The following file is missing or corrupt \WINDOWS/SYSTEM32\CONFIG

[Guest]

Attemped to start computer running Windows XP Home Edition and received the
following message:-
The following file is missing or corrupt \WINDOWS/SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

You can try and repair this file by starting windows setup using origional
setup CD ROM.

I followed instructions from microsoft support web page
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/en-us

Followed instructions
- downloaded guided help and saved to floppy
- started recovery console and loaded batch regcopy1.txt

What to do next as computer wont start?

 

[Guest]

An after thought...

Loaded the same operating system on PC on c:/winxp directory as opposed to
c:/windows which is not working.

Can I use the WINDOWS/SYSTEM32\CONFIG from here to correct original loaded
o/s or use anything from this (c:/winxp) o/s to correct problem?

 

[Guest]

Still to receive any help yet!

Have now got as far as being able to start windows (the one that had the
problem) but am now stuck at the point where you need to use windows explorer
to contiue(part 2) and I receive message when trying to enter that I do not
have permissions.
I am the system administrator for my PC so what to try now?

Look forward to a flood of replies!!!

 

[John John]

Use the GUI or the cacls command and grant yourself necessary
permissions to do the proceedure. A link to the cacls instructions is
in the kb 307545 article;

How to gain access to the System Volume Information folder
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309531/

John

 

[Guest]

Thanks for that assistance.

I've now completed kb 307545 article part three but after running the batch
regcopy2.txt I receive the following:-

'the system cannot find the file specified'

When now attempting to restart windows I'm back to where I started with the
Windows\sysytem32\config\system corrupted or missing message.

i have attempted this 6 times using different System Volumn Information
restore snapshot files - all with earlier dates than when the problem
occurred and I always end up back at square one.

Where to go from here?

 

[John John]

The objective of the exercise described in KB 307545 is to replace the
damaged registry hives in the %systemroot%\system32\config folder with
the most recent backups available and then perform a proper system
restore. The most recent backup of the registry hives are located in
one of the Snapshot folders in the System Volume Information folder.
You can do all of that from the second "parallel" Windows installation
that you did. Just copy the files from the snapshot folder to the
config folder and rename them as instructed, move the old damaged hives
out of the config folder beforehand. If you can't do that then, as is
more often than not the case, the disk has some file system corruption
and you will have to run a chkdsk on it. Be warned that you may lose
some of your files if you run a chkdsk and that some of the needed files
in the Snapshot folder may end up in a Found.### folder in the form of
..chk files.

John

 

[Guest]

Have tried as suggested but unfortunately when I try to open System Volume
information folder it will not allow -

C:\System is not not accessible.

Access is denied.

Have tried chkdsk without success either.

Any further advice?

 

[John John]

Did you try the cacls command as instructed in
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/309531/ ?

Open a Command Prompt and issue the command:

cacls "driveletter:\System Volume Information" /E /G username:F

Where driveletter is the drive letter is the letter of the drive where
the System Volume Information is and username is your username (the
logged on user). You need administrative privileges to run the command
and you have to use the quotation marks as shown. It's all explained in
the article above.

John

 

[Guest]

Thanks once again for your response.

I feel I am not going to resolve this problem and have spent too long trying!

So if I keep the second installed windows XP and reload applications here
and use the my files from the backup drive, then use update I will be back to
where I was - yes?

Now I will need to uninstall the windows XP that is not working - what to
do?

 

[John John]

Try this: http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/xpfaq.html#020 For all
it's worth I wouldn't keep a multi installed partition like that. I
would back up my important files then format the partition and reinstall
Windows properly.

John