R
Robbie Hatley
Greetings, group. Got a couple questions for you. This message is
rather lengthy, though, so as a courtesy to those who are pressed for
time, i'll start with a "short version", then move on to the details.
SHORT VERSION:
My Win2K crashed (BSOD "can't find system32\config\system")
and had to be reinstalled. I put the new installation in a new folder to
avoid overwriting stuff. Is there a way to import software installations,
software customizations, and file-type associations from my old registry
to my new? And what might have caused Windows to stop being able
to see system32\config\system? And would it have been better if I had
reinstalled Win2K on top of my old installation instead of making a new?
Thanks in advance for your help.
~~~ If pressed for time, stop reading here. Thanks, and good day. ~~~
Now, as a courtesy to those who would say "how can i help you if
you're so vague? Give me the details!", I'll give the long version:
LONG VERSION:
Saturday afternoon my Windows 2000 crashed. Wouldn't restart after
shutdown, gave me the message "Windows cannot find the file
C:\WINNT\system32\config\systemr options press F8". [sic]
I tried checking the disk with chkdsk called from emergency repair
console, launched from original Win2K CD. It found and fixed one
or more problems, but on reboot still died "Windows cannot find
the file C:\WINNT\system32\config\systemr options press F8". [sic]
(Got to love those unceremonious palimpsests, no?)
So I tried the "Emergency Repair Process" from the Win2K CD.
It apparently fixed the "system32\config\system" problem, because
on reboot, windows now got past the initial black "F8" screen, into
the sky-blue screen, but about 20 seconds into the boot process,
it went BSOD and stopped with message "Windows cannot find driver
C:\WINNT\drivers\redbook.sys". (CD ROM driver?)
Ironically, both the file "C:\WINNT\system32\config\system" and the
file "C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\redbook.sys" are there! They exist,
but windows can't "find" them (whatever the hell *that* means).
So I was reduced to having to re-install windows. I had the brutally
loose/loose choice of:
1. Overwriting the original operating system, possibly maintaining
software installations but loosing contents of "My Documents"
(according to the on-screen instructions).
2. Making a new installation, retaining documents, but LOSING all of
the following: colors, fonts, cursors, sound-schemes, start menu,
toolbars, software installations, software customizations,
email acounts, usenet accounts, newsgroups subscription lists,
newsgroup header downloads and read/unread markings, OE mail
rules (spam filters), IE favorites, IE history, IE blue/purple "visited"
URL indicators, etc, etc, etc.
Perhaps unwisely, I chose option 2. It took me 11 hours to troubleshoot
this problem, make my failed attempts to repair it using non-drastic
means, reinstall Windows 2000, download and install about 60 different
Windows updates, reinstall my email accounts, and reinstall one or two
of my most-used pieces of software. It will probably take me another
15-20 hours to reinstall all the remaining software and get everything
configured back the way it was. Basically about a week out of my life
down the toilet.
QUESTION #1 TO GROUP:
The situation I'm faced with now is: is there any way to "import" contents
from my old registry to my new registry? I'm especially interested in:
1. software installations (would save dozens of hours of reinstall time)
2. software customizations (dozens more hours saved)
3. file-type associations (these were heavily customized)
Is there any way to import this information from an old registry into a
current registry?
QUESTION #2 TO GROUP:
Anyone have a guess as to why my Windows 2000 suddenly stopped being
able to "find" registry and driver files which are right there in plain sight?
I'd like to be able to stop this from happening again.
QUESTION #3 TO GROUP:
Should I have reinstalled Windows 2000 on top of the old installation?
What do you lose if you do that? Do you retain software installations,
Internet accounts, start menu, OE mail rules, IE favorites and history, etc?
If this is the better choice, I'll do it this way the next time I have to
reinstall Windows 2000 on a computer.
Thanks in advance for any help you can give.
rather lengthy, though, so as a courtesy to those who are pressed for
time, i'll start with a "short version", then move on to the details.
SHORT VERSION:
My Win2K crashed (BSOD "can't find system32\config\system")
and had to be reinstalled. I put the new installation in a new folder to
avoid overwriting stuff. Is there a way to import software installations,
software customizations, and file-type associations from my old registry
to my new? And what might have caused Windows to stop being able
to see system32\config\system? And would it have been better if I had
reinstalled Win2K on top of my old installation instead of making a new?
Thanks in advance for your help.
~~~ If pressed for time, stop reading here. Thanks, and good day. ~~~
Now, as a courtesy to those who would say "how can i help you if
you're so vague? Give me the details!", I'll give the long version:
LONG VERSION:
Saturday afternoon my Windows 2000 crashed. Wouldn't restart after
shutdown, gave me the message "Windows cannot find the file
C:\WINNT\system32\config\systemr options press F8". [sic]
I tried checking the disk with chkdsk called from emergency repair
console, launched from original Win2K CD. It found and fixed one
or more problems, but on reboot still died "Windows cannot find
the file C:\WINNT\system32\config\systemr options press F8". [sic]
(Got to love those unceremonious palimpsests, no?)
So I tried the "Emergency Repair Process" from the Win2K CD.
It apparently fixed the "system32\config\system" problem, because
on reboot, windows now got past the initial black "F8" screen, into
the sky-blue screen, but about 20 seconds into the boot process,
it went BSOD and stopped with message "Windows cannot find driver
C:\WINNT\drivers\redbook.sys". (CD ROM driver?)
Ironically, both the file "C:\WINNT\system32\config\system" and the
file "C:\WINNT\system32\drivers\redbook.sys" are there! They exist,
but windows can't "find" them (whatever the hell *that* means).
So I was reduced to having to re-install windows. I had the brutally
loose/loose choice of:
1. Overwriting the original operating system, possibly maintaining
software installations but loosing contents of "My Documents"
(according to the on-screen instructions).
2. Making a new installation, retaining documents, but LOSING all of
the following: colors, fonts, cursors, sound-schemes, start menu,
toolbars, software installations, software customizations,
email acounts, usenet accounts, newsgroups subscription lists,
newsgroup header downloads and read/unread markings, OE mail
rules (spam filters), IE favorites, IE history, IE blue/purple "visited"
URL indicators, etc, etc, etc.
Perhaps unwisely, I chose option 2. It took me 11 hours to troubleshoot
this problem, make my failed attempts to repair it using non-drastic
means, reinstall Windows 2000, download and install about 60 different
Windows updates, reinstall my email accounts, and reinstall one or two
of my most-used pieces of software. It will probably take me another
15-20 hours to reinstall all the remaining software and get everything
configured back the way it was. Basically about a week out of my life
down the toilet.
QUESTION #1 TO GROUP:
The situation I'm faced with now is: is there any way to "import" contents
from my old registry to my new registry? I'm especially interested in:
1. software installations (would save dozens of hours of reinstall time)
2. software customizations (dozens more hours saved)
3. file-type associations (these were heavily customized)
Is there any way to import this information from an old registry into a
current registry?
QUESTION #2 TO GROUP:
Anyone have a guess as to why my Windows 2000 suddenly stopped being
able to "find" registry and driver files which are right there in plain sight?
I'd like to be able to stop this from happening again.
QUESTION #3 TO GROUP:
Should I have reinstalled Windows 2000 on top of the old installation?
What do you lose if you do that? Do you retain software installations,
Internet accounts, start menu, OE mail rules, IE favorites and history, etc?
If this is the better choice, I'll do it this way the next time I have to
reinstall Windows 2000 on a computer.
Thanks in advance for any help you can give.