Missing system32 file - anyone help?

[Dave Jennings]

Hi there,
Can someone please help?
Using SP2 RC1 happily on one of our machines for a week or so, but now
the machine isn't happy booting up. It'll start to boot in safe mode
then we get told that the following file is missing:
\windows\system32\config\system
Then it reads you can try and attempt to repair by starting windows
original setup cd select 'r' at the first screen to repair,but it just
loops back to the missing file dialog.
Any ideas how he can replace this missing file and get back to work??
Like I say, we thought we'd be able to get it into safe mode then
uninstall RC1 but we can't get that far!
Many thanks in advance.
Regards,
Dave.

 

[DaddyBob]

This particular file turns up missing when there is a problem with the hard
drive. I have had it occur to me several times, and always it was caused by
a bad sector on the hard drive. The only way I have been able to fix it is
to use fdisk to remove all partitions from the hard drive, then repartition
it and do a slow format. (Quick format does not remove bad sectors). This
will detect any bad sectors and mark them unusable. NTFS format works as
well as FAT 32. Then re-install XP and all apps from scratch. Sorry, but
that is the only way I have been able to recover from the missing or corrupt
C:\windows\system32\config\system files.


Bob
--------------------------------------------

Hi there,
Can someone please help?
Using SP2 RC1 happily on one of our machines for a week or so, but now
the machine isn't happy booting up. It'll start to boot in safe mode
then we get told that the following file is missing:
\Then it reads you can try and attempt to repair by starting windows
original setup cd select 'r' at the first screen to repair,but it just
loops back to the missing file dialog.
Any ideas how he can replace this missing file and get back to work??
Like I say, we thought we'd be able to get it into safe mode then
uninstall RC1 but we can't get that far!
Many thanks in advance.
Regards,
Dave.