\SYSTEM file is corrupt due to power outage. Is there any way to recover my files?

SimtasticXPSimtasticXP
edited November 2006 in Hardware
Hello. There was a power outage last night and now I'm stuck on the black screen with a message saying "Windows cannot start because the following file is missing or corrupt \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM". I have a SONY Vaio XP and the Recovery Wizard is on a seperate drive on the PC. I have no physical disks to boot.

BartPE sounded great, but my other XP doesn't have a CD burner. Another one my PCs that has a burner is WinMe or 2000. I read about Recovery Console which also requires having a boot disk. What other options do I have? All I want to save my files, then I can restore the system. I'm afraid of losing important data. Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

Comments

  • mtroxmtrox Minnesota
    edited October 2006
    Go to this thread and see if you can fix the problem. Maybe you don't have to reformat. http://www.short-media.com/review.php?r=313 You should be able to fix your problem.

    If that doesn't work, Google "knoppix". Like Bart PE, it makes a bootable disk where you can go in and get your files.
  • SimtasticXPSimtasticXP
    edited October 2006
    Thanks for replying.
    I would like to try accessing the recovery console, but I don't have a Windows XP CD. Is it possible to create a boot CD for XP on a ME?

    It may be possible to create system recovery CDs on the PC I'm having trouble with (if I can access the Vaio wizard from the black screen). If so, would that work the same as a standard Windows XP CD or boot disk to run the recovery console?
  • mtroxmtrox Minnesota
    edited October 2006
    SimtasticXP wrote:
    Is it possible to create a boot CD for XP on a ME?
    Not that I know of. You could download Knoppix and make a boot disk that way, but you can't make an XP boot disk.
    SimtasticXP wrote:
    It may be possible to create system recovery CDs on the PC I'm having trouble with (if I can access the Vaio wizard from the black screen). If so, would that work the same as a standard Windows XP CD or boot disk to run the recovery console?

    Check with the Sony site but I've used the VAIO recovery partition before, and I believe all it does it take you back to factory condition....meaning all your files are gone.

    If I were you, I'd try to fix XP as I mentioned above. If that doesn't work, either Bart PE or Knoppix. They both will give you the ability to boot off a disk and access your files. You might also take the hard drive to a friend who has Win 2000 or XP, put it in their computer and copy the files that way. Don't put it in your ME, it won't read the NTFS format of your XP disk.
  • SimtasticXPSimtasticXP
    edited October 2006
    The only problem I have with the first method is that my PC didn't come with any XP or boot disks. If I made a boot disk with Knoppix on WinME (because my second working XP doesn't have a burner), would it work on the XP that I'm trying to fix? If I could transfer my files from the first XP, I don't mind recovering the whole system if I have to. Just getting the files safely to another hard drive is my main concern.
    Forgive me as I don't know much about boot disks.
  • mtroxmtrox Minnesota
    edited October 2006
    SimtasticXP wrote:
    The only problem I have with the first method is that my PC didn't come with any XP or boot disks.
    OK, you're right. You need XP disks for the link I left. If you don't have those, you can't fix it that way.
    SimtasticXP wrote:
    If I made a boot disk with Knoppix on WinME (because my second working XP doesn't have a burner), would it work on the XP that I'm trying to fix?
    No. All those really do is get you into the drive so you can get files off. If you're ready to do a restore to original condition, I'd just get files off with one of those, or plug it in another Win 2000/XP box and get them off that way.
  • SimtasticXPSimtasticXP
    edited October 2006
    I was able to access my files using Knoppix. Thanks again for telling me about Knoppix.
  • profdlpprofdlp The Holy City Of Westlake, Ohio
    edited November 2006
    Nice call, mtrox. :)

    Glad you got your files back, SimtasticXP. :cheers:
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