BASIC PROBLEM I HOPE...

G

Guest

hello -- i got behind on my antivirus protection and now i have a problem.
windows will not start on my computer. the message i get is "windows could
not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
\windows\system32\config\system you can attempt to repair this file by
starting windows setup using the original setup cd-rom"

my question is, by running my original setup cd, will it delete all my
personal files from the computer, or will the setup cd just repair windows so
that it can open and run properly.

thanks for any help with this!

mh
 
G

Guest

"Repair" this copy of xp option doesnt delete youre files,it will delete
all updates
to the OS.However,the time it takes to repair & return to xp,is about the
same
time a new install would take also....
 
B

Bruce Chambers

decodroid said:
hello -- i got behind on my antivirus protection and now i have a problem.
windows will not start on my computer. the message i get is "windows could
not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
\windows\system32\config\system you can attempt to repair this file by
starting windows setup using the original setup cd-rom"


This is not likely to have been caused by a virus.

How to Recover from a Corrupted Registry that Prevents Windows XP from
Starting
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307545

Once you've recovered, you might want to look here, as well:

How to Troubleshoot Registry Corruption Issues
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;822705

my question is, by running my original setup cd, will it delete all my
personal files from the computer, or will the setup cd just repair windows so
that it can open and run properly.

That depends upon precisely what specific type of CD you have, and what
you do after you boot with it. Don't attempt any such repair if all you
have is an OEM Recovery CD; these are designed to do nothing but erase
everything from the hard drive and return the computer to its original
ex-factory state. If you have a retail installation CD, or even an
unbranded, generic OEM installation CD, you can safely repair your
installation, provided you carefully follow the guidance in the first
Knowledge Base article above.


--

Bruce Chambers

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