Corrupt System File, need help

CaffeineMeCaffeineMe Cedar Rapids, IA
edited June 2004 in Science & Tech
Working on a buddy's PC, XP Home edition, Dude, it's a Dell.

At boot, was receiving error that \windows\system32\config\system was missing or corrupt. I got out his boot CD, booted to recovery console, ran chkdsk, rebooted. Then restored SYSTEM from \windows\repair folder (I renamed the existing system file before recovering, so it's still around).

Now, XP at least begins to load (splash screen), then hangs. Tried recovery console again, and when I go into Recovery Console, now it wants me to enter Admin PW. We thought we knew what it was, we were wrong. I tried cracking the PW using Emergency Boot CD .5 and the PW reset tool that it has, ineffective. Tried to download .6, that's been ineffective also.

Any ideas on how I can either:

1. Force XP to continue loading? Last known good and safe modes result in same behavior.
2. Figure out how to hack/crack the Admin PW so I can at least get into the recovery console again and restore the original(the corrupt one) System file? Occassionally, just the rename will be enough to jerk it back into place (stranger things have happened).

3. Finally, sanity check here, if I just reinstall XP, will My Documents be overwritten? So long as I don't format drive, all data (except for C:\Windows) ought to be safe....right??? Just looking for some confirmation on #3. Thanks all!

Bill

Comments

  • BlackHawkBlackHawk Bible music connoisseur There's no place like 127.0.0.1 Icrontian
    edited June 2004
    Doing a repair installation won't delete anything.
  • LawnMMLawnMM Colorado
    edited June 2004
    Plug it into another computer, save anything he wants, and format the drive and reinstall
  • Mt_GoatMt_Goat Head Cheezy Knob Pflugerville (north of Austin) Icrontian
    edited June 2004
    LawnMM wrote:
    Plug it into another computer, save anything he wants, and format the drive and reinstall

    But run memtest prior to the reinstall as it is likely the cause of the file system borking in the first place. Never hurts! :D
  • NecropolisNecropolis Hawarden, Wales Icrontian
    edited June 2004
    Let me point you to one of my most helpful sites

    http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/
    Download the software to make a boot cd. Then follow the instructions on the site.

    This will allow you to change the admin password on any NT/2K/XP box :thumbsup:
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited June 2004
    I don't believe Dell's home edition can do a repair install. If it can then when it gets to the point that it searchs for disks before you get to choose what partiton to install to it will give a message saying "searching for previous xp installs" and show you the disk and install directory and ask if you want to repair it. This is differant from recovery console!

    If a repair install is not an option then you can simply reinstall XP and as long as you don't format it won't loose anything. Give the system a new computer name durring the install and then for example if the old user was named "greg" and his crap is stored in My Documents in a directory called greg. If you reiunstall and give the computer a new system name like "newdell" then his new data directory for the user greg will be in my documents but named greg.newdell. And you can just copy his crap over. I hate home XP but I'm pretty sure it works like XP pro and thats what it does.

    Tex
  • GobblesGobbles Ventura California
    edited June 2004
    Install the OS again in another directory, instead of c:\windows, install it into c:\winxp

    then just back up the data, format and reinstall. The fact however that you had a corrupt system file and then windows hangs after the fix concerns me more. is that drive on a raid array at all? Hosed system files, Ive found, means there is a hardware problem, usually a failing drive or raid componant...

    Gobbles
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited June 2004
    I think memory is the most likely suspect though not a drive. I mean its hard to say but... I have seen it happen though on stuff like blip in electricty that isnt enough to make it reboot but can corrupt the contents of memory. And of course any OC'ing where your pushing cpu or bus can cause it. I have even had one friggin faulty cpu that would do it when run at its rated speed every few days and it all went away if you UNDERCLOCKED it 10 percent in one really weird isolated case.

    But I have had it happen to clients just one time and never happened again in two years also so it might be a weird once in a lifetime event or just like lawnman said you could be seeing early signs of drive failure perhaps.

    Tex
  • CaffeineMeCaffeineMe Cedar Rapids, IA
    edited June 2004
    Well, I reinstalled WITHOUT format, all data looked good. I sent it home with him, we'll see how it goes. He'll get a stern lecture on backing items up ASAP, and we'll take it from there. Thanks guys!
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