Getting "c:\windows\system32\config\system"

  • Thread starter Thread starter Uzidengineer
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U

Uzidengineer

Hi,

A Dell computer, XP home, 5 years old.
Worked fine but the other day it "broke"
I can't boot. I'm getting a message that
"c:\windows\system32\config\system" is missing or corrupted.

Having Dell's Reinstallation CD-ROM
I tried to "repair" but it rejects my administrator password.
No, I didn't forget. It must be something that Dell did
when installing the XP rather the account I created when I
first used the computer.

Any idea (including buying a commercial "boot/repair" CD)
Thanks,
Uzi
12/30/07
 
It's a failure to load a component/hive of the Registry. The MS
article below describes a method of recovery.
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307545
*A Dell supplied XP CD-ROM should have a Null or empty
Administrator password ( Unless it's been changed, which
isn't very likely ). Any XP CD-ROM can be used for the
Recovery Console, so see if you can borrow one.

You can do this
with your
"Uzidengineer" <uzib97@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:u1K7sUwSIHA.4656@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
>
> A Dell computer, XP home, 5 years old.
> Worked fine but the other day it "broke"
> I can't boot. I'm getting a message that
> "c:\windows\system32\config\system" is missing or corrupted.
>
> Having Dell's Reinstallation CD-ROM
> I tried to "repair" but it rejects my administrator password.
> No, I didn't forget. It must be something that Dell did
> when installing the XP rather the account I created when I
> first used the computer.
>
> Any idea (including buying a commercial "boot/repair" CD)
> Thanks,
> Uzi
> 12/30/07
>
 
You could also try this idea that has worked for me in the past.
Get a startup disk (I use BartPE from nu2.nu, but there are loads available)
and reboot to it so that you can get to a command prompt. when you have the
command prompt window open then try to run chkdsk on the c drive. Click N on
the first option you are asked whether you want to check and repair any
errrors on the disk and then click Y for everything else.

chkdsk /f

"Uzidengineer" <uzib97@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:u1K7sUwSIHA.4656@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> Hi,
>
> A Dell computer, XP home, 5 years old.
> Worked fine but the other day it "broke"
> I can't boot. I'm getting a message that
> "c:\windows\system32\config\system" is missing or corrupted.
>
> Having Dell's Reinstallation CD-ROM
> I tried to "repair" but it rejects my administrator password.
> No, I didn't forget. It must be something that Dell did
> when installing the XP rather the account I created when I
> first used the computer.
>
> Any idea (including buying a commercial "boot/repair" CD)
> Thanks,
> Uzi
> 12/30/07
>
 
Thanks, Lenny,

Looking at http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/ I'm not sure
what to download. ( pebuilder3110a.zip? )

Shall I unzip and "burn" a CD?
It seems that this is a tool to *create* a bootable disk
with a working (accessible) computer.

Please elaborate,
Happy New Year,
Uzi,
12-31-07


"Lenny" <lenny@thetakeout.com> wrote in message
news:EKadnbvF8Nyrc-ranZ2dnUVZ8sqjnZ2d@pipex.net...
> You could also try this idea that has worked for me in the past.
> Get a startup disk (I use BartPE from nu2.nu, but there are loads
> available) and reboot to it so that you can get to a command prompt. when
> you have the command prompt window open then try to run chkdsk on the c
> drive. Click N on the first option you are asked whether you want to check
> and repair any errrors on the disk and then click Y for everything else.
>
> chkdsk /f
>
> "Uzidengineer" <uzib97@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:u1K7sUwSIHA.4656@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>> Hi,
>>
>> A Dell computer, XP home, 5 years old.
>> Worked fine but the other day it "broke"
>> I can't boot. I'm getting a message that
>> "c:\windows\system32\config\system" is missing or corrupted.
>>
>> Having Dell's Reinstallation CD-ROM
>> I tried to "repair" but it rejects my administrator password.
>> No, I didn't forget. It must be something that Dell did
>> when installing the XP rather the account I created when I
>> first used the computer.
>>
>> Any idea (including buying a commercial "boot/repair" CD)
>> Thanks,
>> Uzi
>> 12/30/07
>>
>
>
 
Uzidengineer wrote:
> Thanks, Lenny,
>
> Looking at http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/ I'm not sure
> what to download. ( pebuilder3110a.zip? )
>
> Shall I unzip and "burn" a CD?
> It seems that this is a tool to *create* a bootable disk
> with a working (accessible) computer.
>
> Please elaborate,
> Happy New Year,
> Uzi,
> 12-31-07
>
>
> "Lenny" <lenny@thetakeout.com> wrote in message
> news:EKadnbvF8Nyrc-ranZ2dnUVZ8sqjnZ2d@pipex.net...
>> You could also try this idea that has worked for me in the past.
>> Get a startup disk (I use BartPE from nu2.nu, but there are loads
>> available) and reboot to it so that you can get to a command prompt. when
>> you have the command prompt window open then try to run chkdsk on the c
>> drive. Click N on the first option you are asked whether you want to check
>> and repair any errors on the disk and then click Y for everything else.
>>
>> chkdsk /f
>>
>> "Uzidengineer" <uzib97@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>> news:u1K7sUwSIHA.4656@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> A Dell computer, XP home, 5 years old.
>>> Worked fine but the other day it "broke"
>>> I can't boot. I'm getting a message that
>>> "c:\windows\system32\config\system" is missing or corrupted.
>>>
>>> Having Dell's Reinstallation CD-ROM
>>> I tried to "repair" but it rejects my administrator password.
>>> No, I didn't forget. It must be something that Dell did
>>> when installing the XP rather the account I created when I
>>> first used the computer.
>>>
>>> Any idea (including buying a commercial "boot/repair" CD)
>>> Thanks,
>>> Uzi
>>> 12/30/07

You'll have to create it on a working machine, then use it on the one
with the problems.

--
Joe =o)
 
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