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Get the fix for the error  <strong>STOP: 0x0000006B PROCESS1_INITIALIZATION_FAILED </strong>on <strong>Windows XP,</strong> <strong>Windows Vista, </strong><strong>Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1</strong> and<strong> Windows 10</strong>.
<h2>About the "<strong>0x0000006B</strong>" error</h2>
[kbintro]
<h3>Description and Symptoms</h3>
The error messages, alerts, warnings, and symptoms below are tied to this error.
<h4>Symptom 1: 0xc000006b error screen on startup</h4>
The ntdll.dll file is a library created by Microsoft that basic contains NT kernel functions. It is required by the system to load properly, and it must be located in the %windir%/system32 folder. If it is missing or corrupt, then the 0x0000006b error screen appears.

Here is an example of an error screen that appears on Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7

<a href="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/01/ntdll_winxp_vista_7.png"><img class="alignnone wp-image-4279 size-full" src="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/01/ntdll_winxp_vista_7.png" alt="0x0000006B Windows XP, Vista, 7 error screen" width="640" height="480" /></a>
<pre>A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage
to your computer.

PROCESS1_INITIALIZATION_FAILED

If this is the first time you’ve seen this Stop error screen,
restart your computer. If this screen appears again, follow
these steps:

Check to make sure any new hardware or software is properly installed.
If this is a new installation, ask your hardware or software manufacturer
for any Windows updates you might need.

If problems continue, disable or remove any newly installed hardware
or software. Disable BIOS memory options such as caching or shadowing.
If you need to use Safe Mode to remove or disable components, restart
your computer, press F8 to select Advanced Startup Options, and then
select Safe Mode.

Technical Information:

*** STOP: 0x0000006B (0x00000034, 0x00000002, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)
</pre>
And here is an example of an error screen that appears on Windows 8, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10:<a href="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/01/ntdll_win8.png"><img class="alignnone wp-image-4280 size-large" src="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/01/ntdll_win8-1024x768.png" alt="0x0000006B Windows 8, 8.1 error screen" width="980" height="735" /></a>
<pre>Your PC ran into a problem and needs to restart. We're just collecting some error info, and then we'll restart for you(80% complete)
If you'd like to know more, you can search online later for this error: PROCESS1_INITIALIZATION_FAILED</pre>
<h4>Symptom 1: 0xc000006b error screen on Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2</h4>
On Windows 7 with no Service Packs installed, or on Windows Server 2008 R2, this error is often caused because the Bootcat.cache file is corrupted or because the size of the Bootcat.cache file is changed since the last successful start. This error is fixed in Service Pack 1 for both Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.
<h3>Causes of this Error</h3>
This error has been known to occur as a result of one or more of the following:
<h4>Cause 1: NTDLL.dll file is missing or corrupt</h4>
The NTDLL.dll file, located at %windir%/system32 is a vital component of Windows boot process, and the system cannot work properly if it is corrupt or missing. This may happen because of disk read/write errors, virus attacks, or power outages.
<h4>Cause 2: Bootcat.cache file is corrupt</h4>
On Windows 7 and Windows 2008 R2 with no Service Packs installed, this error is caused because the Bootcat.cache file is corrupted or its size was changed. If that's the case, the user should either delete this file manually, or install the latest Service Pack provided by Microsoft
<h2>Fixing "<strong>0x0000006B</strong>" on Windows</h2>
[setupcd]
<h3>Fix #1: Replace the DLL</h3>
[partial name="partial_restorefile_xp" file="ntdll.dll" command="copy D:\\i386\\ntdll.dll C:\\Windows\\system32\\ntdll.dll"]

Here is an example of what the PC's console output should look like once the ntdll.dll file is properly restored:

[caption id="attachment_4281" align="alignnone" width="720"]<a href="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/01/ntdll_winxp_restore.png"><img class="wp-image-4281 size-full" src="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/01/ntdll_winxp_restore.png" alt="Replacing the ntdll.dll file" width="720" height="396" /></a> Replacing the ntdll.dll file[/caption]
<h3>Fix #2: <span id="Fix_4_Use_Startup_Repair_to_attempt_HAL_replacement">Use Startup Repair to attempt NTDLL replacement</span></h3>
On Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, Startup Repair can be used to scan the system for damaged or missing system files to replace the ntdll.dll file if it is corrupt or missing.

[setupcd]

[partial name="partial_startup_repair"]

Here is an example of what the PC’s startup repair should look like once the ntdll.dll file is properly restored:

[caption id="attachment_4283" align="alignnone" width="800"]<a href="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/01/ntdll_windows_repair.png"><img class="wp-image-4283 size-full" src="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/01/ntdll_windows_repair.png" alt="Ntdll.dll restored by Windows 7 Startup Repair" width="800" height="600" /></a> Ntdll.dll restored by Windows 7 Startup Repair[/caption]
<h3>Fix #3: <span id="Fix_5_Repair_corrupted_system_files_with_the_SFC_command">Repair corrupted system files with the SFC command</span></h3>
On Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, it is possible to use the built-in Windows SFC(system file checker) tool to automatically scan a computer's system files and repair them if necessary.

