Windows 7: File system error (-1073741792), Sys restore error (0x8000ffff)

Hi all,

Huge problem regarding permissions on my (massively unstable) PC. I try to run ANYTHING including .dlls with admin permissions and i get a nice little "ding", and error message regarding the relevent .dll and File system error -1073741792, including one just before I get to the logon screen (think it was called "WINMM.dll", which yes, is "microsoft mouse", but my mouse still appears to be working sooooo... confused... lol).

Also, when i try to system restore, I get an unspecified error, code (0x8000ffff). I don't get anymore info, it just apparently can't do it.

All this came about when i started my PC up after changing/installing NOTHING (since it last worked perfectly), and it randomly said the disk integrity of C: (64GB kingston SSD running the OS but no installed programs) had to be checked, before several black screens of text whizzed by, deleting and then repairing registry entries. It has done this once before, (completely different symptoms, but same root cause of this windows integrity checker thingy), but i fixed it by transferring my account files to a new account, deleting the old one, and presto, instant new admin profile with full permissions again, but problem is, what with nothing that requires admin status working, I can't create a new account this time.

If anything seems unclear about what I've just written, please ask, and I'll clarify, but I've been battling with this all day, and need to get some rest befor I pull all my hair out!

Many thanks for any suggestions,

MC x

Why is your PC unstable? Has it always been this way?

Sort of. Ever since I bought it (mostly pre built), it BSODed shockingly frequently, until I turned OC Genie (a sort of auto-overclock feature of the motherboard) on. Personally, I figured overclocking would be less stable and result in BSODs, but apparently its the other way round? Anyways, had that fixed and got a problem very similar to this, where several .dlls couldnt be found/accessed, (see my other posts). Technically I never solved this, I just built a new account, and moved my data over, so this may be the same problem revamped. Hpwever, as I said, I seem to have lost all admin rights, so no new accounts this time. And no repair install or anything will work either.

Oh, and another problem is about %50 of the time it wou't start, with 5 beeps (which is an error code for hardware failure), and just a black screen, or sometimes when I push the power button the fans start up at %100 speed, the same 5 beeps, and then nothing, just a nice black screen and my fans pretending to be a jet engine. Then, after a couple of tries it'll start and work perfectly. Think this might be a undepower problem with the CPU (that only occurs sometimes!?), still to really identify that one. But I digress... lol

To be honest, I think I'll back up settings and format my hard drives, clean install of Windows. Can anyone see any other way?

Thankyou for any advice/suggestions you can give!

MC x

It sounds like your HD with the data may have previously had a Windows install? It may have some corrupted file which interfere with Windows operation.
Save your data and use CCleaner or the diskpart /clean all command to wipe the HD.

Diskpart /clean all for both drives and fresh windows install, right?

And just out of curiosity (cause I'm all curious like that ), since there never was a previous install of windows on this hard drive, how could this have occured? Could this sort of problem be application based? I didn't install or change anything to trigger it. Played some Dirt 3 in the morning, which is pretty standard activity for my PC, then later on, started it up, and bam, this happens. It just seems to me something must have caused this, and it's kinda unnerving when you can't find the cause of a problem, you know?

Well, I suppose I better get on with a clean reinstall. Thanks for your help, guys!

MC x

If you clean the SSD use only the clean, not cleanall. Clean all will help reduce the SSD life since it writes 0's to every sector, but is fine for a HDD.
Can't really say how corruptions happen unless Windows is trying to read/write where it shouldn't.