# computer emergency: BSOD at work
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 2, 2007, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521 "2007-06-02T22:48:51Z")
**Posts on this page:** 19
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2007, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521/1 "2007-06-02T22:48:51Z")
Work computer, when we start it up, gives us a BSOD with “unmountable boot volume.” We don’t have the XP disc, and we can’t get a hold of the computer freelancer who my boss hires for network/installation issues. We have another computer (the one I’m typing on) but it doesn’t have a CD burner. We do have a remote disc burner though, that we would probably be able to shuffle back and forth.
Any thoughts? Any help? Any hope?
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2007, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521/2 "2007-06-02T22:53:34Z")
final line of BSOD:
\*\*\* STOP! 0X000000ED (0X8632B368, 0X0000006, 0X000000, 0X00000000)
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2007, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521/3 "2007-06-02T22:59:24Z")
It’s related to the recent patch from Microsoft:
[http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297185](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297185)
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2007, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521/4 "2007-06-02T23:06:46Z")
Thanks, we’d found that through google. It’s solutions we’re seeking now; causation is academic.
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2007, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521/5 "2007-06-02T23:07:37Z")
Oddly enough, the solutions are on that page, too.
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2007, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521/6 "2007-06-02T23:41:52Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.]
Oddly enough, the solutions are on that page, too.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, read it. Twice; again when you linked, in case we missed something the first time. None of those options are open to us; looking for creative workarounds, fresh ideas. I googled first, but only posted here because google left us high and dry. But thanks for the sarcasm!
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2007, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521/7 "2007-06-02T23:47:41Z")
My pleasure.
And a hint, FWIW: You’ll get much more helpful advice if you take a moment to detail what you’ve already read and tried and why the fixes listed in the MSKB are not “open to you,” whatever that means. Computer support people are like phone psychics: they don’t really read minds, either.
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### Author:  [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)
#### Post date: [June 2, 2007, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521/8 "2007-06-02T23:55:50Z")
(On preview, what **Q.E.D.** sez) It’s not really clear what you’re trying to do, or why you can’t perform the steps in the KB article.
An 80 wire cable is available at any electronics store for under $10 (under $5 if they aren’t ripping you off) and takes about 60 seconds to install. (Did it twice myself yesterday actually).
Assuming this is for some reason not an option, you can try altering one of the _other_ entries in the ‘cause’ section, namely
> [@KB](#):
>
> The basic input/output system (BIOS) settings are configured to force the faster UDMA modes.
For that, load the BIOS, find the IDE setup, select (probably) the Primary Controller, and see if you can disable UDMA, or set it to PIO mode. This will make your CPU usage go up and your HD xfer rate go down, but it might resolve the BSOD.
If you just need access to the data on the HD, you could transfer the HD to the PC you’re using now, but by that point you might as well be replacing the IDE cable like you need to do anyhow.
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2007, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521/9 "2007-06-03T04:04:30Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.]
My pleasure.
And a hint, FWIW: You’ll get much more helpful advice if you take a moment to detail what you’ve already read and tried and why the fixes listed in the MSKB are not “open to you,” whatever that means. Computer support people are like phone psychics: they don’t really read minds, either.
[/QUOTE]
Thanks also for the style points. I put in the OP as many details as I could remember, and what I thought was relevant to begin a dialog. I assumed the ensuing dialog would make it clear what further details were important. I also assumed that the dialog would happen as if among grownups, and without gratuitous sarcasm.
Anyway, turns out the harddrive was trashed: the boss’s IT guy just spent a couple hours installing a new hd. Now begins the long process of reinstalling all the software and discovering which critical files I was so, so sure I had backed up.
Thanks, all for the help, if not for the fight-picking.
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### Author:  [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2007, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521/10 "2007-06-03T04:30:24Z")
[QUOTE=lissener]
Anyway, turns out the harddrive was trashed: the boss’s IT guy just spent a couple hours installing a new hd. Now begins the long process of reinstalling all the software and discovering which critical files I was so, so sure I had backed up.
[/QUOTE]
How are you going to do this without a Windows XP disk?
