PROCESS1_INITIALIZATION_ERROR 0x000000b6

milindsmart said:

Are you sure that Windows will not boot into IDE when AHCI was used to install it? I recall being able to switch freely and feel the significant difference in speed.

Almost. It does not.

milindsmart said:

Marking C as active now, after switching to the 100MB system partition, I don't know, but I think there will be absolutely no change. I have been debugging bcd and bootmgr related issues for a while now, and BSODs aren't a part of it... at that level, things fail much more clearly :)

Any chance with analyzing the SFC logs?

One try is worthy. But, you have to set the storage controllers to its original mode, and the windows 8 HDD should not be connected while running startup repair.
There should be only one active partition in the entire system.

If you are following Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start then you'd have seen that there are other bootable AV's provided, as well as a step to change the Active partition from System Reserved to C if it will not start after Startup Repair - Run up to 3 Separate Times. Then run the repairs again.

If this is Disk1 in your screenshot then you changed the Partition Marked Active from C to System Reserved which had been previously deleted, so to assure it will serve as the System partition I would copy into it the hidden System boot files from C before running the 3 separate repairs. You must unhide these files first in Folder Options>View.

Make sure all other HD's are unplugged and the OS HD is set first HD to boot in BIOS setup.

As a last resort you can also try installing EasyBCD to WIndows 8 to add Win7 to a Dual Boot menu to see if it will pick it up. If not then it is likely corrupted beyond repair.

In that case you're best off doing a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 (same for retail) with all other HD's unplugged. To get it cleanest delete Sys Reserved and C to recreate them in that space with installer's Drive Options, shown in Steps 7 and 8 of Clean Install Windows 7

I would not move programs off of C because when installed they become a part of the OS and should remain with it and its image. Making self-defeating moves like that can indicate that you've bollixed your OS from other tweaks that are absolutely unnecessary in Win7, which is not XP. If you will stick with the steps in the tutorial then you will get and keep a perfect install for as long as you do. The steps are based on what has worked best in tens of thousands of installs we have helped with here.

Thanks for responding.
Ah yes I had forgotten those, sorry... I ran MBAM from windows 8, and detected a few keygens in my documents folder, which I deleted. Nevertheless not what I would have hoped for to find a virus in.

Some boot files exist ONLY in the system reserved drive now, specifically bcd.

I will try adding it as a boot option in the windows 8 bootmgr menu.
UPDATE : I tried that, no difference. Obviously there is something wrong with the boot files and/or drivers.

In your last paragraph, I presume you refer to the drive called Programs. That is actually a drive I use in windows 8 for installation of programs. I haven't used any hacks or tweaks for it ; I just choose that location every time manually when I'm installing programs. Isn't that perfectly safe?
Anyway, my windows 7 installation was perfectly conventional. It was intended as a stable OS for use by all members of my house and games, so there were no "smart" ideas implemented here. Which makes me even more sure that this windows should be perfectly salvageable.

With regard to reinstallation :
I am normally quite open to the idea, and keep reinstalling OSes as and when there's something to gain. The problem in this case is that it's about 1.5 years old, and fully updated, fast, rock solid stable, with a lot of programs installed, all drivers installed. Uncharacteristically, this time I'm much more resistant to reinstalling windows. I realize that this means more work for some of you guys, but I'm really keen this time to repair this windows to working state. As it is, there are two further avenues available which occur to _me_ alone, and I'm nowhere close to as knowledgeable and skilled as you(Greg and Arc) and many other members here.

1. Investigate the SFC logs, and find the exact files which sfc is barfing on. That would definitely be a start.. The thing annoying about SFC is that instead of complaining about not being able to verify files, it could have an option replace them with the fresh copies from the installation disc.
2. Worst case, install windows 7 on another partition, then slowly copy over suspected corrupted key system files. This is effectively a repair install, but one that Microsoft in its infinite wisdom has not provided /s

The cause of this is very important to consider : after some potential mangling while booting windows 8, the windows 7 installation (on next boot) suddenly complained about a lack of two drivers. Means file corruption. Since booting couldn't have corrupted winsxs, I would not pick on it, so that leaves out only the boot chain, which is ntoskrnl, hal.dll, drivers, and other KEY system files. Which aren't unique to my system.

So in case it's too much work to guide step-by-step, I would love if you can just give hints and ideas. I'm quite willing to do the potentially time-consuming legwork to execute them. Maybe it's that I'm considering this a challenge.

Sorry for the loong delay, was caught up. I have made some progress recently..

I was looking at this article that told me to replace ntdll.dll as it might have been corrupt. More out of curiosity, I checked the folder for ntdll intending to verify that the filesize and dates are the same. And shockingly, it was NOT THERE!! No wonder the system wasn't starting.

So I copied the file from the Windows 7 SP1 install.wim. So now it still BSODs, but about 10s into the boot animation, much after the blobs of colour converge (the previous point at which it used to BSOD). The bugcheck parameter has changed :

Attachment 299529

What I want to know is, how could SFC not have been able to fix it? I searched and found no mention of any ntdll in the CBS log file. How could startup repair have not found it among so many runs that I gave it? What might be going on?

There's a whole list of extant steps you've yet to report back upon.

Start with the checklist for Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Boot which we've not heard back on yet.

Have you tried System Restore to the oldest restore point from the disk?

Stop STOP 0x0000006B: PROCESS1_INITIALIZATION_FAILED
Usual causes: Hard drive, Cables, Missing boot files, Disabled driver

The first parameter is 0xC000007A. Which is the NTSTATUS.
STATUS_PROCEDURE_NOT_FOUND: Indicates the specified procedure address cannot be found in the DLL.

No doubt that the system is beyond repair.

Better you install windows afresh. If you fail to install too, then you need to change the sata cables, apply the cables in the unused ports on the motherboard. And test your HDD using Seatools for DOS.

Let us know the results.

And dont try random fixes available over net.