booting failure.

Then I would try a new version of VistaPE, the CE edition is outdated anyway, but since you do not want to try anything else, I guess that we have come to an end of this unresolved puzzle.

The main thing (for me) is to have succeeded in convincing you of the "innocence" of the Filter Driver , the main thing (for you) should be to understand what the problem is, but to get that you may need to step out of your "main" way, as I see it, something that you seem not willing to do.

Sorry if I cannot give you an explanation for your problem.

jaclaz

Edited August 9, 2008 by jaclaz

[piotrania]

First of all I’d like to thank you for your guidance. I appreciate very much your knowledge and activeness.

I’ve got some experience ( 25 years with various computers and softs) but “boot land” is fresh area for me. You motivated me to get more info about boot process (it is more complicated then I thought) in order to continue further investigations and tests. ( If I’m doing something I have to understand it). Booting Vista is different process from previous Windows so I started to learn BootMgr , BCD and so on.

Usually I’m solving all problems by myself. It is my first time when I’ve asked for help in forum and I don’t know all writing rules. For example I’ve written DISK ERROR in capital letters to emphasize it but you have got it in different way. Of course the error appeared in screen in small letters, and in my language not in English.

Comment regarding Chip VistaCE. I know newer VistaPE v.12 and previous versions. I’ve tested many images created by myself and others (Nightman) but I have to say that for me VistaCE is excellent tool (friendly interface, boot time 30-40 secs on average computer, immediate access to mass memories and internet) To improve it I’ve added some additional portable tools and applications in separate folder.

[jaclaz]

Good.

On other Windows versions, STOP 0xc000000e is a symptom of a problem in accessing the data on a device (whilst 0x0000007b is related to be unable to access the device).

When "normally" booting it is often due to a "bad" cable.

When Pxe/Ramdisk booting it can be due to the use of the /rdexportascd parameter with a RAW partition image or by using /rdexportashd with a .ISO image, or by using the wrong /rdimageoffset= value with a RAW disk image.

In other words, the SETUPLDR.BIN or NTLDR does not find a bootsector at the address it is looking for it.

The "unusual" number of hidden sectors, or the "fractional end cylynder" may cause the same on particular BIOSes, that's why I suggested to partition and format the stick with the "proper" nx255x63 geometry, with a "non-fractional" end cylinder.

Though the above is just an idea, as I have little or no experience of Vista booting, using a "proper" partitioning and formatting will make no harm and will exclude this guess from the possible cause.

Some more info on the matter you can find in my everyday more outdated pages:

http://home.graffiti.net/jaclaz:graffiti.n...B/USBstick.html

http://home.graffiti.net/jaclaz:graffiti.n...SB/USBfaqs.html

User ktp has reported here that he was able to workaround the problem using grub4dos:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=19439

as a bootloader, though it does not give the explanation you want, it may put you on the right track.

About VistaCE, I am sure it is a good environment, only pointing out that it is a bit outdated when compared to VistaPE v.12, but you are right:

if ain't broken don't fix it

jaclaz

Edited August 11, 2008 by jaclaz

[piotrania]

I've spent week to learn Vista booting and I've made many tests with various BCD configurations but without success.

So now I've started to check other solutions of 0xc000000e problem.

I tested below solution:

User ktp has reported here that he was able to workaround the problem using grub4dos:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=19439

It looks very interesting and ktp claimed "success" but I followed the instruction (btw it's not very precise) and results are negative. Before I'll present results of my tests in details I'd like to know if somebody except ktp can confirm the solution works and what are conditions.

The solution was presented almost a year ago and I can't find a clear statement from other people that it is OK. I sent message to ktp asking for more details but I haven't got reply.

Edited August 21, 2008 by piotrania