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An initialization failure occurred while...

STOP: 0x000000F8

Description

Unable to boot from the RAM disk. A RAM disk is a virtual disk drive run from memory for great performance, but it is limited in space and has to be loaded upon each power up cycle.

Some older versions of Windows may show the description as "RAMDISK_BOOT_INITIALIZATION_FAILED".

This is a fatal Windows error, typically called a Stop message, Bug Check, or more commonly the Blue Screen of Death (BSoD). The system is in a forced reboot state. Any unsaved work is likely lost.

Sample Screen

A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.

An initialization failure occurred while attempting to boot from the RAM disk.

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: 0x000000F8

Beginning dump of physical memory
Physical memory dump complete.

Contact your system administrator or technical support group for further
assistance.

Text may appear differently depending on where the error occurs.
Additional technical information (hex values) specific to a machine are not shown.

Key Facts

Full Title		An initialization failure occurred while attempting to boot from the RAM disk.
Stop Code		0x000000F8
Type		Fatal
Windows		Vista, 2008, 7, 8
Vendor		Microsoft Corporation

Solutions and Fixes

Get the Latest Updates

Install the latest Windows software updates. Don't forget to check for non-critical updates too!

To manually get updates, open Internet Explorer (you can't use a non-Microsoft browser for updates).

For IE 8 and later: Click on Safety, then Windows Update. Follow the instructions.

For IE 7 and older: Click on Tools, then Windows Update. Follow the instructions.

FaultWire Staff
Posted: 5-Oct-2008

Also see our list of common Fatal Error Solutions.

Forum Help

Check out what others say about this issue and review or add your own comments and solutions!

Go to Forums on topic.

Technical Details

An initialization failure occurred while attempting to boot from the RAM disk.

After the Stop code will be 4 hex values: {Parameter 1, Parameter 2, Parameter 3, Parameter 4}.

Parameter 1 specifies the cause of the issue.

0x00000001 No LoaderXIPRom descriptor was found in the loader memory list.

0x00000002 Unable to open the RAM disk driver (ramdisk.sys or DeviceRamdisk).

0x00000003 FSCTL_CREATE_RAM_DISK failed.

0x00000004 Unable to create GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) string from binary GUID.

0x00000005 Unable to create symbolic link pointing to the RAM disk device.

Parameter 2 specifies the NTSTATUS code.

Parameter 3 is set to 0.

Parameter 4 is set to 0.

Vendor Summary

Vendor		Microsoft Corporation (more info...)
Phone		1-425-882-8080 1-800-642-7676
Web		Main USA
Assistance		Support

While BSoD fatal stop errors are identified by Microsoft Windows, they are often caused by non-Microsoft applications, drivers and hardware issues.

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Notes

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