I have a Sony Vaio, which came with Windows Me and a free upgrade to
XP when that came out.  I've been running XP for a year with no
problems.  Friday, while using IE, I got a Blue Screen of Death, the
computer restarted, and then told me "Operating system not found."  I
restarted again, and this time my desktop came up, but was completely
non-functional.  I spoke to a very nice man at Sony, and he told me
how to restart in safe mode, and then do a system restore to earlier
in the week.  I promptly backed up everything important.

Throughout this process, the computer had to be restarted several
times, the bad kind of restart where you just hold down the On button,
so every time it would check FAT32, which I understand is completely
normal.  At the very end of the "checking FAT32 screen," it would say
"This is not a Windows XP disk.  Serial number:  3B27-11F4.  Continue
(Y/N)?"  Except, it would never wait for me to press Y or N, it would
just go straight into the start-up.  In fact, it took me several times
to figure out what it was even saying because the screen would be
replaced so fast.

Later that evening, while using IE, I got another Blue Screen of
Death, and the computer restarted, but fortunately it managed to find
the OS.  After checking FAT32 (with the same message as above), the
desktop came up with one of those "Windows has recovered from a
serious error, would you like to send info to Microsoft?" messages.  I
copied down the details, in case that helps:
BCCode: 100000e  BCP1: C0000005  BCP2: BF8AE00B  BCP3: F6E83B00
BCP4:  00000000  OSVer: 5_1_2600  SP: 0_0    Product:  768_1

In the past 3 days since then, I haven't gotten any error messages or
Blue Screens of Death, but every time I restart the computer, even if
I do it properly from the Start Menu, or when the computer restarts
itself after installing updates, it always checks FAT32, and it always
gives that message about "this" (don't know what it's referring to)
not being a WinXP disk.

My question is, do you think I should reinstall Windows?  On the one
hand, everything seems to be working OK, and reinstalling the system
is a huge pain.  On the other hand, if there is something unstable
going on with FAT32 or whatever, it might be worth it to just
reinstall now because I never back-up as much as I should.

I would really appreciate it if the answer included some indication as
to what the problem is, like what it means that FAT32 isn't a Windows
XP disk, because maybe there is something I can do to make my system
more stable short of reinstalling XP.

Hello maisie,

Thank you for your question. And thank you for the excellent
description of your problem.

I found several interesting discussions on similar errors in XP, but
this one seems to hit the nail on the head seeing that you did an
upgrade from ME to XP:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=316424

Error Message: The System Has Recovered from a Serious Problem

The information in this article applies to:
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Professional

SYMPTOMS

After you upgrade your operating system from Microsoft Windows
Millennium Edition (Me) to Windows XP, you may receive an error
message similar to the following:

The system has recovered from a serious problem. A log of this error
has been created.

Serious error:
 
Error signature:
BCCode: A, BCP1: EB532A8, BCP2:000000FF, BCP3: 00000000, BCP4:
806BB1BE,
OSVer: 5_1_2600, SP: 0_0, Product: 768_1. 

CAUSE

You may receive this error message when Windows attempts to use device
drivers that are incompatible with Windows XP.
 
RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, verify that each device in your computer uses a
driver that is compatible with Windows XP. To do so, follow these
steps:

Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.

In the System Properties dialog box, click the Hardware tab, and then
click Device Manager.

For each device, use the following steps to verify that it is using a
Windows XP-compatible driver.NOTE: To narrow down the search, begin
with devices that have been disabled. A disabled device has its icon
overlaid with a red X.


Double-click the device name to open the device Properties dialog box,
and then click the Driver tab.

Examine the driver version. All Windows XP drivers should be version
5.1.2600 or later.

If you are not sure about the displayed version, examine the driver
date. Drivers created before the year 2001 may not be compatible with
Windows XP.

After you identify an outdated device driver that may be causing the
problem, follow these steps to update the driver:

Insert your Windows XP CD into the CD-ROM drive. If Setup starts
automatically, quit it.

In the device Properties dialog box, click Update Driver to start the
Hardware Update Wizard.

Click Install from a list or specific location (Advanced), and then
click Next.

Click to select the Include this location in the search box, and then
type your CD-ROM drive letter in the space below. For example, type
D:.

Click Next.

Follow the on-screen instructions to finish updating the driver.

Restart your computer if prompted.

NOTE: If Windows is unable to locate the driver for your device, the
device may not be supported by Windows XP. To see the list of
supported devices, see the most recent Windows Hardware Compatibility
List (HCL) at the following Microsoft Web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/hcl/default.asp

It does sound like this is a good possibility for trouble shooting
your problem.



Gateway discusses a similar problem, but not with an upgrade.
None-the-less, it may be useful:
http://support.gateway.com/s/issues/667604320.shtml

"The system has recovered from a serious error" Message Upon Startup
in Microsoft Windows XP

ISSUE: After Microsoft® Windows® XP starts, and it loads the desktop,
the following error message may appear:...

They make several detailed suggestions including logging in to Windows
Update to be sure you have the latest patches and resetting the
pagefile.sys. Either of these may be your problem. Do read their
instructions and try these solutions.

