Solved PROCESS1_INITIALIZATION_ERROR 0x000000b6

[milindsmart]

Windows 7 home premium was running perfectly fine. I installed windows 8.1 to an external hard disk, taking care to disconnect the internal hard disk. Both worked fine for a little while.

Later, my dad happened to boot into the Windows 7, and for an unknown reason it went into startup repair. It was like that for more than 4 hours, showing "Checking for disk errors. This might take over an hour.", which could not be cancelled either. Based on previous experiences, I decided to force-terminate the process. When it came back up, it failed to boot due to the lack or corruption of PCIIDEX.sys.

It made slight sense as some configuration probably changed when the other windows was installed, but still should not be major. Right? So I fished around in the \Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository for a PCIIDEX.sys, of which I found 2, both identical sizes and dates. One was in mshdc.inf_amd64_neutral_552ea5111ec825a6\ and the other in mshdc.inf_amd64_neutral_aad30bdeec04ea5e\ .

I chose the "aa..." one since in Hex it would be a larger number, perhaps later version, etc., and put it in Windows\System32\Drivers\ . When I tried to boot now, it failed to boot due to the lack or corruption of MSAHCI.sys.

No problem, found this also in those same two directories, and put it in system32\Drivers\. Now when I booted it up, it went into the booting animation, but stopped just before those 4 blobs of colour converged into the windows 7 symbol and BSODed, stating

PROCESS1_INITIALIZATION_ERROR

0x000000b6

apart from the usual generic Windows BSOD advice.

So I booted to a windows 7 installation DVD, and discovered that

• Startup repair either can't find anything wrong, or, if I try boot, fail, and then boot into installation DVD, it says that it can't repair automatically because SFC fails, with error 0x02.
• Shockingly, there are no system restore points. I don't remember ever disabling it.
• sfc with /offwindir and /offbootdir parameters set to point to my windows 7 installation says that "Windows resource protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them." and then tells me about the log file.
• Initially it was not creating any log file, but eventually set WINDOWS_TRACING_LOGFILE to a convenient location and it created it. It's more than 1MB in size[update: suddenly it's not so big... hmm, still hundreds of entries], and there are a few thousand entries in there, all beginning with [SR].
• I presumed it must be because the I have windows 7 SP1 installed, while the setup disc was of Windows 7 RTM. So I downloaded the SP1 integrated ISO from Digital-river, and ran the same thing. No real big difference.
• The entries are all long hex number filenames, which I read somewhere else, correspond to temp files. I deleted non-read-only files from windows\temp, and Users\<admin user>\AppData\Local\Temp. Did not reduce size of log. Maybe I should also clear ProgramData Temp.

The cbs log is attached. [update: also attached processed log with [SR] entries in separate file]

I would love to do a real repair install, but can't boot into windows to do that. I want to at least force windows to refresh it's driver loading pattern.

I'm foxed now, need some expert help please.

 

[Arc]

As you are saying, it is STOP 0x0000006B: PROCESS1_INITIALIZATION_FAILED. And it refuses to boot, too. Which rightly means that the boot files are missing for the HDD.

• First make it sure that there is only one HDD is connected to the computer, that one continuing windows 7 only.

• Next make it sure that the 100 MB system reserved hidden partition is marked as active. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/71432-partition-mark-active.html. (Method three is the easiest).

• Next, Follow it:
  Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start
  • Or, run Startup Repair for three separate times, with restarts after every single run.
  • Startup Repair: Run three separate times.

Let us know the results.

 

[milindsmart]

Thank you for looking at it. I will be able to try these steps in a couple of hours when I get home. I have a few doubts though :

• When you say boot files are missing, do you mean bcd and bootmgr? because they are working perfectly fine. I have regenerated them atleast a few times using bcdboot.
  
• The 100MB (I think it's 102MB in mine) is shown as unallocated. So I can't mark it as active because it doesn't think it IS a partition at all. I don't know why, because it was Windows setup itself that created it. Further, Disk Management shows that C: (the Windows drive) is the "Boot, active, page file, crash dump, and system drive". Doesn't this mean that the boot files reside on C:? If so, can I put them back in the 102MB partition? It is a cleaner approach. BTW the disk is MBR partitioned.

