windows\system32\config\system is missing or corrupt

[Guest]

I upgraded to windows xp home edition 3 years ago. Everything was fine on
Saturday night, then Sunday morning when I turned on the computer it tells me
windows cannot start because windows\system32\config\system is missing or
corrupt. I only have an upgrade cd and that doesn't help at all. I have
windows xp home edition on my laptop that came with a recovery cd but I don't
think I can use that can I? My laptop is so slow, I WANT MY DESKTOP BACK.
Please keep in mind that I'm not computer technology literate.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I upgraded to windows xp home edition 3 years ago. Everything was fine on
Saturday night, then Sunday morning when I turned on the computer it tells me
windows cannot start because windows\system32\config\system is missing or
corrupt. I only have an upgrade cd and that doesn't help at all. I have
windows xp home edition on my laptop that came with a recovery cd but I don't
think I can use that can I? My laptop is so slow, I WANT MY DESKTOP BACK.
Please keep in mind that I'm not computer technology literate.

How to Recover from a Corrupted Registry that Prevents Windows XP from
Starting
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307545

Once you've recovered, you might want to look here, as well:

How to Troubleshoot Registry Corruption Issues
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;822705

--

Bruce Chambers

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[Guest]

While this message does appear to indicate a missing file or registry error,
it is also a very common message related to hard drive or memory failure.
You can try to resolve the issue by booting to the recovery console and
running "chkdsk /r"
(http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/.../using/productdoc/en/recovery_run_console.asp).

The recovery cd that came with your computer will resolve the issue if it is
in fact software related, but most recovery cd's will erase all the data on
your hard drive as well. Refer to your manufacturer website or documentation
to determine if your recovery cd has a "Repair" option which will not erase
your data.

Whether or not Check Disk resolves the issue, once you are able to boot into
Windows again, be sure to download DocMem
(http://www.simmtester.com/PAGE/products/doc/docinfo.asp) and a hard drive
diagnostic tool from the website of your hard drive manufacturer. Test your
memory and hard drive for errors.

Payton