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StJimmy9109

17 Posts

3255

August 27th, 2005 16:00

heeeeeeelllllllllllppppp me

When I turn my compy on, there is a black screen that says that the file, "WINDOWS/system32/config/SYSTEM" is either missing or corrupt. How can I get this back?

ejn63

9 Legend

 • 

87.5K Posts

August 27th, 2005 16:00

The Windows registry is corrupt.

If you have data on the drive that is not backed up, immediately mount the drive in a working system and copy it.

Once that's done, return the drive to the system and run the Dell diagnostics on the drive. If the drive fails, replace it.

If the drive passes, you can try a registry restore (see below), but that usually winds up failing in many cases - the only fix may be a complete reinstall of the OS (or use the Symantec PC Restore if it's newer than 7/15/04).

Restoring the registry manually (DO NOT TRY THIS if you have not backed up your data):

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756

ejn63

9 Legend

 • 

87.5K Posts

August 27th, 2005 17:00

If the registry is corrupt, safe mode won't work.

You're going to need to follow Microsoft's instructions for using the command line to try restoring the registry.

StJimmy9109

17 Posts

August 27th, 2005 17:00

so this long process will def. work?

StJimmy9109

17 Posts

August 27th, 2005 17:00

how do you do that?

scottatah

658 Posts

August 27th, 2005 17:00

it won't definitely work, but assuming system restore is turned on it does work a lot of hte time.
 

Something else easier to do than that article that will sometimes fix issues, is simply a windows repair.  Has worked a couple times for myself, and it's a lot easier than 307545.

volcano11

28K Posts

August 27th, 2005 17:00

First, see if you can get into Safe Mode and run System Restore from there to return your system to a date before you started getting this error message.  If that doen't fix it, see the rather complicated solution from Microsoft at:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307545

Steve

StJimmy9109

17 Posts

August 27th, 2005 17:00

How do you get into safe mode? It sounds like the easiest way to get that file back and to get everything back to normal. So, can you maybe gimme step by step instructions?

ejn63

9 Legend

 • 

87.5K Posts

August 27th, 2005 19:00

Boot the XP CD and choose Repair.

It is unlikely to repair a corrupt registry. If you can't restore it, you'll have to reload the OS from scratch.

DO NOT do this until you verify the drive isn't faulty.

StJimmy9109

17 Posts

August 27th, 2005 20:00

i tried the thingy from the microsoft support thing and when i got to the part where you repair the system file it said it was not found. please please please someone tell me a way to fix this easily w/o losing anything. i neeeeeeeeeeeeed heeeeeeeeelp

thanks

P.S. i need it done soon.

StJimmy9109

17 Posts

August 27th, 2005 20:00

I followed the MS article 307545 and in part one, when I typed "copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system" it said that the file could not be found. Then I tried to restart the whole thing and when i typed "md tmp" it said that folder was already made. That means that I can't redo the whole thing and I need another way to fix it or something...

scottatah

658 Posts

August 27th, 2005 20:00


@StJimmy9109 wrote:

i tried the thingy from the microsoft support thing and when i got to the part where you repair the system file it said it was not found. please please please someone tell me a way to fix this easily w/o losing anything. i neeeeeeeeeeeeed heeeeeeeeelp

thanks

P.S. i need it done soon.


I'm not sure exactly what you tried...you're above explanation wasn't clear.  But to sum up what everyone has said.  Run the harddrive diags, try a windows repair by booting off the xp cd.  If that doesn't work or it doesn't give you the option, then boot again off the XP cd, and follow step for step thru MS article 307545.  If one part doesn't work, tell us exactly which part didn't and how it fails, and we can tell you whether it's absolutely necessary, or whether you can go onto the next step.

scottatah

658 Posts

August 28th, 2005 04:00

some parts of that article, don't tell you everything. If you're having trouble finding a file. Go to the folder where it's supposed to be. and then type "dir" That'll give a list of hte files in that folder. Sometimes thru out this process some of hte files have strange extensions that the article doesn't tell you about.



cd is teh command to change to a directory

cd.. is to go up a directory



Just because the md dir was done once simply means you've created that folder on your pc. You can continue to use that folder.



Lastly, sometimes if a file is very corrupt (usually the one used in the error) you won't be able to back it up (which is what you're doing in the first part of step one). If you can't thats ok, continue on, and hopefully you can at least delete it and copy the new version of htat file over from the cd (or wherever it coems from in step 1).

jovz

25 Posts

August 28th, 2005 07:00

This might help . But sometimes it fails and might need  to Do OS install.

 

Its a long shot but it worked for me.

