Corrupt Registry and Recovery Help.

[Guest]

I can home from work and fired up my Dell PC running Windows XP Home with SP2
only to be greeted with this message: "Windows could not start because the
following file is missing or corrupt: \windows\system32\config\system". The
additional information provided was I could attempt to repair this file by
starting Windows Setup using the original setup CD-ROM.

I got the Windows Sartup floppies from the MS Knowledge site and downloaded
them. I ran the start up and attempted to run the Recovery Console. I boot
up using Windows XP Setup disks. After the "Welcome to Setup" screen
appears, I hit "r" to get to the Recovery Console. The screen then states:

1: C:\Windows

Which Windows installation would you like to log on to (to cancel, press
ENTER)?

I enter the number "1" after the question mark, hit return (enter) and
nothing happens. I only have one installation of Windows and it is on the C:
drive. Is there another way to select the installation rather than entering
"1" and hitting return?

To this question MAP recommended I not use the recovery console, but instead
go to Windows Setup, accept the license, and then select repair once Setup
finds my previous Windows install. He said this would save my applications
and documents. I followed this advice but after accepting the license, the
screen message says, "Looking for other Windows Installations" and hangs up
there. I left it at that point for several hours...no progress.

I would appreciate any suggestion on how I can repair the registry and get
my PC back in operation. Does the OEM Windows installation cause problems?
Is anyone aware of Dell support for this (of course the PC is out of the
three year warranty window)? Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

Might sound dumb, but make sure the numlock is on when you hit the number 1.
It may be off by default when booting into the Recovery Console. Then you
need to follow the steps here:

How to Recover from a Corrupted Registry [Q307545]
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307545

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Jerry]

You need to check with Dell but, if I remember correctly you cannot do a
repair install with an OEM XP CD; only a full retail version will allow a
repair.

Second, if you've upgraded to SP2 the repair wouldn't really work anyway
because it is an original XP or SP1 CD and it doesn't allow for you to
overwrite/repair an SP2 installation.

Third, to get around the second item you will have to slipsteam the original
XP CD with the SP2 download and then burn a 'new' CD that has been upgraded
to SP2.

Have fun.

 

[Guest]

Typing 1 for C: always works for me,on 3 diffrent mbs,dozens of xp installs,
thiers no other way to enter.You might try tapping F8 key on start-up,select
safe-mode with networking.then enter as ADM.As for a corrupt registry that
prevents xp from starting,try search at microsoft,type:307545 and/or 307973
thiers, 307654 Next time you get xp running,and before a SP2 install
install
#307654 it isnt available after SP2.