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### Author:  [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2007, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521/11 "2007-06-03T04:45:34Z")
I am not sure how you guys do your computer images there but I have a suggestion. At my job on our images we have the basic windows installtion as well as a backup, whenever windows crashes we just put a boot disc in and rename the folders and boom! brand new installtion. i would forward this to your IT team.
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2007, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521/12 "2007-06-03T05:09:52Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself]
How are you going to do this without a Windows XP disk?
[/QUOTE]
He brought one.
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2007, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521/13 "2007-06-03T05:13:10Z")
[QUOTE=ChrisBooth12]
I am not sure how you guys do your computer images there but I have a suggestion. At my job on our images we have the basic windows installtion as well as a backup, whenever windows crashes we just put a boot disc in and rename the folders and boom! brand new installtion. i would forward this to your IT team.
[/QUOTE]
thanks, will do.
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### Author:  [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2007, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521/14 "2007-06-03T18:35:03Z")
Let me know if you need more detials, basiccly we have a C:\Windows folder and a C:\_Backup folder, when windows crashes all we do is go into DOS, delete Windows, and copythe backup one and rename it into Windows. Mind you we have over 5,000 PCs we are responsible for. The two most common errors we get are, Loader 3 errors and System CED errors.
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2007, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521/15 "2007-06-03T18:49:09Z")
[QUOTE=lissener]
Anyway, turns out the harddrive was trashed: the boss’s IT guy just spent a couple hours installing a new hd.
[/QUOTE]
I’d have to question the competency of the “IT guy.” BSOD errors are generated by the Windows kernel; if you’re getting one, it means the system is booting properly and the OS core is (probably mostly) intact and at the very least, the hard drive IS working. The file system may have errors, and there may be other data problems, but the hardware is functioning and accessible by the OS.
Given the timing of the error, I’d be truly amazed if it was anything other than what was described in the MSKB article. And, if it’s a cabling issue as the article indicates, you’re going to have the exact same problem the next time you update Windows, or it decides to update itself. IOW, your boss’ “IT guy” most likely wasted a couple hours and however much the new drive cost.
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### Author:  [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2007, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521/16 "2007-06-03T20:18:38Z")
From someone who works in IT, a bad harddrive can cause bluescreens.
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### Author:  [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2007, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521/17 "2007-06-03T23:21:26Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.]
I’d have to question the competency of the “IT guy.” BSOD errors are generated by the Windows kernel; if you’re getting one, it means the system is booting properly and the OS core is (probably mostly) intact and at the very least, the hard drive IS working. The file system may have errors, and there may be other data problems, but the hardware is functioning and accessible by the OS.
Given the timing of the error, I’d be truly amazed if it was anything other than what was described in the MSKB article. And, if it’s a cabling issue as the article indicates, you’re going to have the exact same problem the next time you update Windows, or it decides to update itself. IOW, your boss’ “IT guy” most likely wasted a couple hours and however much the new drive cost.
[/QUOTE]
Nope, everything remains copacetic.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [June 3, 2007, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521/18 "2007-06-03T23:52:55Z")
[QUOTE=Q.E.D.]
I’d have to question the competency of the “IT guy.” BSOD errors are generated by the Windows kernel; if you’re getting one, it means the system is booting properly and the OS core is (probably mostly) intact and at the very least, the hard drive IS working. The file system may have errors, and there may be other data problems, but the hardware is functioning and accessible by the OS.
[/QUOTE]
Are you sure about that? - I thought some of these stop error screens were issued by the boot loader, before it loads and passes control to the kernel.
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### Author:  [@diku](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diku)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2007, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/computer-emergency-bsod-at-work/406521/19 "2007-06-04T02:16:44Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout]
Are you sure about that? - I thought some of these stop error screens were issued by the boot loader, before it loads and passes control to the kernel.
[/QUOTE]
I think you’re correct on this, and I think that based upon experiences with older Compaq servers when migrating them to 2003. The SCSI driver that Windows had in 2003 wasn’t compatible with the SCSI card installed on the server. So you needed to load your own driver. But it would install properly even without this. After it installed, on the final reboot, it would blue screen right at the boot loader when it switched to the Windows SCSI driver.