xp boot problems

[Maxine]

I keep getting this message: windows could not start because the following
file is missing or corrupt: \windows\system32\config\system

I restore everything, and as i'm getting all my software i use back into the
computer, and one of them needs to reboot, the same message comes up again.
It's and endless cycle. I have a virus scanner and it checks the boot
records and partition records and finds nothing. I don't know if it's XP
that is the problems or hardware. The HDD is only 2 years old a WD 160gb, so
it was my last thought.

Any help will save my sanity, thanks
Maxine

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

See if the following article helps:

"How to Recover from a Corrupted Registry That Prevents Windows XP from Starting"
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q307545

 

[Maxine]

Thank you Will, but i went all through that, recovered from the loss, would
put the computer back the way it was, then the same thing would happen all
over again. It seems to be a cycle.

Maxine


Hi

See if the following article helps:

"How to Recover from a Corrupted Registry That Prevents Windows XP from
Starting"
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q307545

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

You will have to look towards a 'Repair' install, which will mean re-downloading/re-installing the Windows Updates:

"How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install"
http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

 

[Maxine]

Thanks, i appreciate your help.

Maxine


Hi

You will have to look towards a 'Repair' install, which will mean
re-downloading/re-installing the Windows Updates:

"How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install"
http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

 

[Jack Russell]

I started having the same problem about a year ago. I got the same error
message and went through the same BS trying to correct the problem. The bad
news is that even after wiping the HD clean and doing a full reinstall of
XP....It still had so many problems (boot, shutdown, no icons, programs
wouldn't run on and on), I finally dumped the PC and bought a new one.
MacAfee never found a virus, Spybot and others cleaned up, but it was like a
59' Chevy on 5 cylinders. The old PC was really an older machine that had
been updated here and there but still had a 800Mhz chip and an old
motherboard and bios. I suspect that was the root of the problem. I had a
slave 120 gig HD with all my info that I installed in the new PC and I never
looked back. I wish you better luck than I had because some of the XP
problems will haunt you and never go away.

Paul..