Error: Missing or Corrupt: \Winnt\System32\Config\Systemced

The agony continues on Win2K SP4.

Error Message: Windows Could Not Start Because the Following File Is
Missing or Corrupt: \Winnt\System32\Config\Systemced

It seems there are a few possibilities to do the repair, and different
possibilities for the cause of the problem. MS has a page on it here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/269075

The article goes into much detail of using an ERD to do a repair of the
system directory but it doesn't give much detail. I ran the ERD 3 times
and it gave the impression of success every time but when it rebooted it
was still dead.....Systemced. I actually had 3 ERDs, one from 3 months
back, one from 2 weeks ago and one from last week when the D drive
installation went down. They weren't much help. I made several attempts
to get Safe Mode running but they were unsuccessful. This suggests that
another route should be tried. Two other ways were suggested in that
article - replace system files, or do lots of work on the registry.

There are two adjacent System folders [called system hives there - can
you hear the bees? ;-) ] that have to be moved. In the article this was
to be done using the ERD which, it seems to me, suggests that there was
only one OS on that system. Since I have two OSs on my box, I could
start up Win2k on the C drive and do this copy and paste of the system
folders on the D drive where the problem is. That seemed to me to be
less hassle than using the ERD.

The layout is winnt\repair\regback and repair and regback each has a
system folder of about 3.5 MB and 5.8 MB respectively. The repair that
is suggested is that the 5.8 MB system folder in regback be copied over
the 3.5 MB system folder above it in the repair folder. I renamed the
system file in the repair folder to systemold and then copied the system
file from regback to that folder. Then I rebooted but again I was back
at Systemced.

The last argument for a recovery was made that there may not be enough
room for the existing system registry and this was the last possibility
for saving the drive from the sledge ;-) This work involves massaging
the registry. Since the OS on D is dead, it would seem that the registry
operation is on a corpse. Has anyone done this before? If the registry
size could be increased while the OS is down that could allow the D
drive to run again.

TIA

RFR wrote:
> The agony continues on Win2K SP4.
>
> Error Message: Windows Could Not Start Because the Following File Is
> Missing or Corrupt: \Winnt\System32\Config\Systemced
>
> It seems there are a few possibilities to do the repair, and different
> possibilities for the cause of the problem. MS has a page on it here:
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/269075
>
> The article goes into much detail of using an ERD to do a repair of the
> system directory but it doesn't give much detail. I ran the ERD 3 times
> and it gave the impression of success every time but when it rebooted it
> was still dead.....Systemced. I actually had 3 ERDs, one from 3 months
> back, one from 2 weeks ago and one from last week when the D drive
> installation went down. They weren't much help. I made several attempts
> to get Safe Mode running but they were unsuccessful. This suggests that
> another route should be tried. Two other ways were suggested in that
> article - replace system files, or do lots of work on the registry.
>
> There are two adjacent System folders [called system hives there - can
> you hear the bees? ;-) ] that have to be moved. In the article this was
> to be done using the ERD which, it seems to me, suggests that there was
> only one OS on that system. Since I have two OSs on my box, I could
> start up Win2k on the C drive and do this copy and paste of the system
> folders on the D drive where the problem is. That seemed to me to be
> less hassle than using the ERD.
>
> The layout is winnt\repair\regback and repair and regback each has a
> system folder of about 3.5 MB and 5.8 MB respectively. The repair that
> is suggested is that the 5.8 MB system folder in regback be copied over
> the 3.5 MB system folder above it in the repair folder. I renamed the
> system file in the repair folder to systemold and then copied the system
> file from regback to that folder. Then I rebooted but again I was back
> at Systemced.
>
> The last argument for a recovery was made that there may not be enough
> room for the existing system registry and this was the last possibility
> for saving the drive from the sledge ;-) This work involves massaging
> the registry. Since the OS on D is dead, it would seem that the registry
> operation is on a corpse. Has anyone done this before? If the registry
> size could be increased while the OS is down that could allow the D
> drive to run again.
>
> TIA

Problem solved :-)

RFR wrote:
> RFR wrote:
>
>> The agony continues on Win2K SP4.
>>
.... snip much description ...
>>
>> The last argument for a recovery was made that there may not be
>> enough room for the existing system registry and this was the
>> last possibility for saving the drive from the sledge ;-) This
>> work involves massaging the registry. Since the OS on D is dead,
>> it would seem that the registry operation is on a corpse. Has
>> anyone done this before? If the registry size could be increased
>> while the OS is down that could allow the D drive to run again.
>>
> Problem solved :-)

Interesting. The above was posted 3 minutes EARLIER than the
problem description. And we also note the very useful description
of the problem solution. So any user with similar problems will
have no problem reading the solution.

--
[mail]: Chuck F (cbfalconer at maineline dot net)
[page]: <http://cbfalconer.home.att.net>
Try the download section.