Corrupt registry repair

[Mike]

Hi my daughter's computer 'cannot load the hive (file)
\systemroot\system32\config\SOFTWARE...' and has been unable to repair itself.

I have tried system restore and I cannot remember the exact message but
basically there appear to be no restore points to go back to.

Can I do anything e.g. edit or repair or restore the registry using the
command prompt? And if so how?

Is there any solution?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Darrell Gorter[MSFT]]

Hello Mike,
There are backup copies of the registry in the
\windows\system32\config\regback folder
You can try replacing the ones in the config folder with the ones from the
regback folder.
Rename the ones in the \windows\system32\config folder first
Change directory so you are in the \windows\system32 folder
ren system system.bak
ren software software.bak
ren sam sam.bak
ren security security.bak

Then
copy c:\windows\system32\config\regback\system
copy c:\windows\system32\config\regback\software
copy c:\windows\system32\config\regback\sam
copy c:\windows\system32\config\regback\security

All four registry hives should be replaced at the same time even though you
are only having issues with one of the hives, they are a unit, they are not
intended to be replaced individually, there may be issues later if one of
the hives is rolled back and not the others.
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
--------------------
| >Thread-Topic: Corrupt registry repair
| >thread-index: AcmrM9Le48VgOb39RF6mGYf9m+wa9A==
| >X-WBNR-Posting-Host: 65.55.21.8
| >From: =?Utf-8?B?TWlrZQ==?= <[email protected]>
| >Subject: Corrupt registry repair
| >Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:19:02 -0700
| >Lines: 16
| >Message-ID: <[email protected]>
| >MIME-Version: 1.0
| >Content-Type: text/plain;
| > charset="Utf-8"
| >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
| >X-Newsreader: Microsoft CDO for Windows 2000
| >Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message
| >Importance: normal
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| >X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.3790.3168
| >Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.vista.performance_maintenance
| >Path: TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl
| >Xref: TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl
microsoft.public.windows.vista.performance_maintenance:33433
| >NNTP-Posting-Host: tk2msftibfm01.phx.gbl 10.40.244.149
| >X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.windows.vista.performance_maintenance
| >
| >Hi my daughter's computer 'cannot load the hive (file)
| >\systemroot\system32\config\SOFTWARE...' and has been unable to repair
itself.
| >
| >I have tried system restore and I cannot remember the exact message but
| >basically there appear to be no restore points to go back to.
| >
| >Can I do anything e.g. edit or repair or restore the registry using the
| >command prompt? And if so how?
| >
| >Is there any solution?
| >
| >Thanks,
| >Mike
| >
| >
| >
| >

 

[Mike]

Thanks very much Darrell.

I'm not quite as computer savvy as I may sound: if I get the command prompt
up do I firstly type

ren system system.bak then
ren software software.bak

etc.?

Then do I

cd\windows\system32

followed by

copy c:\windows\system32\config\regback\system

etc?

Also I am having difficulty getting the command prompt at the moment as the
last option in the recovery module (I think it was the recovery module, from
memory: it seems to come up when the self repair fails) is not to load the
command prompt, although that option has appeared once or twice before. So
I'm not sure if I can get back to the command prompt or not at the moment.

Mike

Hello Mike,
There are backup copies of the registry in the
\windows\system32\config\regback folder
You can try replacing the ones in the config folder with the ones from the
regback folder.
Rename the ones in the \windows\system32\config folder first
Change directory so you are in the \windows\system32 folder
ren system system.bak
ren software software.bak
ren sam sam.bak
ren security security.bak

Then
copy c:\windows\system32\config\regback\system
copy c:\windows\system32\config\regback\software
copy c:\windows\system32\config\regback\sam
copy c:\windows\system32\config\regback\security

All four registry hives should be replaced at the same time even though you
are only having issues with one of the hives, they are a unit, they are not
intended to be replaced individually, there may be issues later if one of
the hives is rolled back and not the others.
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
--------------------
| >Thread-Topic: Corrupt registry repair
| >thread-index: AcmrM9Le48VgOb39RF6mGYf9m+wa9A==
| >X-WBNR-Posting-Host: 65.55.21.8
| >From: =?Utf-8?B?TWlrZQ==?= <[email protected]>
| >Subject: Corrupt registry repair
| >Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:19:02 -0700
| >Lines: 16
| >Message-ID: <[email protected]>
| >MIME-Version: 1.0
| >Content-Type: text/plain;
| > charset="Utf-8"
| >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
| >X-Newsreader: Microsoft CDO for Windows 2000
| >Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message
| >Importance: normal
| >Priority: normal
| >X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.3790.3168
| >Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.vista.performance_maintenance
| >Path: TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl
| >Xref: TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl
microsoft.public.windows.vista.performance_maintenance:33433
| >NNTP-Posting-Host: tk2msftibfm01.phx.gbl 10.40.244.149
| >X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.windows.vista.performance_maintenance
| >
| >Hi my daughter's computer 'cannot load the hive (file)
| >\systemroot\system32\config\SOFTWARE...' and has been unable to repair
itself.
| >
| >I have tried system restore and I cannot remember the exact message but
| >basically there appear to be no restore points to go back to.
| >
| >Can I do anything e.g. edit or repair or restore the registry using the
| >command prompt? And if so how?
| >
| >Is there any solution?
| >
| >Thanks,
| >Mike
| >
| >
| >
| >

 

[Mike]

I have now managed to follow your instructions, with a little help from my
son....but the same error 'cannot load the hive' etc has recurred.