 

[Arc]

Be sure about the system reserved partition and post then. It cannot be 1024 MB. And, it should not be unallocated. Similarly, the C drive should not be active in a good windows install.

Do you have access to another computer right now? If so, download Partition wizard Bootable CD (the last one in the link). Burn it in a blank CD or in a USB flash stick.

Boot into Partition Wizards GUI following this instructions. When you are on the last screen, take a camera snap of the screen and upload the snap here.
Screenshots and Files - Upload and Post in Seven Forums

We need to see the partitions and parameters.

BTW, if C is active, then a you can install the bootloader there by following Startup Repair: Run three separate times. It will make the system bootable again.

 

[milindsmart]

Yes it's 102MB... And I have another OS, windows 8.1, running on another HDD connected to the same computer... so I took a screenshot
View attachment 294415

I like the separate system partition as a clean approach, similar to the ESP in a UEFI GPT disk. Should I allocate the blank space as a partition and mark it as active?

 

[Arc]

Good plan.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/2674-partition-volume-create-new.html

If you follow method one, do it within windows 8. If you follow method 2, remove the windows 8 disc (as you have to remove it later). Make it sure that you are not assigning any drive letter to that partition.

Next, disconnect the windows 8 HDD. Otherwise the aim will not be achieved.

Now, mark the 102 MB partition as active Partition - Mark as Active. (Method three is the easiest).

Then, run Startup Repair for three separate times, with restarts after every single run. it will install the bootloader (Master Boot Record) in the active partition.
Startup Repair: Run three separate times.

Let us know if the windows 7 installation is bootable now or not.

 

[milindsmart]

Nope. I created partition, marked it active, ran startup repair, which failed to recognize the presence of anything. So ran bcdboot and bootrec. Then ran startup repair maybe aroun 6-7 times, first few times was to try to force setup not to assign really random Drive Letters, but failed. I then just gave up and ran it just like that.

Startup repair says it cannot solve the problem automatically, the first time. Then it says there seems to be no problem. If I restart and try to boot into the OS under question and get the BSOD, then again it finds a problem, but unable to solve. Next attempt at startup repair, it finds no problem.

So basically, now it's back to the same stage that it was before, i.e. BSOD.

I shall run SFC again and see what comes, if it's different from previous time, but I think some more creative ideas are needed here. Update: The log file is exactly the same. This is despite it reporting that it repaired some files last time. How can they be repaired twice? Attaching new log, though same.

 

[milindsmart]

OK I tried and failed a few more attempts. Refer to my original (rather long... sorry, but wanted to give full info) post:

• I took a snap of the offending BSOD. Contains bugcheck parameters{0xFFFFFFFFC0000034,0x0000000000000002,0x0,0x0}. Maybe it could help :
  View attachment 294488
• Since originally pciidex.sys and msahci.sys were found missing, I tried changing the SATA mode to IDE, then RAID. With IDE, it went a lot slower and failed at the same spot. With RAID, it failed with a 0x00000007 STOP error with no name, as seen here :
  View attachment 294489
• I found this link, which told me to delete bootcat.cache. No difference.

Hope this makes it easier for you guys.

 

[Arc]

For a 0x7B BSOD, I would suggest you to follow it:
Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start

Do it from the beginning, from the bootable virus scan, cause 0x7Bs are sometimes caused by some malware called bootkit.

BTW, if you mark C as active and then run startup repair three times, what happens?

Edit: if you change the storage controller mode to anything that was not in use during windows installation, windows will never boot. The only exception is that you can use AHCI later, even if windows is installed in IDE mode; by following this method: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/61869-ahci-enable-windows-7-vista.html

 

[milindsmart]

Yes checking for viruses is something I haven't done, I'll do that tonight.

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.

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?

 

[Arc]

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.

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.

 

[milindsmart]

Windows defender offline does not run. I tried both with a USB stick, as well as a DVD.

It shows the error : "The app can't be started.

Error: Unable to detect a Windows system drive. This could be due to missing drivers, an encrypted drive, or a corrupted Windows installation.
Error code: 0x8004cc01"

Have seen a few questions on Microsoft answers, but no real remedies for this one. Does this really indicate a problem?

