URGENT: corrupt system file
Hello All,
I received the following problem when attempting to start my XP Pro machine
Windows Could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt \windows\system32\config\system"
I tried to both reinstall windows and use the recovery console. While doing the former the machine is unable to find the previous version of Windows XP Pro. With the former I select 1 for c:\Windows but it gets stuck there.
I live in the NY area. I would be very very obliged to you if you have any ideas on how to solve it.
I received the following problem when attempting to start my XP Pro machine
Windows Could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt \windows\system32\config\system"
I tried to both reinstall windows and use the recovery console. While doing the former the machine is unable to find the previous version of Windows XP Pro. With the former I select 1 for c:\Windows but it gets stuck there.
I live in the NY area. I would be very very obliged to you if you have any ideas on how to solve it.
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Comments
Either your drive is bad or we're going to completely reformat it and start over. This issue can not be fixed without one of these two solutions if a repair install or the recovery from the Windows console can not be conducted. In both cases, there's a strong chance we can still back up most of the data before sending it or its information to pasture.
Given that your drive is okay but the system hangs when accessing your installation at the Windows Recovery Console, I'd say your copy of Windows is simply broken beyond repair. To back up your data, you can start with the easy guide and then move to the advanced guide if that fails. Once that's done, you can follow the article I linked at the beginning of my post to get SATA drivers on your Windows CD, then you'll have to reformat and reinstall.
If I connect an external SATA drive enclosure to another XP Pro machine, will I have to install a SATA driver? The article did not mention the need to install a driver so I am assuming one isn't required!
I got stumped with re-installing XP Pro SP2 on a machine with a SATA drive. Perhaps SP3 has SATA drivers. I will attempt the slipstreaming idea tomorrow.
When ever I have installed XP I have always put the SATA drivers onto a floppy disk then when the XP installer starts you get a blue screen with a load of text at the bottom. It comes up with something like to install third party SATA devices press F6. You then Pres F6 it carries on its merry way. Once it gets to the next stage it asks you for the location of the driver and you can point it to the floppy disk.
Is this not still possible?
Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \windows\system32\config\system
This is a nasty little greeting that has appeared on my Windows XP machine a couple of time recently.
Thankfully, it has a fairly simple solution that has worked for me..
The Solution
1. Turn your computer off
2. Insert your Windows XP CD and reboot from the CD drive
To boot from CD, press DEL on startup and enter into the system BIOS setup and select your CD drive as the first boot drive, press F10 to save your settings and exit
Your computer will reboot from the XP disc
3. Press 'R' when offered the option of using the Windows Recovery Console
(Note: there are lots of articles telling you NOT to do it this way, but from my recent experience this is the quickest and easiest way.)
4. The Recovery Console
At the prompt type the following:
C:\WINDOWS >cd system32\
this changes the current directory to C:\Windows\System32 ren config configold
This renames the config folder to configold
mkdir config
this makes a new directory called config
cd config
changes the current directory to c:\Windows\System32\Config
then type the following lines pressing enter after each one
copy c:\windows\repair\system
copy c:\windows\repair\software
copy c:\windows\repair\sam
copy c:\windows\repair\security
copy c:windows\repair\default
after each line it should say:
1 file copied
type:exit
5. Reboot
(You will have to go back into the BIOS setup and change the boot drive back from CD to your primary Hard Disk)
When your computer boots, it will probably run CHKDSK and show lots of orphaned files which it will automatically repair
Windows should boot normally and everything should be fine!