Stop: C0000218 Registry File Failure (SAM)

[Guest]

I have a Server running Windows 2000 SP4 and had to reboot it today, during the reboot it BSOD and prompted me with
Stop: C0000218 {Registry File Failure
The registry cannot load the hive (file
\systemroot\system32\config\SA
or its log or alternat
It is corrupted, absent or not writabl

Has anyone seen this error before and found a solid resolution. Is the SAM replaceable or deletable without harming the rest of the registry or OS files? Any assistance would be great full

Thx

TP

 

[Dave Patrick]

If the sam hive is corrupt, it may be possible to rename the sam hive found
in;
%windir%\system32\config\sam
to sam.old
then copy the most recent backup found in
%windir%\repair\regback
as
%windir%\system32\config\sam

If that fails you can copy/ use the file
%windir%\repair\sam

Replacing the system or software hive is pretty straight-forward; not sure
what the impact is going to be as far as replacing the sam hive. It might be
that the sam and security need to be replaced in pairs. Seems you've nothing
to lose by trying though.

To start the Recovery Console, start the computer from the Windows 2000
Setup CD or the Windows 2000 Setup floppy disks. If you do not have Setup
floppy disks and your computer cannot start from the Windows 2000 Setup CD,
use another Windows 2000-based computer to create the Setup floppy disks.
Press ENTER at the "Setup Notification" screen. Press R to repair a Windows
2000 installation, and then press C to use the Recovery Console. The
Recovery Console then prompts you for the administrator password. If you do
not have the correct password, Recovery Console does not allow access to the
computer. If an incorrect password is entered three times, the Recovery
Console quits and restarts the computer. Once the password has been
validated, you have full access to the Recovery Console, but limited access
to the hard disk. You can only access the following folders on your
computer: %systemroot% and %windir%

Any account passwords are likely to revert to those in effect at the time of
the backup.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect


:
|I have a Server running Windows 2000 SP4 and had to reboot it today, during
the reboot it BSOD and prompted me with:
| Stop: C0000218 {Registry File Failure}
| The registry cannot load the hive (file)
| \systemroot\system32\config\SAM
| or its log or alternate
| It is corrupted, absent or not writable
|
| Has anyone seen this error before and found a solid resolution. Is the
SAM replaceable or deletable without harming the rest of the registry or OS
files? Any assistance would be great full.
|
| Thx,
|
| TP

 

[Dave Patrick]

If the sam hive is corrupt, it may be possible to rename the sam hive found
in;
%windir%\system32\config\sam
to sam.old
then copy the most recent backup found in
%windir%\repair\regback
as
%windir%\system32\config\sam

If that fails you can copy/ use the file
%windir%\repair\sam

Replacing the system or software hive is pretty straight-forward; not sure
what the impact is going to be as far as replacing the sam hive. It might be
that the sam and security need to be replaced in pairs. Seems you've nothing
to lose by trying though.

To start the Recovery Console, start the computer from the Windows 2000
Setup CD or the Windows 2000 Setup floppy disks. If you do not have Setup
floppy disks and your computer cannot start from the Windows 2000 Setup CD,
use another Windows 2000-based computer to create the Setup floppy disks.
Press ENTER at the "Setup Notification" screen. Press R to repair a Windows
2000 installation, and then press C to use the Recovery Console. The
Recovery Console then prompts you for the administrator password. If you do
not have the correct password, Recovery Console does not allow access to the
computer. If an incorrect password is entered three times, the Recovery
Console quits and restarts the computer. Once the password has been
validated, you have full access to the Recovery Console, but limited access
to the hard disk. You can only access the following folders on your
computer: %systemroot% and %windir%

Any account passwords are likely to revert to those in effect at the time of
the backup.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect


:
|I have a Server running Windows 2000 SP4 and had to reboot it today, during
the reboot it BSOD and prompted me with:
| Stop: C0000218 {Registry File Failure}
| The registry cannot load the hive (file)
| \systemroot\system32\config\SAM
| or its log or alternate
| It is corrupted, absent or not writable
|
| Has anyone seen this error before and found a solid resolution. Is the
SAM replaceable or deletable without harming the rest of the registry or OS
files? Any assistance would be great full.
|
| Thx,
|
| TP

 

[jfsli]

Hi,
i experienced the same problem today.
Did you solve the problem and how ?

thanks in advance for your answer

JF

*I have a Server running Windows 2000 SP4 and had to reboot it today
during the reboot it BSOD and prompted me with:
Stop: C0000218 {Registry File Failure}
The registry cannot load the hive (file)
\systemroot\system32\config\SAM
or its log or alternate
It is corrupted, absent or not writable

Has anyone seen this error before and found a solid resolution. I
the SAM replaceable or deletable without harming the rest of th
registry or OS files? Any assistance would be great full.

Thx,

TP

-
jfsl

 

[bpfh]

I had this problem, and I managed to boot the server with a Win200
install CD, and booted to the recovery console. You will need th
adminstrator password.

From there you should be able via DOS commands to find the file an
replace it.

Going from memory, I found copies of these files in C:\winnt\recover
(hidden directory), and copied the file to c:\winnt\system32\confi
after renaming the original file in this directory to somthing els
(like SAM to back-sam just in case the cure is worse than th
illness!)

I'm going to do this to a client for the second time on friday after
power cut that crashed a server...

Cheers,
Daniel

*Hi,
i experienced the same problem today.
Did you solve the problem and how ?

thanks in advance for your answer

JF

-
bpf

 

[bpfh]

MSKB article 307545. Originally for Windows XP, but worked for 2000.

Cheers,
Daniel