No Windows

[Skye]

I am running Windows XP SP3 and have reached a stage where Windows won't load
at all, I get the following message:-
Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt
C\Windows\system32\config\System
It then goes on to say use the CD Rom, but like most people, I don't have
it, my PC came with XP preinstalled.
Can anyone advise how to resolve this issue. I can't get it to boot in safe
mode or anything else. I have tried various back-up CD's that I have prepared
for such an emergency but they don't work either. Can I get a copy of the
installation CD anywhere or download it and burn it to CD?
I'm no tech wizard so any help please make it simple.Thanks in advance.


--

 

[John John (MVP)]

How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from
starting
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/en-us

How to obtain Windows XP Setup disks for a floppy boot installation
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310994

http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm
(Look for "How To Create a bootable CD to access the Recovery Console")

John

 

[Skye]

--
Lots of help there, thanks. Before I start, can you please tell me if the
boot disk that I already have will act as the initial springboard to recovery
instead of downloading the full set-up disks. Also, when I press F8, the
screen I get isn't the same as on the help page, it's blue with a list of
different boot choices, not safe mode, last good config etc etc.

 

[John John (MVP)]

I don't think so, Skye. You say that this is a recovery/backup disk
that you created when you got your computer, usually these disks can
only be used to restore the computer to factory conditions, you can try
it and see but be careful with these disks, most of the time they
completely erase everything on the disk during the restore process.

If you have another Windows 2000/XP computer, and if you are a bit handy
with hardware, you can also mount the drive in the other computer or in
a USB enclosure and attempt to copy the registry hives directly from the
C:\System Volume Information\ folder to the c:\windows\system32\config
folder and then put the drive back in its place and then boot the
computer and do a system restore. As for the F8 options I'm not sure
why you aren't getting the usual boot options, what boot choices are you
seeing when you get to that screen?

John

Skye wrote:

Lots of help there, thanks. Before I start, can you please tell me if
the boot disk that I already have will act as the initial springboard to
recovery instead of downloading the full set-up disks. Also, when I
press F8, the screen I get isn't the same as on the help page, it's blue
with a list of different boot choices, not safe mode, last good config
etc etc.

 

[Skye]

The choices I have when I press F8 are
1st Floppy Drive
PM_NEC DVD_RW
PS-SONY DVD-ROM
4M -SAMSUNG
ST352 etc etc

it just send me round in circles, back to the screen with the missing file
problem.

Yes, I have this additional XP PC which I'm now using instead. I also have a
mass storage device attached to the broken PC with a full hard disk back-up
on it but it won't restore, gets 37% and then fails. I also have a small 40GB
USB portable drive but I don't know how to copy the files onto the broken PC
if I can't get past the missing/currupt screen.

 

[John John (MVP)]

You are pressing a bit too soon when the computer boots, let it get a
bit farther past the BIOS/POST screens and repeatedly tap the the F8 key
just before Windows starts to boot.

I'm not sure what you mean by:

"I also have a mass storage device attached to the broken PC with a full
hard disk back-up on it but it won't restore, gets 37% and then fails."

Are you saying that you tried to restore the broken installation with a
backup? If you have tried to restore the drive by copying a backup over
the failed Windows installation and it fails at 37% of the copy/restore
operation you can forget about recovering the installation by means of
the instructions provided earlier, the installation is destroyed. You
should now handle your problem as a data recovery operation. Mount the
failed Windows disk in your USB enclosure/other computer and recover
your private files then reinstall/restore Windows from scratch.

If you did not try to write to the broken Windows disk then you can
still try the procedure mentioned earlier. Please let us know where you
are at, I don't mind helping you further along with the recovery but I
don't want to post possible fixes that might not be of any help if the
disk was overwritten with a backup.

If you did not overwrite the disk and if you do want to try to recover
the installation then you will either have to use the Recovery Console
or you will have to remove the disk from the broken computer and mount
it in your other desktop or in the USB enclosure so that you can examine
the disk and copy files by using the working computer.

John

 

[Skye]

Thanks for your time!!
Yes, I was pressing F8 too soon, however, whichever method I choose I still
get the missing file screen.

Yes, I tried to restore the broken installation with a backup and it failed
but I used the programme to repair bad sectors and file system errors but I'm
still at the same stage. I might add that I have several different CD's with
full hard disk back-ups on at various times throughout the year but none of
them will work, inserting the disks (including the boot disk) and nothing
happens, no cursor or anything.

