Sometimes it happens - you start your computer and are greeted by the evil BSoD (Blue Screen of Death) with a cryptic error message along the lines of
"STOP: 0x0000007B (0x00000000,0x00000000) INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE"
It is a problem I have encountered often enough to finally decide to write down all the steps to take to (possibly) fix it. Good Luck.
*NOTE* I am dealing specifically with INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE errors on Windows 2000 systems here, but you can see information about other types of STOP errors (for Windows XP) here: Common Stop Messages
Specific Causes
If you can identify a specific cause of your STOP error, you can often find targeted solutions. If you can't identify your specific issue, try the "General" repair options, below.
- You remove Veritas Open Transaction Manager
- A "Stop 0x0000007B" error message occurs after you remove Veritas Open Transaction Manager
General Steps to Take Care of a STOP Error
If you aren't sure what caused your STOP error, or what to do to fix it, here are a few things you can try - in order of complexity.
Windows 2000 Repair
General Steps to Take Care of a STOP Error
This uses the "Repair" option in Windows 2000 setup. You will need the CD-ROM, but if it succeeds, you won't be re-installing Windows.
- Place the Windows 2000 Setup CD-ROM in the drive
- Reboot the computer, as soon as it starts again, hit the DEL key (or whatever you need to do to get to your BIOS setup)
- Get to the BOOT DISK setup. (In CMOS Setup Utility it is the 'Advanced BIOS Features' option.)
- Set the first boot disk to your CD-ROM drive - save & exit the BIOS setup.
- When the computer reboots, it should go into the Windows Setup program, or give you an option to "Press any key to boot from the cd".
- Once the Setup program has finished loading files and you see the "Welcome" screen type "r" for the Repair option.
- When you have the option, press "r" again, then "m".
- Check that all three options have an "X" next to them, then press ENTER.
- If you have an Emergency Repair Disk (something you would have created before - when the computer was working), choose that option to use it. Otherwise, choose "L".
- Follow the instructions on screen to attempt to repair your Windows 2000 installation.
More Info on STOP Errors
These are some more links to infomration about STOP errors and their resolution.
- Teck Support Forum Post
- A rather comprehensive post about this error and its relation to Roxio/Adaptec Easy CD Creator uninstallation. (Also discusses other possible causes.)
