Message missing or corrupt winxp/system32/config/system

[Rock]

Hello,

For some strange reason whilst I was out of the room for 10 minutes I
got back to find a black screen with this message..

missing or corrupt winxp/system32/config/system

select r etc..

I rebooted and got to Xp okay and I was trying to do do a drive image in
case it totally went on me later, but after 2 mins it rebooted on me and
came to the manual safe select screen with it highlited at 'Start Normally'.

I did this and it rebooted and I got the message above again.

I rebooted and it came into XP again but once again lasted for 2-3
minutes and rebooted again to the Safe screen select always at 'Normal'
not 'Safe'.

What would cause this erratic stuff, sometimes in and then not?

What should I do, this at 'r'in console or is there a better easier way?

cd system32\config
ren system system.old
ren system.alt systemalt.old
copy c:\windows\repair\system
copy c:\windows\repair\regback\system

Thanks

Rock

 

[Rock]

Hello,

For some strange reason whilst I was out of the room for 10 minutes I
got back to find a black screen with this message..

missing or corrupt winxp/system32/config/system

select r etc..

I rebooted and got to Xp okay and I was trying to do do a drive image in
case it totally went on me later, but after 2 mins it rebooted on me and
came to the manual safe select screen with it highlited at 'Start
Normally'.

I did this and it rebooted and I got the message above again.

I rebooted and it came into XP again but once again lasted for 2-3
minutes and rebooted again to the Safe screen select always at 'Normal'
not 'Safe'.

What would cause this erratic stuff, sometimes in and then not?

What should I do, this at 'r'in console or is there a better easier way?

cd system32\config
ren system system.old
ren system.alt systemalt.old
copy c:\windows\repair\system
copy c:\windows\repair\regback\system

Thanks

Rock

Well I went back to the room and it had rebooted and was in XP and fine
for about 10 minutes. I went an set a fresh restore point and was
looking to see how I can go and backup the registry etc., then it just
rebooted back into XP again.

I am doim g this on anotjer box!

What does it sound like is happening? I have not got the original
winxp/system32/config/system
message again.

Heeeelp!

Also how can I backup the reg and settings and what else should I back up?

Thanks

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

It sounds very much as if something is causing your RAM modules to
overheat. Check all of your PC's cooling fans, and make sure you've
got good airflow around and through the PC's case. Hopefully, you'll
have caught this early enough, before any permanent thermal damage was
done to the RAM chips.

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

But you should probably start here:

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



Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:




You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH

 

[Rock]

Greetings --

It sounds very much as if something is causing your RAM modules to
overheat. Check all of your PC's cooling fans, and make sure you've
got good airflow around and through the PC's case. Hopefully, you'll
have caught this early enough, before any permanent thermal damage was
done to the RAM chips.

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

But you should probably start here:

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



Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:




You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH

Thank you guys..

This is really strange as I have had it one now for 24 odd hours and it
is doing fine... hasn't done that again.

I still am afraid at any time it can do it, so I would really like to
know to stop it.

I will run memtest tonight to see if the DDR are okay.

System is a near new..

Asus P4B533
512 DDR RAM
O/B AGP
O/B Audio
O/B LAN - Connected to hub + gateway
O/B Modem

80 GB C DRive
10GB 2nd Drive in tray
10GB 3rd Drive in tray

Lite on 40 CDRW writer

BenQ F591 LCD Monitor

Rock

 

[Rock]

Thank you guys..

This is really strange as I have had it one now for 24 odd hours and it
is doing fine... hasn't done that again.

I still am afraid at any time it can do it, so I would really like to
know to stop it.

I will run memtest tonight to see if the DDR are okay.

System is a near new..

Asus P4B533
512 DDR RAM
O/B AGP
O/B Audio
O/B LAN - Connected to hub + gateway
O/B Modem

80 GB C DRive
10GB 2nd Drive in tray
10GB 3rd Drive in tray

Lite on 40 CDRW writer

BenQ F591 LCD Monitor

Rock

Well it happened..

I poweerd down, the first time for two days and now I get the black
screen and the same message.

Should I do the 'r' repair to chnage the registry?

Thanks

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

It's easier and less time-consuming than reinstalling everything
from scratch. But you really need to get to the source of the
trouble.

Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:




You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH

 

[Rock]

Greetings --

It's easier and less time-consuming than reinstalling everything
from scratch. But you really need to get to the source of the
trouble.

Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:




You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH

Well I tried the 'r' method of saving the system and bringing in a new
system, but it still didn't work and still got the ..missing or corrupt
message, soooo.. As you say, one has to get to the bottom of it!

I took out Ram and swapped and used 1 stick of 512 instead of 2.

Unhooked HDs and there was zip left.

The Asus P4S533 board as mentioned in this thread has on board
audio,lan,agp display and modem so there was little I could do to
eliminate them.

I decided I would get another drive the same size and start again to see
what was the culprit.

I reinstalled the same hardware with s/w from the CDs that came with the
mobo, LCD monitor etc., AS I did this I inadvertantly installed an AGP
option in the mobo CD. I then setup XP. I got into XP to install a
couple of progs.. then.

I noticed a black 'smudged pencil like vertical line half way up the
screen and then as I worked some rectangular blank boxes also appeared.

I thought maybe this AGP driver should not have been installed.

I then decided to power down to see if it rebooted. No go...

In POST it came to Display Controller and stayed there for a while
blinking at me then to the same missing or corrupt message as on the
previous disc.

So I knew it had to be the display, either the driver or controller.

I decided to turn off the display in bios which was the only place I
could do this, and install a Geforce 44X 8X PCI card as there was no AGP
slot.

On the first boot after the diplay card insert, made the bios changes
but it still came to the message. Sooo,

I got the XP CD, went to 'r' and did the ren system system.old - copy
repair stuff and sure enough it worked! It came into XP and has been
there o'night with about 10 power downs and up to see if it was water
tight. So far so good altho', I can never trust it now.

I have ghosted the drive and will always do this every two day whilst
also saving all data to another drive, NOT in Doc and Settings etc., as
it goes if XP crashes.

I have another post about how to un-install a hardware driver what is
not in Add Remove.

Thanks for the help.. all.

Rock