c000021a Fatal System Error

What is c000021a error?

Error c000021a is a fatal system error. It may occur when you start your Windows NT 4.0-based computer. The error message you receive is;

"Stop c000021a {Fatal System Error} The session manager initialization system process terminated unexpectedly with a status of 0xc0000017 (0x00000000, 0x0000000) The system has been shut down".

What does happen when you receive this Fatal System error?

As soon as you receive this error message your computer may restart immediately leaving you helpless and you couldn't obtain the details of the memory address. It prevents Windows NT from being able to write a valid Memory.dmp file making you unable to resolve this issue by disabling all third-party services, or by repairing your Windows NT installation by using an ERD.

The Cause of the Error

The c000021a error is often caused by pending file-rename operations that are scheduled in the Windows NT registry, which cannot be completed.

If the program is prevented from renaming a file because the file is in memory then the Setup programs may schedule a file to be renamed on the next restart of Windows NT .

This error also occurs at a time of boot process when Windows NT checks a registry key for file-rename operations to be completed. Sometime the file-rename operation cannot be completed because the file or folder does not exist.

Solution to the problem

a) Create a parallel installation of Windows NT.

b) Start your computer to the parallel installation of Windows NT, and then start Registry Editor.

c) Click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE on Local Machine, on the Window menu.

d) Click Load Hive, on the Registry menu.

e) Type the path to the System hive of the prior installation,typically
%systemroot%\system32\config\system, and then click Open.

f) Type TEST,When you are prompted for the name of the key, and then view the following registry entry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\TEST\Select

g) Note the setting for the Current DWord value in the preceding registry key. This is typically 0x1, and is represented as CURRENT:Reg_Dword:0x1.

h) Locate the following registry key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\TEST\ControlSetXXX\Control\Session Manager

where XXX is the CurrentControlSet.

i) Delete any PendingFileRenameOperations entries under the Session Manager key.

j) Click the TEST hive.

k) Click Unload Hive on the Registry menu.

l) Click Load Hive on the Registry menu.

m) Type the path to the Software hive of the prior installation, typically
%systemroot%\system32\config\Software
and then click Open.

n) When you are prompted for the name of the key, type TEST2.

o) From the registry key;
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\TEST2\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\TEST2\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx

Remove any Pending File Rename Operations entries.

p) Click the TEST2 hive, and then click Unload Hive on the Registry menu.

q) Quit Registry Editor.

r) Restart your original installation.

Before following the steps mentioned above to modify the registry take a back up of it and be sure that you have thorough knowledge of restoring the registry if a problem occurs.

The above instructions are applicable to Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 Developer Edition, Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 1 to 6 and 6a.

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