BSOD on computer with critical software

Forums › Microsoft Windows › BSOD on computer with critical software

Daynger

444 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 313

#319897 12-Jun-2025 18:27

Hi Geeks and Zones,

I have a PC that was running an access control system that was DOA when i turned up to a building the other day.

I took it away and found the power supply was toast, so i replaced that, now it powers on fine.

The problem is it has a BSOD fault where it gets stuck in a boot loop. It runs on XP but has no internet connection so is safe.

My problem is that it has a critical piece of software on it for the access control system and there is no backup of the database.

The BSOD error is c0000218 registry file failure, the registry cannot load the hive.

It wont boot in any mode including safe mode.

Anyone know how to resolve this?

Thanks

1 | 2 | 3

3629 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 2572

ID Verified

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3383292 12-Jun-2025 18:34

No backup sounds like you’re toast.

Normally you should have done a disk image backup just in case. Or use VMWare converter and done a P2V for backup.

But I think that could be too late now. You could try taking a disk image and if you still had XP and the install media install it new. But I doubt you have the install media.

Why didn’t you have any backup plan?

clinty

1201 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 402

Lifetime subscriber

#3383294 12-Jun-2025 18:37

Does it say which registry file? This used to happen a bit with corrupted hard drives in XP and if you got lucky you could find a back up of the corrupted registry file - SAM, security, etc in a folder in c:\windows

Otherwise, try F8 boot and safe mode or safe mode with command prompt and run chkdsk

Clint

gzt

18676 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 7809

Lifetime subscriber

#3383295 12-Jun-2025 18:43

1. Ideally disk image backup first so you have the current state saved whatever it might be
2. Boot the XP recovery cd or boot the recovery partition
- Run chkdsk
- Run scanreg

It's been a long time since I used XP. Wait for other ideas before you start.

acsylaa

85 posts

Master Geek
+1 received by user: 66

Just Internet

#3383353 12-Jun-2025 19:31

Daynger:

Hi Geeks and Zones,

I have a PC that was running an access control system that was DOA when i turned up to a building the other day.

I took it away and found the power supply was toast, so i replaced that, now it powers on fine.

The problem is it has a BSOD fault where it gets stuck in a boot loop. It runs on XP but has no internet connection so is safe.

My problem is that it has a critical piece of software on it for the access control system and there is no backup of the database.

The BSOD error is c0000218 registry file failure, the registry cannot load the hive.

It wont boot in any mode including safe mode.

Anyone know how to resolve this?

Thanks

What Access Control System was it running? not Cardax or Gallagher By chance?

Handle9

11923 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9674

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3383372 12-Jun-2025 20:11

Obsolete OS, no backups and it's "critical." Sounds like building systems to me.

The client has rolled the dice and it's come up snake eyes. Bad luck for their team.

Handle9

11923 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9674

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3383380 12-Jun-2025 20:32

BarTender:

Why didn’t you have any backup plan?

It sounds like OP has been called out by the building owner to "fix" the access control system. They in all likelihood have no maintenance plan for their building systems, no backups, no onsite spares, no migration plan for obsolete equipment and just try to fix things as they break.

It's entirely normal for commercial building owners to behave this way. They will probably lose their sh*t when told they have to actually upgrade something because their system was no longer sold 20 years ago and demand to speak to the management of the OEM of the access control system.

Geekzone support

Support Geekzone with one-off or recurring donations Donate via PressPatron.

SepticSceptic

2263 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 779

Trusted

#3383402 12-Jun-2025 22:54

And will be the OPs fault re the BSOD.

"So you got the PSU fixed, and there is now ANOTHER fault?

Are you incompetent or what?"

Daynger

444 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 313

#3383413 13-Jun-2025 00:01

Handle9:

It sounds like OP has been called out by the building owner to "fix" the access control system. They in all likelihood have no maintenance plan for their building systems, no backups, no onsite spares, no migration plan for obsolete equipment and just try to fix things as they break.

It's entirely normal for commercial building owners to behave this way. They will probably lose their sh*t when told they have to actually upgrade something because their system was no longer sold 20 years ago and demand to speak to the management of the OEM of the access control system.

Thats a bingo.

Daynger

444 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 313

#3383414 13-Jun-2025 00:06

clinty:

Does it say which registry file? This used to happen a bit with corrupted hard drives in XP and if you got lucky you could find a back up of the corrupted registry file - SAM, security, etc in a folder in c:\windows

Otherwise, try F8 boot and safe mode or safe mode with command prompt and run chkdsk

Clint

The full error is:

STOP: c0000218 (registry file failure)

The registry cannot load the hive (file):

or its log or alternate.

It is corrupt, absent or not writable.

Daynger

444 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 313

#3383415 13-Jun-2025 00:07

gzt: 1. Ideally disk image backup first so you have the current state saved whatever it might be
2. Boot the XP recovery cd or boot the recovery partition
- Run chkdsk
- Run scanreg

It's been a long time since I used XP. Wait for other ideas before you start.

There are no recovery disks or anything on site that i can find.

SomeoneSomewhere

1882 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1086

Lifetime subscriber

#3383416 13-Jun-2025 00:07

Definitely take a backup of the drive as step 1. If the filesystem is screwed you don't want to make any unnecessary writes.

If it's just the database that's needed, pulling it off the drive with Linux or another Windows PC might be feasible.

If you need the install intact, finding install media for XP should not be too hard.

Lego

Shop now for Lego sets and other gifts (affiliate link).

Daynger

444 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 313

#3383417 13-Jun-2025 00:09

acsylaa:

What Access Control System was it running? not Cardax or Gallagher By chance?

Insight.

I might be able to do a fresh HDD, new software and pull the database from the panel, but i dont know the version numbers or anything.

Im not super familiar with insight.

Daynger

444 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 313

#3383418 13-Jun-2025 00:10

SepticSceptic:

And will be the OPs fault re the BSOD.

"So you got the PSU fixed, and there is now ANOTHER fault?

Are you incompetent or what?"

Yeah, im waiting for the blame game.

pdh

440 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 289

#3383428 13-Jun-2025 03:05

You speak of 'pulling the database from the panel'.
Why not just pull it from the HDD ?

Just because the OS won't load - doesn't mean you can't read the files on the disk - by using another PC.
(As somewhere already suggested.)

Pull the drive out - stick it in another PC - and hunt out the database files and copy them.
Better yet, clone the disk.
Do that before you try and fix the OS - or you could destroy the HDD file structure and lose it for sure.

Handle9

11923 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 9674

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#3383429 13-Jun-2025 03:25

pdh:

You speak of 'pulling the database from the panel'.
Why not just pull it from the HDD ?

Just because the OS won't load - doesn't mean you can't read the files on the disk - by using another PC.
(As somewhere already suggested.)

Pull the drive out - stick it in another PC - and hunt out the database files and copy them.
Better yet, clone the disk.
Do that before you try and fix the OS - or you could destroy the HDD file structure and lose it for sure.

In most building systems the operative database sits in the controllers. The head end is purely a supervisor/backup. The panels do the control so if the front end or network are down the controllers carry on working.

1 | 2 | 3