BSOD stop: c000021a fatal system error at boot.

Hello. This is my first time posting to this forum; and I must warn you, I really am not good at this tech stuff.

I have a Windows Vista Basic Edition that came with my Toshiba Satellite when I bought it; therefore, I have no installation disk.
At the boot, I keep getting this message.


STOP: c000021a {Fatal System Error}
The initial session process or system process terminated unexpectedly with a status of 0x00000000 (0xc0000001 0x0010041c).
The system has been shut down.


I tried to load it in safe mode (all of them), and everything else on the menu, but no use.

I can open the

Is there any way I can recover my files?

Please help? Thanks.

- Ticcy

Hi Ticcy, welcome to WTT.

Not having a Vista CD severely limits your options for this problem. You can read some of the posts from this Google search: 0xc000021a vista. XP and Vista both have it.

Since you are able to post here, that means you have access to another computer. So, if you have files on your Vista computer that you want to save, try booting a Linux "Live" CD like Puppy Linux. See if you can access your drive that way. If yes then you can save your data to CDR or a USB flash drive. Puppy is s "Live" CD, meaning you boot the CD and not your hard drive. It has an easy to use Desktop, just as XP and Vista do though it looks and feels a bit different.

See this post by Happyrck on GeeksToGo for downloading and using Puppy Linux, only get the Puppy Linux 3.01 version now since the 2.16 version is no longer available on that page.
http://www.geekstogo.com/…..=findpost&am…21#entry1197721

Once you have your data saved, you can use the recovery process of your Toshiba Satellite to restore the computer to it's factory (new) state or perhaps do a non-destructive restore, then restore your saved data.

If you post the model number I may be able to help determine which are available by finding the Users Guide online at the Toshiba web site.

Hello Rich,

Thank you for your reply. I'm downloading Puppy Linux right now and it's taking a while, so I thought I might as well reply now. I hope this method works… But before, I searched all over the net and found some people were using an Ultimate Boot CD, which I of course downloaded.

Woud you happen to know how it works? Or if it works at all?

I also downloaded a Vista installation iso file and burned it on a disk to make up for the fact that my laptop did not come with an installation disk but no help. I did the trouble shooting and everything…but…..

I really suck at all this so I need help

I'm not sure if my Toshiba Satellite L300 Model No. PSLB0K-02900V has a non destructive restore, but… yeah.

Thanks and I'll post updates for how the Puppy Linux method works.

- Ticcy

Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD) is a good tool. You can use it to save your important data but I prefer Puppy Linux.

Ultimate Boot CD For Windows (UBCD4WIN) is a follow on to UBCD but it requires that you have a XP CD (not VIsta) and you have to actually build the ISO CD image then create a CD from it. The nice part about it is it's Windows XP, look and feel.

I found the Users Guide for your Toshiba laptop but it does not mention anything about any kind of recovery. I think you are going to have to contact Toshiba to get a recovery CD/DVD before you are going to be able to do anything other than save your data. Is the laptop still under warranty?

User's Guide for Satellite L300/L305 (v1.0; 03-06-2008; 4.79M)

Hey Rich! Thank you so much for your advice; I managed to get most of my files from my computer, and then I just restored the computer to its factory state. It's working perfectly fine now, and now I have an interest in the Linux System… It's really quite interesting Thank you again! - Ticcy

Good to hear. Linux is a very good OS and fun to play with. I still prefer XP for my day to day use though.

When this happens in XP Running CHKDSK /R will fix it a good 80+% of the time. either booted to the Recovery Console with an XP or win2000 CD, or a Live CD like Bart XPE. Tallon41

Hi Ticcy, welcome to WTT.

Not having a Vista CD severely limits your options for this problem. You can read some of the posts from this Google search: 0xc000021a vista. XP and Vista both have it.

Since you are able to post here, that means you have access to another computer. So, if you have files on your Vista computer that you want to save, try booting a Linux "Live" CD like Puppy Linux. See if you can access your drive that way. If yes then you can save your data to CDR or a USB flash drive. Puppy is s "Live" CD, meaning you boot the CD and not your hard drive. It has an easy to use Desktop, just as XP and Vista do though it looks and feels a bit different.

See this post by Happyrck on GeeksToGo for downloading and using Puppy Linux, only get the Puppy Linux 3.01 version now since the 2.16 version is no longer available on that page.
http://www.geekstogo.com/…..=findpost&am…21#entry1197721

Once you have your data saved, you can use the recovery process of your Toshiba Satellite to restore the computer to it's factory (new) state or perhaps do a non-destructive restore, then restore your saved data.

If you post the model number I may be able to help determine which are available by finding the Users Guide online at the Toshiba web site.

I have the same problem as well…. it's only that the cause is not the operatin system but the motherboard i think… it all happened in a day when i shut down the puter at the second restart… the puter checked it's compponends and updating the driver bios…. as usual every puter does… after that windows charged normally and after it finished loading there goes the BSOD with the same error as mentioned in the first place. I never experienced OS issues that conflicts uth the current issue i have… i placed XP on it but still the problem persists

at the second attempt of restart proccedure, the puter shut down itself after loading and checking all of the drivers ecc… and it hasn't arrived to the loading screen. I tryed to change the hddiscks… no use… tryed removing a bank of ram 1 out of 2 gigas… nothing,…. removed the cd rom, a bank and the hard drive… but the puter shuts down without all these components and i just don't know what to do…. I'll try to be specific as possible with the components i have…

motherboard - MSI Intel P965 NEO Express Chipset Based j-micron controlled with security overheat shutdown,
* 1 PCI Express x16& 2 PCI Express x1
* 4+1 SATA2 3Gb/s
* Support 7.1Ch.HD Audio
* Support Gigabit LAN
* 3 PCI v2.3 within Communication Slot
———————————————————
ram - 2 sticks of 1gb 800mhz
2 slots PCI and 1 slot PCIExpress v-card
V-card Nvidia 9500GT
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 / 2.4 GHz processor


and that's that… if anyone of you experienced the same issues i only arrived at the conclusion that some resistors on the motherboard got burned….
i have made the configurations on the pins on the board as the manual explained… thus i also have the doubts that the processor i have it's not supported 100 percent by the board