Fix PROCESS1_INITIALIZATION_FAILED (0x6B) in Windows 7 (Historical)
Historical Windows 7 recovery for Microsoft's documented Bootcat.cache-related 0x6B startup failure, while noting that 0x6B can also have other disk/boot causes.
Historical support note: Windows 7 support ended on January 14, 2020.
PROCESS1_INITIALIZATION_FAILED has bug check value 0x0000006B. Microsoft documents more than one possible cause, including disk-subsystem and boot-partition problems.
However, Microsoft also published a specific Windows 7/Windows Server 2008 R2 issue where a corrupted or changed Bootcat.cache file caused 0x6B during startup.
For the documented Bootcat.cache case
Microsoft’s supported resolution was to install Windows 7 Service Pack 1. As a workaround, Microsoft documented starting from Windows installation media, deleting the Bootcat.cache file, and restarting.
The file is located at:
%SystemRoot%\System32\CodeIntegrity\Bootcat.cacheIf you are recovering a legacy Windows 7 system and the symptoms match the Microsoft article, boot to Windows recovery/installation media, identify the correct Windows volume, then remove only that file and restart.
Do not copy a Bootcat.cache file from a random computer.
If deleting Bootcat.cache does not help
Microsoft’s broader bug-check documentation notes that 0x6B can also be caused by disk-subsystem faults, missing boot files, unavailable drives, or disabled drivers.
At that point, check storage health and review the crash/dump information rather than repeatedly deleting the cache file.
Official references
- Microsoft Support: documented Windows 7 Bootcat.cache 0x6B issue: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/-stop-error-code-0x0000006b-process1-initialization-failed-error-message-during-startup-on-a-computer-that-is-running-windows-7-or-windows-server-2008-r2-3c948539-15ed-ee48-cb16-5fcb6012e79b
- Microsoft Bug Check 0x6B: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/drivers/debugger/bug-check-0x6b--process1-initialization-failed
- Microsoft Windows lifecycle status: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/updates-lifecycle/what-does-it-mean-if-windows-isn-t-supported
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