Here are the steps to run SFC:
<ol>
 	<li>Boot from your Windows install disc</li>
 	<li>Click on <strong>Repair your co</strong><strong>mputer</strong> after selecting proper language, time and keyboard input.</li>
 	<li>Select the Windows installation drive, which is usually <code>C:\</code>, and click <strong>Next</strong></li>
 	<li>Choose Command Prompt when the System Recovery Options box appears</li>
 	<li>Write the following command and press <kbd>Enter</kbd> afterwards:
<pre>sfc /scannow /offbootdir=D:\ /offwindir=D:\Windows\</pre>
Replace D: with the letter of the driver where Windows is installed, and D:\Windows with the Windows folder location.</li>
</ol>
Here is an example of what the PC's console output should look like once the sfc.exe scan is complete and missing files are successfully restored:

[caption id="attachment_4233" align="alignnone" width="800"]<a href="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2013/08/sfc_result.png"><img class="wp-image-4233 size-full" src="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2013/08/sfc_result.png" alt="Ntdll.dll restored by the SFC utility" width="800" height="600" /></a> Ntdll.dll restored by the SFC utility[/caption]
<h3>Fix #4: Delete Bootcat.cache and Install SP1</h3>
If the error is caused by a corrupt Bootcat.cache file, it is possible to delete it manually and install the Service Pack to fix this error once the system loads successfully. To do so, follow these steps:
<ol>
 	<li>Insert the Windows 7 installation DVD</li>
 	<li>Restart the computer</li>
 	<li>Boot from the DVD</li>
 	<li>At the <em>Install Windows</em> screen, select <strong>Repair your computer</strong> or press <kbd>R</kbd>
<img src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2013/10/Install-Now-Windows-7.jpg" alt="Install Now Windows 7 Screen" /></li>
 	<li>At the <em>System Recovery Options</em> screen, select <strong>Command Prompt</strong>
<img src="/wiki/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2014/05/windows-7-system-recovery-options-screen.jpg" alt="Windows 7 System Recovery Options" /></li>
 	<li>When Command Prompt appears, type the letter of the drive where your Windows 7 is installed:
<pre>D:</pre>
Replace <code>D:</code> with the letter of the drive where Windows 7 is installed, if <code>D:</code> is not your default installation drive.</li>
 	<li>Press <kbd>Enter</kbd></li>
 	<li>Then type:
<pre>cd windows\system32\codeintegrity</pre>
</li>
 	<li>Press <kbd>Enter</kbd></li>
 	<li>Type:
<pre>del bootcat.cache</pre>
</li>
 	<li>Press <kbd>Enter</kbd></li>
 	<li>Restart your computer</li>
</ol>
Here is an example of what the PC's console output should look like once the bootcat.cache file is deleted:

[caption id="attachment_4284" align="alignnone" width="800"]<a href="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/01/bootcat_del.png"><img class="wp-image-4284 size-full" src="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2015/01/bootcat_del.png" alt="Bootcat.cache file deleted" width="800" height="600" /></a> Bootcat.cache file deleted[/caption]

After your computer loads successfully, follow these steps to install the Service Pack:
<ol>
 	<li>Click <strong>Start</strong></li>
 	<li>Click <strong>All Programs</strong></li>
 	<li>Click <strong>Windows Update</strong></li>
 	<li>Click <strong>Check for updates</strong></li>
 	<li>Select <strong>Service Pack for Microsoft (KB976932)</strong></li>
 	<li>Click <strong>OK</strong></li>
 	<li>Click <strong>Install Updates</strong></li>
 	<li>Type the Administrator password, when prompted</li>
 	<li>Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation</li>
</ol>
<h3>Fix #5: <span id="Fix_5_Check_the_hard_drive_with_CHKDSK_utility">Check the hard drive with CHKDSK utility</span></h3>
If the hard drive has its file integrity compromised, it is possible to use built-in Windows CHKDSK utility to scan the disk and fix the file system errors.

Here are the steps to run CHKDSK:
<ol>
 	<li>Boot from your Windows install disc</li>
 	<li>Click on <strong>Repair your co</strong><strong>mputer</strong> after selecting proper language, time and keyboard input.</li>
 	<li>Select the Windows installation drive, which is usually <code>C:\</code>, and click <strong>Next</strong></li>
 	<li>Choose Command Prompt when the System Recovery Options box appears</li>
 	<li>Write the following command and press <kbd>Enter</kbd> afterwards:
<pre>chkdsk C: /f</pre>
Replace C: with the letter of the driver where Windows is installed.</li>
</ol>
Here is an example of what the PC's console output should look like once the chkdsk.exe is complete:

[caption id="attachment_3697" align="alignnone" width="800"]<a href="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2016/04/VirtualBox_Win7_clean_21_04_2016_03_58_48.png"><img class="wp-image-3697 size-full" src="https://neosmart.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2016/04/VirtualBox_Win7_clean_21_04_2016_03_58_48.png" alt="Chkdsk utility results screen" width="800" height="600" /></a> Chkdsk utility results screen[/caption]
<h2>More Information</h2>
<h3>Linked Entries</h3>
<ul>
 	<li><a href="https://neosmart.net/wiki/sfc/">sfc</a></li>
 	<li><a href="https://neosmart.net/wiki/chkdsk/">chkdsk</a></li>
</ul>
[partial name="partial_moreinfo" versions="xp, vista, 7, 8, 8.1,10"]