Another Microsoft Knowledgebase article addresses why this may
continue to occur and echoes some of the Gateway Solution:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=317277

You Receive a "System Has Recovered from a Serious Error" Message
After Every Restart

The information in this article applies to:
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Professional

SYMPTOMS

If Windows XP restarts because of a serious error, the Windows Error
Reporting tool prompts you to report the problem to Microsoft for
troubleshooting purposes. Windows may begin prompting you to report
this information every time you restart the computer, even if no error
occurred during the previous session. After this problem begins to
occur, you are prompted to send the information after every restart,
even if you choose not to send the information.

CAUSE

This problem occurs because after a Minidump (or memory dump) file is
written, the paging file continues to have a flag set that indicates
that a memory dump file needs to be written...

This article continues with instructions for obtaining and installing
the Service Pack claimed to cure this error.

 

A cached page at Windows-Help.net has this to say:
http://216.239.57.100/search?q=cache:egG9WbXqxk0C:www.windowsnewsletter.com/html-archive/2002/23mar2002.html+Windows+XP++%2B%22serious+error%22+%2Bstart&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

You Receive a "System Has Recovered from a Serious Error" Message
After Every Restart

If Windows XP restarts because of a serious error, the Windows Error
Reporting tool prompts you to report the problem to Microsoft for
troubleshooting purposes. Windows may begin prompting you to report
this information every time you restart the computer, even if no error
occurred during the previous session. After this problem begins to
occur, you are prompted to send the information after every restart,
even if you choose not to send the information.

Microsoft have released an update to fix this problem (Applies to
Windows XP Home Edition and Professional). Go to the Windows Update
site (it's listed under critical Updates), or download it directly
from Microsoft [2.86MB]
http://windows-help.net/cgi-bin/link/5.12.cgi?51215

So, as you can see, the multiple discussions of this genre of problem
seem to come down to two or three major suggestions for cures.

 
I would try the solutions above in the listed order. My hunch is that
the error is not trying to tell you that Fat 32 is not a windows disk,
but perhaps a device driver that is not compatible is causing the
system to check the validity of the Fat32 drive or the pagefile.sys is
corrupt which is causing the drive to perform self checks at boot-up.
Do let me know if any of these is successful.


Search Strategy:

Windows XP  +"serious error" +start

I trust my research has provided you with potential solutions to this
annoying problem. If a link above should fail to work or anything
require further explanation or research, please do post a Request for
Clarification prior to rating the answer and closing the question and
I will be pleased to assist further.

Regards,

-=clouseau=-

---

Request for Answer Clarification by maisie-ga on 11 Mar 2003 22:10 PST

I think I was unclear about something:  the recovery from a serious
error thing happened only once, so I'm not so much worried about that.
 My real concern is this business about FAT32 not being a Windows XP
disk, because that is what happens with every start-up.

Just in case, I checked all the drivers, but they were all OK, and I
didn't really think that could be the problem anyway because I
upgraded more than a year ago, so if one of the drivers was
incompatible, I think I would have had a problem before now.  I also
tried the pagefile thing, but it didn't seem to help either.

If I haven't used up my $15 yet, could you just tell me what FAT32
even is, so maybe I can try to figure this out on my own?  If you've
already spent too much time on this question, just let me know.

---

Clarification of Answer by clouseau-ga on 11 Mar 2003 22:25 PST

Hi maisie,

FAT32 is one method of formatting and keeping track of files on your
hard drive. FAT stands for File Allocation Table. The 32 is for 32 bit
and defines how many pieces of information can be kept in one file
allocation table. You may recall, there were limits in prior years as
to how large a partition on your hard drive could be. If your drive
was larger, you would have to partition it into logical drives so that
each partition was not larger than the FAT could keep track of.

The last thing I would want to do is to leave you in a lurch with your
problem. Sometimes it takes a bit of poking around to find what is the
cure for your particualar problem. So if you have a little patience, I
will continue to see what I can find.

If I understand correctly, the only continuing problem is checking FAT
32 on boot. After that everythings functions correctly. Correct me if
I am wrong.

Also, have you installed any new hardware or software recently that
might be related? Do you run a virus checker with current virus
definitions?

And last, do go to Microsoft Windows Update and be sure you have all
of the latest patches installed for XP.

Post a clarification if anything here helps or there is more I need to
know. I'll post if I make progress.

Best,

-=clouseau=-

---

Request for Answer Clarification by maisie-ga on 11 Mar 2003 23:39 PST

Yes, the only thing that seems to be wrong is that it always checks
FAT32, and also that it keeps saying that this (meaning the c:
drive???) is not a Windows XP disk.

I just installed Service Pack 1, and when I restarted to complete the
installation, again I got the FAT32 thing, so it looks like the
Service Pack doesn't fix it.

I use Norton Antivirus because I get it for free from my school, and
it gets updates automatically.  Prior to this whole FAT32 thing, the
only thing I installed was a font, about 8 days before I first started
having the problem.

