# Error 0xc000000f



## larrytrotter (Apr 3, 2016)

First time posting here, and help or suggestions would be hugely appreciated as I've been trying to focus on this issue for over a week now to no avail.

Ok so to get you guys up to speed, the problem occurred last week when my laptop (Hp Pavilion 15 series, 3 years old) unexpectedly started making very strange and worrying noises and froze, I was unable to safely shut down the system so had to resort to shutting off the system through the power button. When the system rebooted I was presented with the classic blue screen error 0xc000000f.

After searching various forums for answers it became apparent I would need a back-up installation media as it was now allowing me to boot the OS in safe mood or any of the other start-up options provided. I downloaded a copy of windows 8.1 through the Microsoft website as I did not have/was not given the media when I purchased the laptop, (I was previously using windows 8 and had never updated to 8.1, however 8 was not available through the Microsoft site and I didn't fancy taking my chances through torrenting). 

After booting up through the USB with windows 8.1 I was able to reach the windows recovery settings. At which point I exhausted every option to no avail. System restore would tell me that an unspecified error had occurred and to run 'chkdsk /r'. After this I attempted to fix the issue using the automatic repair option, which also failed. At this point I decided to cut my losses and 'Reset the PC' to factory settings, only to be told that this could not be performed as the 'Drive is locked'. 

My next option was to try and install 8.1 through the usb boot, after about 11% of installation I received the message that installation could not be completed due to missing files (error code: 0x80070001).

So with everything failing I decided to research online further to discover that it was most likely a start up file and recovered and to use the command chkfsk /f /r :C to try and recover and fix any corrupted files that may be causing the issue, after 2 days of waiting CMD informed me that there was still an ETA of 200+ hours. At which point I thought it may be going slower due to the fact I had booted in legacy mode as 200+ hours seemed a ridiculous amount of time to scan a hard drive that isn't really that big. This time I booted through UEFI and attempted the same thing only to find that it made no difference.

Currently I'm trying running the commands separately to see if this will quicken the process. I have successfully ran 'chkdsk /f C:' and received the message that no problems were found and required no further action. I am now running 'chkdsk /r C:' with an estimated time of 20hrs left, however it hasn't moved in the last 2 hours as is replacing a bad cluster at a total of 4%, so I expect the waiting time to rise to another ridiculous amount of time after this.

Literally pulling my hair out of this, I know its stupid but my laptop is my life and I have been working on it day and night now for over a week and just find myself going round in circles, I even dismantled the laptop, cleaned everything, and built it back up in a vain attempt to fix the issue, but this progressed the issue no further.

At this point I'm just about prepared to bite the bullet and pay the money for a computer technician to fix this, as I am the first to admit that my knowledge on the subject isn't the best, but if there is any suggestions or thoughts on how else I could possibly fix this issue before I given I would be forever in your debt. Sorry the lengthy rant and again to those who read it your time is hugely appreciated it.

Thanks for your time, feel free to shoot away with any questions regarding my system to help diagnose the issue.

Larry


----------



## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

Hi and Welcome to TSF!

Clear your system CMOS cache by removing the battery from the laptop, followed by the power cable. Press and hold the power button for 30 seconds and reinsert the battery and power cable.

Enter your system BIOS and make sure that your settings are set to default.

Please preform a hard drive test using this guide here:

How to perform a Seagate's Seatools Test - Tech Support Forum


----------



## Panther063 (Jul 13, 2009)

There's only two items that can possibly make a noise in a laptop, the cooling fan and the hard drive.
If the fan spins up when power is pressed then most likely the hard drive needs replaced.


----------



## spunk.funk (May 13, 2010)

To test panthers theory, remove the HDD from the laptop, attach it internally to a desktop computer or via a USB Adapter, or put it into a *USB Enclosure *or *Dock* with a power adapter. If the HDD does not spin up, or makes a Whirring noise, then it has failed. If it gets recognized by the computer, you can run Diagnostic tests on it depending on the manufacturer.


----------



## jcgriff2 (Sep 30, 2007)

Whatever you do -- do not pay a PC repair tech to fix this!

The hard drive has likely failed & is very easy to replace. We can guide you through it - the same way the folks here guided me through replacing my hard drive in my laptop years ago. I was literally frightened and overwhelmed at the time. But all worked out and it was a lot easier than I thought it would be.

Regards. . .

jcgriff2

`


----------