As I expected, no change when I move active drive to the windows drive.

 

[milindsmart]

Any ideas? I really don't mind laboriously setting things right, don't want to reinstall.

 

[gregrocker]

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.

 

[milindsmart]

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.

 

[gregrocker]

A heavily infected system may not yet be disinfected so it's best to run the bootable AV's from
Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start to make sure .

Then it still may not repair if System files have been damaged, which you can repair by running SFC /SCANNOW Run in Command Prompt at Boot, if necessary up to 3 separate times if it finds bad files.

If you have been running the Startup Repairs with the Win8 drive connected then it won't repair Win7. It needs to be the only drive plugged in, set first to boot in BIOS setup, with Sys Reserved marked Active first, then run Startup Repair - Run up to 3 Separate Times with reboots no matter what it reports.

If this fails move the Active flag to C to do the repairs again.

If the boot files are corrupted beyond repair then try using Win8 boot manager to start it by adding it with EasyBCD from Win8.

 

[milindsmart]

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 :

View 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?

 

[gregrocker]

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

Start with the checklist for http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219533-troubleshooting-windows-7-failure-boot.html which we've not heard back on yet.

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

 

[Arc]

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.

 

[milindsmart]

Here is the checklist with the items I have tried :

1. If possible unplug all other HD's. Boot into BIOS setup by tapping the key given for this on first boot screen, check that Windows 7 HD is detected and set to boot first (after CD/DVD drive). --------- Done

2. Try booting into Safe Mode with Networking to install, update and run a full scan with Malwarebytes. --------- Does not boot, same BSOD

3. If Safe Mode is not working, download, burn to CD or write to flash stick, boot the disk and run a full scan with Windows Defender Offline. If it fails try one of these FREE Bootable AntiVirus Rescue CDs burned to CD using Windows Image Burner or ImgBurn. You can also move the HD to another PC to scan it with Malwarebytes. ------------ scanned with MBAM from windows 8, Boot scan using F-Secure in progress, no malware found yet.

4. If infection cleans up enough that Windows 7 will start then run SFC -SCANNOW Command to check for damaged System files. ------------ Done, it fails, please check my earlier posts

If not post back the virus scan results in our Security forum for expert help.

5. Once the System is clean if it won't start boot into System Recovery Options via the F8 menu or disk as shown in tutorial, run Startup Repair repeatedly up to 3 separate times with reboots in between each - no matter what it reports. ----------- Done, 1st try says it could not find cause of problem, 2nd and 3rd says it could not find problem. Continues to BSOD.

6. If you need an installer for your licensed version to boot to run Repairs or possible Clean Reinstall, download the latest official Win7 installer w/SP1 ISO, burn to DVD or write to flash stick using Windows 7 USB-DVD Download Tool. -------- Done, using.

7. If no installation shows up to repair when booting into DVD System Recovery Options or Repair CD, or Startup Repair won't work after several tries, click through to System Recovery Options, open a Command Line to use the Bootrec.exe tool which is demonstrated most fully in Steps 1-3 here. ------------ NA, installation shows up in the screen,

8. If these fail, try running System Restore from Recovery Options list working chronologically backward to find a bootable configuration. If those fail, from Recovery Options open a Command Line to run SFC -SCANNOW Run in Command Prompt at Boot. ---------------- There are NO system restore points. I don't know how it happened. Probably CCleaner wiped them one of those times I ran it. Stupid me. Mentioned in 1st post.

9. As a last resort boot free Partition Wizard bootable CD to Explore C to see if your files are intact and post back a camera snap of drive map for more help. Make sure C or the 100mb System Reserved partition (preferred) is marked Active, then click on HD to highlight it, from Disk tab select Rebuild MBR, Apply. --------------------- Done, no difference. please check earlier posts.

If Windows 7 doesn't start and you restored Active flag, run Startup Repair 3 Separate Times. If marking 100mb Active fails to Repair x3, then mark Windows 7 partition itself Active and try above steps again. Make sure the Windows 7 HD is set first to boot in BIOS setup. --------------------- Done, no difference. please check earlier posts.