Storm - 0x00000078 & Battery Err.

**Interrupt** · August 1st, 2012, 05:16 PM

After a short power outage a Dell Dimension 8400 with Windows XP won't boot to Safe Mode or Windows and won't use the "Last Good Configuration." It reports the following:

System Battery Voltage Low. Upon striking the key to continue booting it gives me a BSOD reading 0x00000078.

System did have a standard power strip but I guess it didn't do much to protect it.

To me the System Battery Voltage Low means that the CMOS battery needs to be replaced. But usually does it BSOD if you skip/continue to boot? I didn't think so anyway. So the only thing I can think it could be is a PSU issue caused from the electricity or a fried HD. I've seen all the help pages out there on this particular stop code but not all of them have the same solutions.

If someone can help me resolve this I'd greatly be appreciated. Perhaps it is only the CMOS battery (I do have experience putting them in and I'm willing to try it). Let me know.

**Taxmancometh** · August 1st, 2012, 05:25 PM

It could be the hard drive or any other piece of hard ware that got fried.

**Interrupt** · August 1st, 2012, 05:43 PM

Anyway to be sure? Is it worth even swapping the CMOS battery out to try it? I could just call Dell I guess but the technician in me would be mighty ticked off doing that.

**Taxmancometh** · August 1st, 2012, 05:49 PM

I'd try swapping the CMOS battery, but that error code is indicative of a hardware problem.

**GroundZero3** · August 2nd, 2012, 06:32 AM

Have you run a hard drive diagnostic and check out memTester86+ to start?

**Interrupt** · August 2nd, 2012, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by GroundZero3

Have you run a hard drive diagnostic and check out memTester86+ to start?

Memtest86 finished 1 pass without error.

Ran Vivard 0.4 from the UBCD with a surface scan, no errors (HD is a Phillips, I believe, so not seeing a specific tool other than Vivard on UBCD for diagnosing Phillips HD errors in this manner which is why I used it).

I want to run a chkdsk or sfc so I inserted my XP CD and while it is starting (Windows blue setup screen), I get an error:

STOP: c0000221 Unknown Hard Error
\SystemRoot\System32\ntdll.dll

Don't quite know what to do now (will try more Stress Tests while waiting for replies). If it was a HD error or Windows corruption, why would it error when booting the Windows XP Setup CD? That sounds like RAM or something else. But memtest reports the RAM is fine. Blah! Could it just be the CMOS battery? I've never heard of a CMOS battery causing errors like this.

Some options -- 1.) I do have a multimeter handy, I can test the PSU. 2.) I also have a SATA/IDE-to-USB recovery cable I can use on a working system, if I used that hard drive using the cable - if it is a hard drive problem - I shouldn't be able to access the drive normally without error, correct? Is this worth doing?

**Taxmancometh** · August 2nd, 2012, 05:27 PM

Did you let Memtest run overnight? That's what you need to do.

**Interrupt** · August 2nd, 2012, 05:27 PM

~~Also stupid seek floppy drive at boot failure... instead of CMOS battery voltage error now.~~ Don't have a floppy drive, so disabled this in the BIOS. Now no error, but still getting the BSOD right after win logo.

Originally Posted by Taxman

Did you let Memtest run overnight? That's what you need to do.

At the moment I've performed the following tests:

On UBCD
- Memtest 86 - 1 full pass, all tests involved
- Vivard - HD surface scan is fine

Hiren Boot
- HDAT2 check & repair of HD revealed no problems
- HDAT HD seek test is fine
- Windows Memory Diagnostic is fine, 2 passes using LRAND, Stride6, WMATS+, WINVC, INVC... etc.
- Chkdsk fine, minor errors but nothing significant.
- Running S&M Stress Test in Hiren right now in Mini XP mode.

Do you think I should let memtest run overnight or focus on something else?

**Taxmancometh** · August 2nd, 2012, 05:45 PM

I had a bad stick of RAM. I was having corrupted downloads and Firefox was acting strange. I ran Memtest with just one pass and found no errors, I ran it overnight and found the errors. So when running Memtest it's always a wise idea to run over night.

**Interrupt** · August 3rd, 2012, 09:37 AM

12 passes, 12 hours. No errors.

So to reiterate the hard drive and memory tests all come up errorless. I'm still getting that BSOD and XP CD errors out. I'll try ordering a dell factory reset CD if they have one but unsure if it'll work.