XP Configuration Error : "Code Purple"

[scootergizer]

Ive had one of the most confusing error messages today. I work in technical support and one of the customers I had today recieved an error out of the box that its terminology is a bit puzzling. The customer has an OEM version of XP and during its first boot after he hit the windows splash he recieved an error message "configuration error : Code Purple. I cant find any reference to this even through microsoft. While I was looking for a reference to this i was having the customer do busy work : restart. reset CMOS defaults. This seems to have resolved it, the caller was able to load to the original windows config screen. but I dont believe that it was reset that had done it, I cant logically think why it would have. Im mainly just curious as to what the error is, "Code Purple". Anyone experience this before?

[tekmonkey]

A quick google search came up With a BOMB THREAT code but I doubt thats what it is but Ill keep looking for ya.


Welcome to TechIMO

[scootergizer]

Yeah I saw that when i was looking, and no believe it or not I dont think that would be applicable. Thank you though for your ever so insiteful information

[goldenbuddha]

sarcasm when asking for assistance is very rude..

[scootergizer]

I know him dont worry

[scootergizer]

for future reference if anyone needs to know : it looks like the OEM software may cause this in most cases if it is not active in your start up list . why it occured out of the box is still odd but if it occurs out of the blue (or purple heheheheh....sigh) then try enabling any bundled OEM software if you can get into msconfig from safemode.

[lenkeith]

Hi guys, I know this is late but it is by chance that i stumbled upon this forum. Code purple will only happen to ODM computers and as far as i know, HP and Compaq are one of those that may have this error. It means that the motherboard is not tattooed properly, or not tattooed at all or it simply means that it's faulty.
As you know, commercial PCs always come with a quick restore CD or recovery partition and companies use a tattoo on the motherboard to make it unique so that the quick restore cd will only run on it's assigned PC. Like a every lock has its unique key. So the tattoo is the motherboard's unique code.

[quinten.miles]

I've working on a total system recovery of a Compaq P. I've been up for two days wrking on this message. I think what I did was put a dell recovery cd in by accident ( so many of these things laying around, after the recovery finished I rebooted and got the dreded code purple. If anyone has any info how I can solve this please let me know. I'm working on this as a bet for one of the data guys at work. And just mabey my responce has hekped someone else.

[INTEGRALE69]

I work with computers all day and code purple on an compaq or HP means that the motherboard needs Tattooing, it is not possible to complete this process without a set of specialist disks that arn't available to the public as far as I know, untill this process has been done you will not be able to use compaq/HP recovery processes as the recovery program no longer recognises the computer as a compaq/HP machine, this is a security thing stopping you installing an OEM version of windows on any computer with the recovery disks.
In a nutshell your recovery media will not work till the machine is tattooed the only way to install windows is with a windows os cd.
If you get the machine Tattooed the other thing you must concider is generaly on these machines loosing the tattoo on the machine is rare and it may be pointing to problems with the motherboard especialy if the problem returns again.

[andeti]

Actually, this is caused on the newer systems by not running the DMI Utility after replacing Motherboard or HDD. This utility availible from HP tattoo pages, will either read or write the DMI configuration so that restore will work properly. If the untility is not run, it will allow you to run the recovery process but will give you the "Configuration error: Code Purple"