Repairing Windows XP in Eight Commands Article is not Correct.

edited March 2008 in Hardware
Hi,

I was searching for ways to fix a PC that is displaying the dreaded message:

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:

\\WINDOWS\\SYSTEM32\\CONFIG\\SYSTEM

You can attempt to repair this file by starting Windows Setup
using the original Setup CD-ROM.

Select 'R' at the first screen to start repair.

I came across the article Repairing Windows XP in Eight Commands which I started reading, but when I got to the second last thing I seen this:

CHKDSK /R /F

Hate to tell you, but the /F is an invalid command paramiter, that's according to the system, which is strange as according to this system is valid. I have tried it with just the /R, but its still going after an hour so not sure if it will work.

All the other steps were fine, it was just this that was wrong.

Comments

  • KentigernKentigern Milton Keynes UK
    edited March 2008
    Hi GlenGrainger and welcome to Icrontic.
    If you specify the /f command-line option, chkdsk displays an error message if there are open files on the disk.
    It is possible that you may have had something running in the background, i.e. anti virus.
    Let us know which version of Windows you are using and if your operating system is on a seperate partition.
  • the_technocratthe_technocrat IC-MotY1 Indy Icrontian
    edited March 2008
    chkdsk.exe

    Syntax
    CHKDSK [drive:]path]filename] [/F] [/V] [/R] [/L[:size

    Key
    [drive:] Specify the drive to check.

    filename Specify the file(s) to check for fragmentation (FAT only).

    /F Automatically Fix file system errors on the disk.

    /X Fix file system errors on the disk, (Win2003 and above) dismounts the volume first, closing all open file handles.

    /R Scan for and attempt Recovery of bad sectors.

    /V Display the full path and name of every file on the disk.

    /L:size NTFS only: change the log file size to the specified number of kilobytes. If size is not specified, displays the current log size and the drive type (FAT or NTFS).

    /C Skip directory corruption checks.

    /I Skip corruption checks that compare directory entries to the file record segment (FRS) in the volume's master file table (MFT)
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited March 2008
    Hey, sorry it's not working for you. The Eight Commands repair protocol has been a miracle worker for many, many of us here.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited March 2008
    /f is correct. Sorry.
  • edited March 2008
    According to the system that I was and have been working on for the last 4 hours now, the /F parameter is not valid, it kept telling me so "Invalid command parameter, for help type /?".

    The only 2 parameters it would accept were /P and /R.

    Anyway, it didn't help, I eventually had to reinstall windows so I could get into windows and copy all of the parents work from it to my system on the network.

    Then it was a format and full install of windows.


    Edit: I think you will find its a SP2 thing, the system only had SP1 installed before, but now I have updated it to SP2 and the /F parameter is now valid...
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited March 2008
    Glen, we aren't saying that the Eight Commands always works. It's valid, but doesn't always effect the desired rescue. Sometimes a file system can be so bad that only a repair installation or format-reinstallation will work. I guess that's your category. Sorry it came to that.
  • QeldromaQeldroma Arid ZoneAh Member
    edited March 2008
    Hi,


    Hate to tell you, but the /F is an invalid command paramiter, that's according to the system, which is strange as according to this system is valid. I have tried it with just the /R, but its still going after an hour so not sure if it will work.

    If I have it right, chkdsk /f is not an option in the recovery console. It is, however an option from the command line in Windows and can also be batched for next start-up.

    References:

    Recovery console commands

    chkdsk command details

    I think that might be where the confusion is.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited March 2008
    No, /F is a valid command from the recovery console.
  • QeldromaQeldroma Arid ZoneAh Member
    edited March 2008
    Then the Microsoft manual is incorrect.

    EDIT: Actually, I should say "incomplete"
  • edited March 2008
    Thrax wrote:
    No, /F is a valid command from the recovery console.

    Then why was the system telling me it was invalid parameter?

    That is all my point is here, I am not worried that the Repairing Windows XP in Eight Commands didn't help me in this case, windows was too corrupted to repair. But I got around it and saved the work I had to then just formatted and reinstalled windows along with everything else, gave the system a good clean up anyway.

    My point is that in recovery console the /F was invalid.

    Like I said above and I will even bold it for you:
    I think you will find its a SP2 thing, the system only had SP1 installed before, but now I have updated it to SP2 and the /F parameter is now valid...
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited March 2008
    I read that previously, however I think it's safe to say that anyone still not updated to SP2 is begging for trouble. :)
  • edited March 2008
    I wouldn't say that, one of my gaming systems still runs SP1 as it 'soaks up' a lot less RAM then SP2, don't even get me started on how much RAM the P.O.S vista 'soaks up'.

    The system that I was working on for the parents only has 256MB RAM to begin with, so SP1 was better for it, they only use it for Word, Excel and Greetings Workshop mostly, Email sometimes.

    Anyway, I have stated my point, the parameter /F was not valid when I was working in the recovery console at the time, reason for this I was not sure of at the time, but I do now.
  • mmonninmmonnin Centreville, VA
    edited March 2008
    Ever think its just YOUR computer that is invalid?

    Show us documented proof from Microsoft that /F does not work with SP2, otherwise you are wrong. Dont make outrageous claims saying someone else is wrong based on only 1 observation and absolutely NO proof. You are trying to do a repair, did you ever think the chkdisk.exe file is corrupted?
  • edited March 2008
    READ THE ****ING THREAD YOU DICKHEAD!!!!

    The system that I was working on only had SP1 installed, the /F was not valid, it never had SP2 installed, you want me to say it again for you??

    SP2 WAS NOT INSTALLED AT THE TIME!

    SO YOU DON'T MAKE STUPID CLAIMS SAYING SOMEONE ELSE IS WRONG UNLESS YOU ACTUALLY READ EVERYTHING FIRST!!!

    Just for you, AGAIN:
    I think you will find its a SP2 thing, the system only had SP1 installed before, but now I have updated it to SP2 and the /F parameter is now valid...

    My final word on this, and final time I will be here, bunch of dickheads, just trying to point something out that the /F parameter is not valid in SP1 recovery console. To make sure of this, I started my other gaming system and checked it as it only has SP1 installed, I am right, the /F parameter is invalid. There are only 2 parameters valid, /P and /R.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited March 2008
    Easy, easy.

    Glen, nobody's saying that it's not invalid in SP1. Most people are simply saying that anyone still running SP1 on their PC is begging for a raft of problems and incompatibilities, not only to be concerned with security, but also with a majority of the articles written about XP in the last two years. This article is amongst them. That's all. :)
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