Hello all,

I am experiencing an issue with an old HP 530 laptop. I have owned it for many years but I have not used it frequently for the past 2 years or so until now. It was working fine (albeit slow) until I booted it the other day after a Windows Update. It may be worth mentioning too that the laptop's battery has become very weak with age. If the laptop's charger is removed or it is unplugged, it turns off immediately.

Every time I boot, it goes to a black screen where I assume it is installing updates, but it gets stuck and flickers and shows the error code: "!! 0xc0000034 !!".

F11, which is I understand the recovery on-boot shortcut for HP systems, does not work. It simply goes to the Windows Error screen. Safe Mode, Last Known Config and Start Windows Normally do not work. It goes onto the aforementioned error screen.

I have tried a Windows Vista recovery disc. The disc loads, but I have had no luck with the options available on it.

Startup Repair:
- It scans, and then says to reboot to see if it successful. It is not.



System Restore:
- There is only one restore point, which is very recent (most likely the Windows Update that caused this). I tried it and received the error message "System Restore did not complete successfully".

Command Prompt:
- I have tried "bootrec.exe /fixmbr" and "bootrec.exe /fixboot". Both state "The operation has completed successfully." but there is no difference.
- I have tried "sfc /scannow" and "sfc /verifyonly", and for both received "Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation".
- I then tried "chkdsk /f C:" (chkdsk on the C drive). The scan found 0KB in bad sectors, and ended with the message "Failed to transfer logged messages to the event log with status 50". (Again, I can provide a screenshot if further details are required).
- In the F10 boot menu, I ran a HDD Self Test and a Memory Check, and it passed both with no issues.

Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool:
- I ran this, and it said it found no problems. There was no difference after reboot.

Installing Vista:
- I do not have a valid product key, so I skipped inputting it. It then gave me an error message: "Windows cannot open the required file D:\Sources\Install.wim".

Other:
- I also used a Seatools disc to run a long scan. It passed both the short and long tests, so there is no issue with the hard drive or other components as far as I can tell. (I have a screenshot of this too).

I am out of ideas and would greatly appreciate any assistance. Please don't hesitate to ask me for further details, and I also have some photos that I can provide if needed. I will update this if I try anything else or find anything new.

This is the second time in a matter of weeks I have encountered a failure after a Windows Update. Does anyone know if there is currently an issue with these updates on Vista machines? I also updated my Windows 7 laptop but this was unaffected.

Thanks in advance!

Which Service Pack (if any) do you have?

How do you have Vista installed without a valid key?

You might look at what Microsoft gave Brett111111 in this thread in regards to SP1 installation problems-

System halts in boot after installation SP1: !! 0xc0000034 !!

Originally Posted by markaz

Which Service Pack (if any) do you have?

If you mean the update that caused this, System Restore says its Service Pack 1.

Originally Posted by wither 3

How do you have Vista installed without a valid key?

You might look at what Microsoft gave Brett111111 in this thread in regards to SP1 installation problems-

System halts in boot after installation SP1: !! 0xc0000034 !!

As I said, the laptop is old, possibly around 4-5 years old. Therefore, the Windows key on the label has expired.

Thank you for the link, and to both of you for your responses. Unfortunately, I can't perform a clean boot as I am unable to access Windows and the Start menu. If I manage to fix the laptop though, I will be sure to try this installation method rather than let this happen again!

When you say expired, do you mean it's unreadable? Your key should never expire otherwise.

can you post a video of this?

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Just to update you guys, I think it'd be quicker if I directed you here than explain everything that's happened since: "!! 0xc0000034 !!" When Vista Boots - Tech Support Forum

Also for anyone who's experiencing the same problem as I did and is stuck, go to that link and try following Jenae's steps, she's very helpful.

Or to get quickly to the point, I've got to a stage where I'm experiencing a new error: I am missing the file "ntoskrnl.exe" when attempting to re-install Vista. I have ordered a new Windows Vista installation disc which will hopefully solve this issue, and I will post back soon with the results.

I don't know if this will be of any help since it sounds like you can't get Vista installed-

How to Replace NTOSKRNL.EXE | eHow.com

Originally Posted by wither 3

I don't know if this will be of any help since it sounds like you can't get Vista installed-

How to Replace NTOSKRNL.EXE | eHow.com

Yeah I saw that before somewhere too and tried it, unfortunately it didn't work but I think its because my disc is for repairs and not installation. I will be sure to try it again though when my new disc arrives (if I need to). Thanks Wither3.