Err Msg: STOP: C0000221 Unknown Hard Error

ID: Q101096


The information in this article applies to:

The following STOP message appears when a critical system file or other file needed to load Windows NT is corrupted:

STOP: C0000221 unknown hard error
<path>\<file name>


Alternatively, the error may read as follows:

STOP: 0xC0000221 unknown hard error
c:\winnt\system32\ntdll.dll (or other specific file/driver)


This error can appear in many different formats, ranging from a blue system error screen to a dialog box. The type of format depends on how much of the operating system was loaded when the corrupted file was detected.

If you receive this error message, the file listed along with the error is corrupted. You need to either obtain a new copy of the file or reinstall Windows NT. If reinstallation fails to solve the problem, then a hardware or network problem may exist.

The files that are checked for integrity as Windows NT starts are:

This error message can be caused when you install an inappropriate driver for your hardware. For example, this error would appear if you installed a MIPS driver on an X86-based computer.

Additional query words: prodnt checksum blue trap


Keywords          : kbother ntstop 
Version           : 3.1 3.51 3.51 4.0
Platform          : winnt 
Issue type        : 

Last Reviewed: January 13, 1999