Stop 0xC0000221 or STATUS_IMAGE_CHECKSUM_MISMATCH

The Stop 0xC0000221 message indicates driver, system file, or disk corruption problems (such as a damaged paging file). Faulty memory hardware can also cause this Stop message to appear.

Interpreting the Message

This Stop message typically displays the name of the damaged file as follows.

STOP: 0xC0000221 STATUS_IMAGE_CHECKSUM_MISMATCH <path>\<file name>
- or -
Unable to load device driver <driver_name>

Resolving the Problem

The following suggestions are specific to Stop 0xC0000221 errors. For additional troubleshooting suggestions that apply to all Stop errors, see the section titled "Stop Message Checklist" later in this tutorial.

• You can use Driver Rollback or System Restore from safe mode to restore a previous driver. You can also use Windows 7 recovery features, such as the Last Known Good Configuration startup option, Backup, or Automated System Recovery, to restore a previous working configuration. After restoring from backup media, you might need to reapply service packs or hotfixes, depending on when the backups were made.
• If the Stop message names the specific file, try replacing it manually with a fresh copy from another Windows computer using safe mode or Startup Repair.
• Stop message 0xC000026C, caused by similar conditions, provides the name of the system file. You can also use the preceding suggestaions to resolve this error.