 

When you try to start or restart your Windows XP-based computer, you may receive one of the following error messages:

Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE

Stop: c0000218 {Registry File Failure} The registry cannot load the hive (file): \SystemRoot\System32\Config\SOFTWARE or its log or alternate

 

The procedure described in this article uses Recovery Console, System Restore if the restart gives any error when it booted to Desktop, and lists all the required steps in specific order to ensure that the process completes fully. After you complete this procedure, the system should return to a state very close to the system before the problem occurred.

 

I. Boot to the Recovery Console

To run the Recovery Console from the Windows XP startup disks or the Windows XP CD-ROM, use the following steps:

  1. Insert the Windows XP startup disk into the floppy disk drive, or insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer.
  2. Click to select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted to do so.
  3. When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.

 

II. Manually copy system restore files

At the Recovery Console command prompt, type the following lines, pressing after you type each line:

(all commands to be typed in command prompt are in BLUE color for clarity of the content, and pressing the key is required for executing each command at the recovery Console)

  1. cd \ ( Note: between "cd" and "\" there should be a "blank space" else the command won''''t work )

   2.    cd system~1\_resto~1  

 

 

The appropriate command should be used according to the error message aka if the file "system" is corrupted use the first command or if the file "software" is corrupted use the second command line.

If it gives an error "Access Denied" while accessing the folder,  follow the method below

cd \
cd windows\system32\config
ren system system.bak
exit

now restart the computer and follow step I of the article.

 

 

 

   3.    dir

 

when you hit it will list all the restore points folders like rp1,rp2................ we have to see the last restore point to copy the file from a recent backup. if the restore points have more than one page then u have keep on hitting the key to view the last restore point folder.

 

 

It is a good rule of thumb to choose the files from the restore point folder which the second last one.

   4.    cd rp {the last restore point no. } (Note : Example : cd rp9, if rp9 is the last restore point, where last restore point no.=9 )

    5.    cd snapshot

Now the command Prompt will look like this c:\system~1\_resto~1\rp9\snapshot> ( Note : restore point 9 assumed for clarity of the content, you have to goto the last restore point folder as described in the previous lines) Now according to the error message we have to copy the appropriate file from the restore point folder.

   6.    copy _registry_machine_system c:\windows\system32\config\system 
           or
           copy _registry_machine_software c:\windows\system32\config\software

 

   7.    Type Exit to restart computer and boot to the harddrive normally.

 

jovz

25 Posts

August 28th, 2005 07:00

This might help . But sometimes it fails and might need  to Do OS install.

 

Its a long shot but it worked for me.

 

When you try to start or restart your Windows XP-based computer, you may receive one of the following error messages:

Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE

Stop: c0000218 {Registry File Failure} The registry cannot load the hive (file): \SystemRoot\System32\Config\SOFTWARE or its log or alternate

 

The procedure described in this article uses Recovery Console, System Restore if the restart gives any error when it booted to Desktop, and lists all the required steps in specific order to ensure that the process completes fully. After you complete this procedure, the system should return to a state very close to the system before the problem occurred.

 

I. Boot to the Recovery Console

To run the Recovery Console from the Windows XP startup disks or the Windows XP CD-ROM, use the following steps:

  1. Insert the Windows XP startup disk into the floppy disk drive, or insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer.
  2. Click to select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted to do so.
  3. When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.

 

II. Manually copy system restore files

At the Recovery Console command prompt, type the following lines, pressing after you type each line:

(all commands to be typed in command prompt are in BLUE color for clarity of the content, and pressing the key is required for executing each command at the recovery Console)

  1. cd \ ( Note: between "cd" and "\" there should be a "blank space" else the command won''''t work )

   2.    cd system~1\_resto~1  

 

 

The appropriate command should be used according to the error message aka if the file "system" is corrupted use the first command or if the file "software" is corrupted use the second command line.

If it gives an error "Access Denied" while accessing the folder,  follow the method below

cd \
cd windows\system32\config
ren system system.bak
exit

now restart the computer and follow step I of the article.

 

 

 

   3.    dir

 

when you hit it will list all the restore points folders like rp1,rp2................ we have to see the last restore point to copy the file from a recent backup. if the restore points have more than one page then u have keep on hitting the key to view the last restore point folder.

 

 

It is a good rule of thumb to choose the files from the restore point folder which the second last one.

   4.    cd rp {the last restore point no. } (Note : Example : cd rp9, if rp9 is the last restore point, where last restore point no.=9 )

    5.    cd snapshot

Now the command Prompt will look like this c:\system~1\_resto~1\rp9\snapshot> ( Note : restore point 9 assumed for clarity of the content, you have to goto the last restore point folder as described in the previous lines) Now according to the error message we have to copy the appropriate file from the restore point folder.

   6.    copy _registry_machine_system c:\windows\system32\config\system 
           or
           copy _registry_machine_software c:\windows\system32\config\software

 

   7.    Type Exit to restart computer and boot to the harddrive normally.

 

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