Config\system missing or currupt - Windows won't startup

[purplegrrl]

My kids tried to start their desktop PC yesterday and it comes up with the
black screen and the following message:

************************************************************************
Windows could not start because the following file is missing or currupt:
\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.
************************************************************************

The thing is that I didn't get any setup CD's as I was told when I bought it
(brand new) that everything was already on it on D Drive. Apparently HP did
this for certain systems when I bought this one in Feb 2003. It's an HP 713a
Pavilion. Pentium 4. Windows XP SP2. I've had various probs that I've always
been able to solve myself by going to Safe mode but I can't get into safe
mode. Is it by pressing F6 at startup? I've never been asked for the setup
disk before. I have all the disks for the laptop I am using now but not sure
if they will help as it is a Fujitsu and XP Pro. Any assistance would be
truly appreciated.

~purplegrrl~

 

[Ricky]

Maybe this will help..
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...product=91109&lang=en&cc=us&docname=c00044897

 

[purplegrrl]

My kids tried to start their desktop PC yesterday and it comes up with the
black screen and the following message:

************************************************************************
Windows could not start because the following file is missing or currupt:
\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.
************************************************************************

The thing is that I didn't get any setup CD's as I was told when I bought
it (brand new) that everything was already on it on D Drive. Apparently HP
did this for certain systems when I bought this one in Feb 2003. It's an
HP 713a Pavilion. Pentium 4. Windows XP SP2. I've had various probs that
I've always been able to solve myself by going to Safe mode but I can't
get into safe mode. Is it by pressing F6 at startup? I've never been asked
for the setup disk before. I have all the disks for the laptop I am using
now but not sure if they will help as it is a Fujitsu and XP Pro. Any
assistance would be truly appreciated.

~purplegrrl~

Regarding my above post I forgot to say the desktop that is having the
problem is Windows XP Home OEM and at the moment I am doing some googling to
find some help and now know it's F8 to get to safe mode but it still won't
go to safe mode.

~purplegrrl~

 

[purplegrrl]

Maybe this will help..
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...product=91109&lang=en&cc=us&docname=c00044897

Thanks for that Ricky - I have checked that out and will give it a try!!

~purplegrrl~

 

[Ricky]

Thanks for that Ricky - I have checked that out and will give it a try!!

~purplegrrl~

You're welcome..hope you get it going.

 

[purplegrrl]

You're welcome..hope you get it going.

Hi again - I tried all that but am back to square one

I managed to get into Safe Mode but Windows will not start - I still end up
with the original message.

When I tried Step 1 from that page
(http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...uct=91109&lang=en&cc=us&docname=c00044897#top)
I was able to select "Return to OS choices menu" but the only option showing
was "Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" - there was no choice of "Microsoft
Windows Recovery Console".

I tried the "Alternate Solution" by pressing the F10 key. It went to the
Recovery screen but I never got to any "Advanced Options". I just got a blue
screen with this message:

STOP: c0000218{Registry File Failure}
The registry cannot load the hive (file):
\SystemRoot\system32\config\SECURITY or its log alternate. It is corrupt,
absent, or not writable.

Thanks from ~purplegrrl~

 

[Ricky]

Regarding my above post I forgot to say the desktop that is having the
problem is Windows XP Home OEM and at the moment I am doing some googling
to find some help and now know it's F8 to get to safe mode but it still
won't go to safe mode.

~purplegrrl~

Did you have any luck getting it going yet?

 

[purplegrrl]

Did you have any luck getting it going yet?

Hi Ricky

Well funnily enough I just managed to get it going!! After posting here I
searched further on that HP website you posted and ended up emailing HP
support with my prob. They got back to me with a detailed fix requiring
editing the BIOS and using the Recovery Console CD (which I don't have as I
never got one). They also gave me a link to order one. I thought nothing
much more could go wrong with the PC and was expecting to have to reinstall
anyway probably (it being the kids' PC everything can be found on disks here
or online and put back on - all MY important docs are here on my laptop!!)
Sooo... I just inserted my Recovery CD from this Fujitsu laptop. It did its
*thing* but I chickened out going any further when it got to the point of
stating something like "setup Windows XP Pro" and me having to choose one of
the drives to install it on and everything would possibly be wiped. I was
more worried about what might happen with all the settings on the desktop
now being *changed* to suit the (different) hardware I have on the laptop.
So I pressed F3 to cancel the setup - which it did - and the computer
rebooted and started up as normal with no probs.........I have no idea why
it worked but am just grateful that it is going again!! I think I'll turn
off the monitor and not tell the kids until AFTER they've done they're
homework this afternoon!! But in any case I will now try to order the
correct Recovery CD. Thank you so much for your help Ricky. I must say that
every time I have a computer problem I learn something new so it's not all
bad!!

Best wishes from ~purplegrrl~

 

[Ricky]

Hi Ricky

Well funnily enough I just managed to get it going!! After posting here I
searched further on that HP website you posted and ended up emailing HP
support with my prob. They got back to me with a detailed fix requiring
editing the BIOS and using the Recovery Console CD (which I don't have as
I never got one). They also gave me a link to order one. I thought nothing
much more could go wrong with the PC and was expecting to have to
reinstall anyway probably (it being the kids' PC everything can be found
on disks here or online and put back on - all MY important docs are here
on my laptop!!) Sooo... I just inserted my Recovery CD from this Fujitsu
laptop. It did its *thing* but I chickened out going any further when it
got to the point of stating something like "setup Windows XP Pro" and me
having to choose one of the drives to install it on and everything would
possibly be wiped. I was more worried about what might happen with all the
settings on the desktop now being *changed* to suit the (different)
hardware I have on the laptop. So I pressed F3 to cancel the setup - which
it did - and the computer rebooted and started up as normal with no
probs.........I have no idea why it worked but am just grateful that it is
going again!! I think I'll turn off the monitor and not tell the kids
until AFTER they've done they're homework this afternoon!! But in any case
I will now try to order the correct Recovery CD. Thank you so much for
your help Ricky. I must say that every time I have a computer problem I
learn something new so it's not all bad!!

Best wishes from ~purplegrrl~

I'm glad to hear you got it going. As long as it works it doesn't matter
how. ;-)