Repairing Windows XP in Eight Commands Article is not Correct.
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.
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.
0
Comments
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.
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)
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...
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.
EDIT: Actually, I should say "incomplete"
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:
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.
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?
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:
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.
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.