 

[Darrell Gorter[MSFT]]

Hello Mike,
What is the size of the software file in c:\windows\system32\config folder?
If the registry file is corrupted and the backup registry files are
corrupted, the options are limited.
You may need to backup your data and reinstall Windows or you have a backup
of the OS, restore that backup.
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights
--------------------
| >Thread-Topic: Corrupt registry repair
| >thread-index: Acms7oYqjWVyDEJ6QKaaWJt1SMDhsw==
| >X-WBNR-Posting-Host: 207.46.193.207
| >From: =?Utf-8?B?TWlrZQ==?= <[email protected]>
| >References: <[email protected]>
<DANGBh#[email protected]>
| >Subject: RE: Corrupt registry repair
| >Date: Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:08:01 -0700
| >Lines: 76
| >Message-ID: <[email protected]>
| >MIME-Version: 1.0
| >Content-Type: text/plain;
| > charset="Utf-8"
| >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
| >X-Newsreader: Microsoft CDO for Windows 2000
| >Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message
| >Importance: normal
| >Priority: normal
| >X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.3790.3168
| >Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.vista.performance_maintenance
| >Path: TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl
| >Xref: TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl
microsoft.public.windows.vista.performance_maintenance:33495
| >NNTP-Posting-Host: tk2msftsbfm01.phx.gbl 10.40.244.148
| >X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.windows.vista.performance_maintenance
| >
| >I have now managed to follow your instructions, with a little help from
my
| >son....but the same error 'cannot load the hive' etc has recurred.
| >
| >""Darrell Gorter[MSFT]"" wrote:
| >
| >> Hello Mike,
| >> There are backup copies of the registry in the
| >> \windows\system32\config\regback folder
| >> You can try replacing the ones in the config folder with the ones from
the
| >> regback folder.
| >> Rename the ones in the \windows\system32\config folder first
| >> Change directory so you are in the \windows\system32 folder
| >> ren system system.bak
| >> ren software software.bak
| >> ren sam sam.bak
| >> ren security security.bak
| >>
| >> Then
| >> copy c:\windows\system32\config\regback\system
| >> copy c:\windows\system32\config\regback\software
| >> copy c:\windows\system32\config\regback\sam
| >> copy c:\windows\system32\config\regback\security
| >>
| >> All four registry hives should be replaced at the same time even
though you
| >> are only having issues with one of the hives, they are a unit, they
are not
| >> intended to be replaced individually, there may be issues later if one
of
| >> the hives is rolled back and not the others.
| >> Thanks,
| >> Darrell Gorter[MSFT]
| >>
| >> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights
| >> --------------------
| >> | >Thread-Topic: Corrupt registry repair
| >> | >thread-index: AcmrM9Le48VgOb39RF6mGYf9m+wa9A==
| >> | >X-WBNR-Posting-Host: 65.55.21.8
| >> | >From: =?Utf-8?B?TWlrZQ==?= <[email protected]>
| >> | >Subject: Corrupt registry repair
| >> | >Date: Sun, 22 Mar 2009 14:19:02 -0700
| >> | >Lines: 16
| >> | >Message-ID: <[email protected]>
| >> | >MIME-Version: 1.0
| >> | >Content-Type: text/plain;
| >> | > charset="Utf-8"
| >> | >Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
| >> | >X-Newsreader: Microsoft CDO for Windows 2000
| >> | >Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message
| >> | >Importance: normal
| >> | >Priority: normal
| >> | >X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.3790.3168
| >> | >Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.vista.performance_maintenance
| >> | >Path: TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl
| >> | >Xref: TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl
| >> microsoft.public.windows.vista.performance_maintenance:33433
| >> | >NNTP-Posting-Host: tk2msftibfm01.phx.gbl 10.40.244.149
| >> | >X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.windows.vista.performance_maintenance
| >> | >
| >> | >Hi my daughter's computer 'cannot load the hive (file)
| >> | >\systemroot\system32\config\SOFTWARE...' and has been unable to
repair
| >> itself.
| >> | >
| >> | >I have tried system restore and I cannot remember the exact message
but
| >> | >basically there appear to be no restore points to go back to.
| >> | >
| >> | >Can I do anything e.g. edit or repair or restore the registry using
the
| >> | >command prompt? And if so how?
| >> | >
| >> | >Is there any solution?
| >> | >
| >> | >Thanks,
| >> | >Mike
| >> | >
| >> | >
| >> | >
| >> | >
| >>
| >>
| >

 

[Donald]

So you havn't done much customization on that machine, right? I suggest you
to boot with the installation CD and perform a system repair. If that does
not work, you can reinstall it. It will be done in about thirty minutes
anyways and save you a lot of headache. If the problem happens again, you
may need to check the BIOS firmware and ensure it is the updated one (you
can try to use the manufacture applications to flash your BIOS firmware) and
run some hardware test (memory and hard disk, etc) to see whether they are
in good condition and compatible with Vista. It is always good to have a
backup of registry so you can restore it with any sort of startup.

How to automatically repair Windows Vista using Startup Repair
www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial148.html

For hardware testing, you can download memtest to check your memory and use
some manufacture testing tool to check your hard disk. There are some
software specifically designed for testing all your hardware.

Best of luck.

 

[Spirit]

The first thing I would do is unplug and totally reseat all cards and
memory. UnPlug and reseat all cables, do NOT just snug them up.

Then try startup repair.