I have a hardware raid1 configuration (Adaptec), win2kPro, sp4.
Running fine until I changed setup on bootup to add a supervisor and
user password. Now Windows won't load. Could changing something in
setup have changed the adaptec raid configuration to cause this? I of
course went back and took out the passwords in setup, but Windows
still won't load. Msg missing system.config...or something like that.
Any advice greatly appreciated.
Jack

If the system hive is corrupt and assuming you already tried LKG, It may be
possible to rename the system hive found in
%windir%\system32\config\system
to system.old
then rename
%windir%\system32\config\system.alt
to
%windir%\system32\config\system

If that fails you haven't much choice but to copy/ use the
original-as-installed system hive from
%windir%\repair\system
to
%windir%\system32\config\system
You'll need to reinstall the device drivers for any hardware added since the
original OS install.

To start the Recovery Console, start the computer from the Windows 2003
Setup CD_Rom. When you are prompted during text-mode setup, press R to start
the Recovery Console and then press C to use the Recovery Console. The
Recovery Console then prompts you for the administrator password. If you do
not have the correct password, Recovery Console does not allow access to the
computer. If an incorrect password is entered three times, the Recovery
Console quits and restarts the computer. Once the password has been
validated, you have full access to the Recovery Console, but limited access
to the hard disk. You can only access the following folders on your
computer: %systemroot% and %windir%

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft MVP [Windows NT/2000 Operating Systems]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect.

"JClark" wrote:
| I have a hardware raid1 configuration (Adaptec), win2kPro, sp4.
| Running fine until I changed setup on bootup to add a supervisor and
| user password. Now Windows won't load. Could changing something in
| setup have changed the adaptec raid configuration to cause this? I of
| course went back and took out the passwords in setup, but Windows
| still won't load. Msg missing system.config...or something like that.
| Any advice greatly appreciated.
| Jack

On Sat, 10 Jan 2004 16:34:05 -0700, "Dave Patrick"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>If the system hive is corrupt and assuming you already tried LKG, It may be
>possible to rename the system hive found in
>%windir%\system32\config\system
>to system.old
>then rename
>%windir%\system32\config\system.alt
>to
>%windir%\system32\config\system
>
>If that fails you haven't much choice but to copy/ use the
>original-as-installed system hive from
>%windir%\repair\system
>to
>%windir%\system32\config\system
>You'll need to reinstall the device drivers for any hardware added since the
>original OS install.
>
>To start the Recovery Console, start the computer from the Windows 2003
>Setup CD_Rom. When you are prompted during text-mode setup, press R to start
>the Recovery Console and then press C to use the Recovery Console. The
>Recovery Console then prompts you for the administrator password. If you do
>not have the correct password, Recovery Console does not allow access to the
>computer. If an incorrect password is entered three times, the Recovery
>Console quits and restarts the computer. Once the password has been
>validated, you have full access to the Recovery Console, but limited access
>to the hard disk. You can only access the following folders on your
>computer: %systemroot% and %windir%
Dave:
Thanks for your detailed help. I'll go down to the office now and try
the things you have suggested.
Naturally I tend to equate the onset of the problem with my last
action, which was going into setup and putting in a user and
supervisor password. But I don't see how this would cause windows not
to load. Could it have something to do with my Raid1 setup, which
obviously loads before Windows?
....or is it just a coincidence? Should I check the Adaptec Raid setup
(CTRL A) before working on the Windows problem? Could a boot sector
virus have caused my problem?
Sincere appreciation,

Jack

Inline reply:
"JClark" wrote:
| Dave:
| Thanks for your detailed help. I'll go down to the office now and try
| the things you have suggested.
| Naturally I tend to equate the onset of the problem with my last
| action, which was going into setup and putting in a user and
| supervisor password. But I don't see how this would cause windows not
| to load.
* Agreed, I don't see it either.

Could it have something to do with my Raid1 setup, which
| obviously loads before Windows?
| ...or is it just a coincidence? Should I check the Adaptec Raid setup
| (CTRL A) before working on the Windows problem?
* A hardware raid is completely transparent to the operating system so I
don't see this as an issue here.

Could a boot sector
| virus have caused my problem?
* Doubtful but booting your emergency AV disks or CD-Rom may answer that
one.


--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft MVP [Windows NT/2000 Operating Systems]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect.

On Sun, 11 Jan 2004 08:04:23 -0700, "Dave Patrick"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Inline reply:
>"JClark" wrote:
>| Dave:
>| Thanks for your detailed help. I'll go down to the office now and try
>| the things you have suggested.
>| Naturally I tend to equate the onset of the problem with my last
>| action, which was going into setup and putting in a user and
>| supervisor password. But I don't see how this would cause windows not
>| to load.
>* Agreed, I don't see it either.
>
>Could it have something to do with my Raid1 setup, which
>| obviously loads before Windows?
>| ...or is it just a coincidence? Should I check the Adaptec Raid setup
>| (CTRL A) before working on the Windows problem?
>* A hardware raid is completely transparent to the operating system so I
>don't see this as an issue here.
>
>Could a boot sector
>| virus have caused my problem?
>* Doubtful but booting your emergency AV disks or CD-Rom may answer that
>one.
Dave:

Yes it now seems likely that the Raid configuration had nothing to do
with my problem. I remember now, that the last thing I did before the
problem occurred was to run a complete virus check with Panda. Maybe
that fried something. I also had BOClean running.

With regard to restoring the system files, your instructions were very
helpful. Unfortunately your choice #1 didn't work and I had to use #2:

copy original-as-installed system hive from
%windir%\repair\system
to
%windir%\system32\config\system

And, indeed, I did need to install lots of drivers, even the video
card drivers.
Now, under c:\documents and settings I have two new folders:

winnt\default user
winnt\ all users
(as well as the previous "default user" and "all users" without the
preceding "winnt") The profile I work out of is "administrator" and
this is the same as before the restore, as best I can tell.
Do the extra profiles make any difference?
So far, it's working, although I haven't tested all the programs.

I very grateful for your help.

Jack

Shouldn't make any difference. Your software should still all be intact as
all software settings and registrations would be in the software hive. Glad
to hear you've got something going again.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft MVP [Windows NT/2000 Operating Systems]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect.

"JClark" wrote:
| Dave:
|
| Yes it now seems likely that the Raid configuration had nothing to do
| with my problem. I remember now, that the last thing I did before the
| problem occurred was to run a complete virus check with Panda. Maybe
| that fried something. I also had BOClean running.
|
| With regard to restoring the system files, your instructions were very
| helpful. Unfortunately your choice #1 didn't work and I had to use #2:
|
| copy original-as-installed system hive from
| %windir%\repair\system
| to
| %windir%\system32\config\system
|
| And, indeed, I did need to install lots of drivers, even the video
| card drivers.
| Now, under c:\documents and settings I have two new folders:
|
| winnt\default user
| winnt\ all users
| (as well as the previous "default user" and "all users" without the
| preceding "winnt") The profile I work out of is "administrator" and
| this is the same as before the restore, as best I can tell.
| Do the extra profiles make any difference?
| So far, it's working, although I haven't tested all the programs.
|
| I very grateful for your help.
|
| Jack