Anyway, I don't mean for you to actually figure this thing out for
only $15, because if I had a computer guru come check it out, he would
charge at least twice that per hour.  And really it only takes 3
seconds for it to try to check FAT, discover that c: is not a Windows
XP disk, cancel the FAT32 check and continue start-up, so it's not
really an inconvenince; my only worry would be if it indicates some
larger underlying problem which could eat my OS in the near future.  I
fear things which could eat my OS.

I think the reason it keeps trying to check FAT32 over and over again
is that it cannot successfully check FAT32 because it thinks c: is not
a Windows XP disk, so it always aborts the check and then tries again
the next time I restart.  But maybe I'm just anthropomorphizing...

---

Clarification of Answer by clouseau-ga on 12 Mar 2003 10:30 PST

Hello maisie,

Thanks for continuing the dialog.

I'm usually VERY successful in finding these types of errors. In
virtually all cases, you are not the only one having a specific
problem and there will be some discussion on the Microsoft
Knowledgebase, Usenet Discussion Groups or sites such as
annoyances.org. In this case, there is no mention anywhere of this
problem, and this concerns me.Checking of FAT32 on boot does not
appear to be a standard function of XP.

It could be a hard drive read problem where the MBR (master boot
record) is having a problem and could also indicate imminent failure
of the hard drive.

Let me ask a few more questions:

1. Do you have a CD drive in this machine? Is there a CD in the drive
when you boot up? The fact there was a serial number message tells me
it might be checking something other than the hard drive. The BIOS of
the machine sets how it boots, and most usually looks for a floppy
first (A) and then the hard drive (C). It could be set to look at the
CD (D) first and if a CD is in the drive, this could be the problem.

2. How old is the hard drive in this machine?

3. Do you know that the drive IS FAT32? Right clck the drive in
Windows Explorer to see - select properties.


If none of these seem to help us pinpoint the problem, I would try a
repair of XP:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

Do read the warnings.

Microsoft has a page on this as well:
http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/expertzone/tips/dougknox/doug92.asp


These suggestions might also be helpful:
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm#How%20to%20Repair%20the%20Boot%20Sector:

How to Repair the Boot Sector:
If XP won't start it may be due to a damaged boot sector or a missing
or corrupt ntldr  or ntdetect.com files.

To replace damaged ntldr and ntdetect.com you can copy fresh files
from the XP CD using  the COPY command. Boot with the XP CD and enter
the Recovery Console (as above). At the Command Prompt type the
following (where "X" is your CD-Rom drive letter) allowing the files 
to overwrite the old  files
        COPY X:\i386\NTLDR C:
        COPY X:\i386\NTDETECT.COM C:

To repair a damaged Boot Sector at the command prompt type FIXBOOT and
press Enter. Then answer "Y"



Microsoft notes this:
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314058

FIXBOOT
fixboot drive name:

Use this command to write the new Windows boot sector code on the
system partition. In the command syntax, drive name is the drive
letter where the boot sector will be written. This command fixes
damage in the Windows boot sector. This command overrides the default
of writing to the system boot partition. FIXBOOT is supported only on
x86-based computers.
FIXMBR
fixmbr device name

Use this command to repair the master boot record (MBR) of the boot
partition. In the command syntax, device name is an optional device
name that specifies the device that needs a new MBR. Use this command
if a virus has damaged the MBR and Windows cannot start.

WARNING: This command can damage your partition tables if a virus is
present or a hardware problem exists. Using this command can result in
inaccessible partitions. Microsoft recommends that you run antivirus
software before you use this command.

You can obtain the device name from the output of the map command. If
you do not specify a device name, the MBR of the boot device is
repaired, for example:
fixmbr \device\harddisk2

If FIXMBR detects an invalid or non-standard partition table
signature, FIXMBR prompts you for permission before rewriting the MBR.
FIXMBR is supported only on x86-based computers.

If you are not technically comfortable enough to perform these tasks,
have a professional look at your system.

Do let me know if anything above is helpful or requires more deatil.

Regards,

-=clouseau=-

---

Request for Answer Clarification by maisie-ga on 12 Mar 2003 11:45 PST

Imminent failure of the hard drive isn't something I like to hear...

There is no CD in the CD drive, nor a floppy in the floppy drive.  I
got the computer in August of 2001, so I'm guessing the hard drive is
about that old.  The c: drive is FAT32, and the make is IBM-DJSA-220.

I'm going away for a week, and I actually have to leave in the next 20
minutes, so I won't be able to try any of the suggestions you gave
until I get back, but I will let you know how it goes.

Thank you SO much for all your help.  Now that I know this is
something to be fairly concerned about, repairing it will be my top
priority when I get back home.

---

Clarification of Answer by clouseau-ga on 12 Mar 2003 11:48 PST

More information:

 Checking FAT32 on boot is definitely not normal. It's definitely
indication of a hard drive with  some type of problem.

I could indicate a bad FAT, or a bad MBR. One person I contacted
suggested allowing the system to change the files to NTFS if there's
no conflict. Then if there continues to be trouble start thinking
about replacing the drive.

Do let me know what you find when you return.

-=clouseau=-

Thanks for sticking with this question!