Repair windows

[Carl Davey]

My PC crashed and now when it trys to start it says windows cannot start
because the \windows\system32\config\system file is missing or corrupt. I put
the Windows XP home edition cd in the drive to repair the file. At windows
setup I press 'R'...then '1' for C:\windows (selects which windows
installation I want to log onto).....but now I'm not sure what to do from
this point???

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

My PC crashed and now when it trys to start it says windows cannot start
because the \windows\system32\config\system file is missing or corrupt. I
put
the Windows XP home edition cd in the drive to repair the file. At windows
setup I press 'R'...then '1' for C:\windows (selects which windows
installation I want to log onto).....but now I'm not sure what to do from
this point???

You could try a manual System Restore:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

 

[db ´¯`·.. >]

there are a number of
reasons why the registry
crashed, thus I am an
advocate for registry
maintenance.

-----------------

however, the above is
for future considerations.

there are some instances
when a check disk is executed,
missing files will be found.

therefore, you might want
to try at the command prompt>:

chkdsk
fixmbr
fixboot

then exit and try
to reboot again.

(the fixmbr and
fixboot commands
are just for good
measure.)


--

db·´¯`·...¸><)))º>
DatabaseBen, Retired Professional
- Systems Analyst
- Database Developer
- Accountancy
- Veteran of the Armed Forces

 

[James Watkins]

there are a number of
reasons why the registry
crashed, thus I am an
advocate for registry
maintenance.

| Windows can crash but the registry can't. It's just a
| database, nothing more, nothing less.

-----------------

however, the above is
for future considerations.

there are some instances
when a check disk is executed,
missing files will be found.

| Chkdsk may find cross-linked files or unallocated
| clusters but it cannot find missing files.

therefore, you might want
to try at the command prompt>:

chkdsk
fixmbr
fixboot

| It's a little hard for the OP to get to the command prompt
| when Windows won't start. Perhaps you mean the
| Recovery Console?

then exit and try
to reboot again.

(the fixmbr and
fixboot commands
are just for good
measure.)

| ... but they won't do anything useful either. They can
| repair the boot environment, which does not need fixing
| in this case. It's the Windows startup process that is
| failing, which neither fixmbr nor fixboot can fix.

 

[JF]

My PC crashed and now when it trys to start it says windows cannot start

because the \windows\system32\config\system file is missing or corrupt. I put
the Windows XP home edition cd in the drive to repair the file. At windows
setup I press 'R'...then '1' for C:\windows (selects which windows
installation I want to log onto).....but now I'm not sure what to do from
this point???

CHKDSK /R
This will repare the system file which is a part of the registry
(hive).

If not, try msdart (erd commander)
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=5D600369-0554-4595-8AB4-C34B2860E087

http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/restore-registry-hives-system-restore-snapshot-xp/

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

CHKDSK /R
This will repare the system file which is a part of the registry (hive).

Chkdsk will attempt to repair the file system but it will not repair the
registry.
/R Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information
(implies /F).

 

[JF]

Chkdsk will attempt to repair the file system but it will not repair the
registry.

If we repare this hive, the registry should be then ok.
Never tried ?

/R Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information
(implies /F).

This disk had a problem. So it is a good idea to repare every cluster
with CHKDSK /R (which implies /P -in the recovery console the switches
are differents-).
Reparing the clusters, the file "system", which is a hive of the
registry, may be repared. This is the simplest thing to try first.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

If we repare this hive, the registry should be then ok.
Never tried ?




This disk had a problem. So it is a good idea to repare every cluster with
CHKDSK /R (which implies /P -in the recovery console the switches are
differents-).
Reparing the clusters, the file "system", which is a hive of the registry,
may be repared. This is the simplest thing to try first.

Chkdsk works on the file system. It does not look into the registry and does
not attempt to repair its internal structure.

If one of the registry hive files (e.g. System, Sam, Software) is damaged at
a file level (as opposed to its internal structure) then it is extremely
unlikely that chkdsk will fix it. How would it know what information was
stored in the corrupted areas? When this happens then you need to replace
the damaged hive with a backup version. Again chkdsk cannot do it but System
Restore can.

 

[JF]

CHKDSK /R

Chkdsk works on the file system. It does not look into the registry and does
not attempt to repair its internal structure.

Of course. But we are not attempting to repare the internal structure,
we just try to repare the hive the system said corrupted. If it does
not work, then we have to get a copy of all the hives.

If one of the registry hive files (e.g. System, Sam, Software) is damaged at
a file level (as opposed to its internal structure) then it is extremely
unlikely that chkdsk will fix it. How would it know what information was
stored in the corrupted areas?

Chkdsk does not know. It repare clusters and try to retrieve data.
If it does not work then try the other methods
See the warning with OEM
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/

When this happens then you need to replace the
damaged hive with a backup version.

I have cases where chkdsk /R repared the issue.

Again chkdsk cannot do it but System Restore can.

Anyway I suggest to check the disk very soon
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/822705/