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Windows 8 Pro cannot boot - Error 0xC000021a

Hi

 

I upgraded my son's laptop from Windows 7 to Windows 8 Pro. I has been working fine for a few weeks. But now when booting It halts iwth the error code 0xc000021a. I have tried the following options

 

Refresh - this fails with the error 0xc000021a

System Restore - this fails with 0xc000021a

Safe mode boot does not work

I can start the cmd console

 

Any suggestions as to how to proceed?

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I have run into the same problem on a Lenovo Ideapad u410, has a hybrid drive setup with an SSD for cache and a 500GB traditionall HDD. 

 

When I try refresh it tells me: "The drive where Windows is installed is locked.  Unlock the drive and try again.

 

Reset: "Unable to reset your PC.  A required drive partition is missing."

 

Automatic repair does not fix anything.

 

Anyone have any ideas as well?

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Hi,

 

I have additionally looked at c:\windows\system32\Logfiles\Srt\SrtTrail.txt and see that the boot diagnostics pass successfully up to and including Internal state check. It states that the Root cause found is:

------------------------------

Startup Repair has tried several times but still cannot determine the cause of the Problem.

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Just wondering if Arron's suggested fix worked.  The reason I ask is that his response is for a failure during the upgrade process from windows 7 to 8. Based on the information you provided, it sounds like you had your sons system up and running in windows 8 and some security update from ms was installed and after the usual reboot to complete the install, you got the 21a error. 

Just wondering, it seems like maybe some people do not understand that an upgrade is different from an update.

Off
Kindest Regards,
Dan J Quinones

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Reply In reply to deleted message
I have the same problem on my HP desktop that we upgraded a few weeks ago from windows 7 to windows 8. A windows update came through that morning, and it rebooted then, but later that day, it never came back. Same error the above posts noted. Cannot go to desktop, cannot go to safe mode, cannot boot from recovery cd either. No system recovery or reset works. I managed to copy my personal files to another hard drive and back up to another computer, but my $1500 HP is useless. How can I fix the Windows 8 Error 0xc000021a without booting to desktop, from the command line?

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I have the same problem right now, did you ever get it fixed? I only have one laptop and I have my life on it. And right now, it's completely useless. I am starting to rethink the Apple Mac, and I have never been a fan of Apple products. Never. But I can't do this. I need to have this fixed, I have all my work on it. 

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Hi,

 

I sent the Laptop in and got the DVD drive repaired. This allowed me to reinstall W8. Now everything is working.

 

If you can get to the CMD prompt, as was the case for me, you might want to try to backup your files to a USB stick or USB drive. Then reinstall.

 

Hope this helps

John

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How big was the memory on the USB? And does it absolutely HAVE to be a USB? I have an external CD/DVD drive. Could I just use a DVD and backup everything on there?

 

Thanks.

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i had this problem and i fixed it. i faced this after updating my win8 and rebooting after that update.
to fix this, i tried safe mode but it failed to boot. finally i tried to boot with "force drivers to have signature disabled" and it worked.

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Hello, I am having this problem as well. Been running windows 8 on my desktop without issue for the past few months, and I got this problem all of a sudden.

In my "C:\Windows\System32\LogFiles\Srt\SrtTrail.txt" file, it says

"
Root cause found:
--------------------------------
Bugcheck c000021a. Partameters = 0xfffff8a0052748a0, 0xffffffffc0000428, 0xfffff8a000486d40
Boot critical file is corrupt.

Repair action: File repair
Result: Failed. Error code = 0x2
Time taken = 5834 ms

Repair action: System files integrity check and repair
Result: Failed. Error code = 0x490
Time taken = 641554 ms
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
"
Any ideas?

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Have you installed new program? or changed any setting recently just before this happen?

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Last updated January 25, 2024 Views 302,589 Applies to: