STOP: c0000135 winsrv not found

[Joe]

My computer went black and left a message: "File is missing or corrupted:
\windows\system32\config\system". I used the MS Knowledgebase article 307545
to use Recovery Console and retrieve the five registry hive files from a
restore point and get them into the system32\config folder. However, when I
exited Recovery Console and the computer started to boot up Windows, it
suddenly stopped and produced the Blue Screen with the message: "STOP:
c0000135 {unable to locate component} This application has failed to start
because winsrv was found. Re-installing the application may fix this
problem." The only MS Knowledgebase article (885523) that I found to address
this error states that it is caused by installing XP SP2 after installing
TvMedia from Total Velocity Corporation and before installing Critical update
885523. Since this is not my case (I don't have TvMedia installed as far as I
know, and SP2 was already on the machine when I bought it new), I don't know
how to proceed. It won't boot up and it won't start in Safe Mode. I can only
run Recovery Console from the XP DVD. Any suggestions?

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Had you been trying to clean up after a hijackware infection?

 

[Joe]

Thanks for reply. No, I had no such infection. I have now spent some time
nosing around the Dell online Tech Support, discovered I have built-in
hardware diagnostics that work, and that my hard drive is failing most all of
the diagnostics. Looks like I will be buying a new HDD and starting from
scratch.