As you know, there are some issues with Windows 10 ever since its release. Windows 10 installation BSOD error 0xc000021a is one of the errors that you may encounter, which comes along with the error message “Your computer ran into a problem and needs to restart”.
It will do harm to your Windows OS internal structure. It will persist after you restart your computer as the error message is required, and even the system restore doesn’t work. You need to fix the error, but more importantly, you should find the causes behind it.
It has been proven that the two files (winlogon.exe and crss.exe) in your computer are the main causes of the error. As the name winlogon.exe indicates, this file is responsible for the login and logout operations in Windows. The mismatch of system files or third-party software can damage this file resulting in 0xc000021a error.
Crss.exe file belongs to a Microsoft server or client, so it can also lead to the error 0xc000021a when it gets damaged. Fortunately, you can fix the error by using some methods. The following are the details of solutions that you can take as your reference.
Table of Contents
Fix 1: Disable Driver Signature Enforcement
You can change other boot elements to troubleshoot certain issues with Windows 10 besides booting in Safe Mode. Driver signature enforcement is a secure way to block drivers that aren’t digitally signed to run in Windows 10.
However, you sometimes need to disable signature enforcement to enable your computer to run properly. Here’s how to do.
Step 1: Reboot your computer with the help of the Windows 10 installation disk, and then enter the BIOS page and set it as the first boot.
Step 2: Go to the Windows repair environment (WinRE) by following the instruction on the screen.
Step 3: Select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings one by one.
Step 4: After that, all the Startup Settings options will be listed. Press F7 to choose the Disable driver signature enforcement option.
Step 5: Then, reboot your computer to check if the error is fixed.
Fix 2: Rebuild BCD
If your computer cannot read the installation setup in the repeated sequence, the BSOD error 0xc000021a will occur to you. Actually, there are many issues related to BCD (Boot Configuration Data) such as BCD is missing, BCD unreadable error 0xc000014c, etc.
When you encounter the stop code 0xc000021a, you can consider rebuilding BCD. Here are specific steps.
Step 1: Repeat Step 1 to Step 2 of Fix 1 to enter the WinRE.
Step 2: Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.
Step 3: In the prompted window, type the following commands and press Enter after each.
- bootrec.exe /rebuildbcd
- bootrec.exe /fixmbr
- bootrec.exe /fixboot
Step 4: Reboot your computer to make the operation take effect, and then check if the error is solved.
Fix 3: Run SFC
Alternatively, you can also run SFC utility to scan your OS and fix detected errors. It is very easy to operate.
Step 1: Follow the steps above to open the Command Prompt in the WinRE environment.
Step 2: Type sfc /scannow in the pop-up window and click on Enter to carry out the operation.
Step 3: Wait for the completion of the scanning process. After that, reboot the computer to see if the stop code still persists.
Fix 4: Check HDD Health
If you cannot fix the error after trying all the above methods, it’s time to check your hard drive. If your computer can enter Safe Mode, you are able to perform the following steps.
Step 1: Press Win and E keys to open the File Explorer, and then click on This PC on the left panel. Find and right-click on your system partition (typically is the C drive), and then choose Properties in the pop-up menu.
Step 2: Navigate to Tools tab and click on Check button. If you are prompted with a confirmation message, just allow the operation.
Alternatively, you can apply a third-party program such as MiniTool Partition Wizard to check bad sectors on your HDD. After installation, launch it and select the drive to scan on the main interface. Click on Surface Test and choose Start Now to carry out the operation.
To sum up, this post mainly talks about the possible causes and corresponding solutions to the Windows 10 installation BSOD error 0xc000021a. After reading this post, you will not be confused by it.