I am not unduly bothered about recovering private files as they are already
backed up elsewhere but I have no idea how to reinstall/restore Windows from
scratch so maybe that should be the issue right now. Will the set of
downloaded floppies mentioned earlier do it?

 

[John John (MVP)]

Which program did you use to repair bad sectors? Is the hard disk still
in the broken computer or are you accessing it from the working computer?

How did you create those backup CD's that you speak of? Which backup
program did you use to create those backups, was it a cloning program?

Do you have restoration CD's for the computer, when you got the computer
did you create a set of restore disks?

Sorry for all the questions but I need the information before I can make
recovery suggestions.

John

 

[Skye]

The hard disk is still in the broken PC, I am not tech enough to remove it.
The first set of imaging disks I used after XP was installed with all the
updates etc and the complete hard drive was Norton Ghost 2003, so was the 2nd
set. Then I got Norton Ghost 12 and backed up the complete hard
drive/operating system and saved it to the external mass storage drive
instead which I do every week. I have done restores using this in the past
with no problem by inserting the boot disk and then accessing the recovery
point on the mass storage device. Also in Ghost 12 you can repair the bad
sectors and system errors which I have now done and it completed
successfully. It also has a multitude of other features which I am not
experienced enough to use but it is possible to view files/folders on the
operating system although it appears you can do nothing else with them.
All this wouldn't be a problem if the original disks were supplied when you
purchased the system but alas, that is no longer the case.

 

[John John (MVP)]

In that case your images and restore process should still be good and
you should be able to do another restore. I think you should go to your
hard disk manufacturer's web site and download a diagnostic utility for
your hard drive. The utility will tell you if your drive is in good
health. If the drive is found to be healthy have the diagnostic utility
zero write the drive and try to restore your Ghost image again.

John

 

[Patrick Keenan]

I am running Windows XP SP3 and have reached a stage where Windows won't
load
at all, I get the following message:-
Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt
C\Windows\system32\config\System
It then goes on to say use the CD Rom, but like most people, I don't have
it, my PC came with XP preinstalled.
Can anyone advise how to resolve this issue. I can't get it to boot in
safe
mode or anything else. I have tried various back-up CD's that I have
prepared
for such an emergency but they don't work either. Can I get a copy of the
installation CD anywhere or download it and burn it to CD?
I'm no tech wizard so any help please make it simple.Thanks in advance.


--

Having read through this thread, you need to use the procedures, perhaps
adapted, at
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/en-us

as John John mentions.

These procedures do work, and are pretty straightforward, but it isn't
really a beginner-level task.

Now, those directions require you to have a bootable XP CD, not a "system
restore" version that replaces an image on the system, OR, having had the
Recovery Console installed on the system. If your system didn't come with
a bootable XP CD or have the Recovery Console installed, you have basically
three choices:

1) Borrow any bootable XP CD, Home or Pro, OEM or retail, for this. Any
will work; you aren't installing.
2) Use a bootable Linux CD.
3) Host (attach) the drive on another system and perform the file operations
that way.

If you use options 2 or 3, the directions in the Knowledgebase article
naturally have to be adapted.

You may find that this is just a bit beyond your abilities, and that you
need help from someone with more skills (and the CD or other system).

HTH
-pk

 

[Skye]

Thanks to you both for your help. I tried to do a restore from my back up CD
just one more time and it worked for some reason so now I am up and running
again. In the meantime I have managed to borrow a bootable XP CD which
fortunately I no longer need.
However, a new problem has occured which I have no idea about. A box comes
up saying the computer will close in 30 seconds, something about NT Authority
System and it then shuts down and restarts which is an absolute pain, any
idea about this issue?

 

[Alan]

Hello Skye,

That NT Authority System shutdown message sounds like your PC might be
infected by the sasser or mydoom worms (or some of their friends).

To temporarily keep the machine from shutting down, as soon as you see the
shutdown notice click Start | Run. In the window, type ""shutdown -a"
without the quotes.

This will keep your PC on, but then I suggest you do some checking for
malware.

Alan

 

[Skye]

Thanks for letting me know, I've run Norton/Trojan Hunter and Spysweeper and
they found nothing so I'll have to investigate further.
--

 

[Skye]

The only programme to find the trouble was NOD 32 free online scanner.
Trojan-Downloader Java Openstream was detected and deleted in Java files.