"windows xp" "could not start" "c:\windows\system32\config\system"

[WC]

I am working on a Dell Inspiron with XP Home installed.
The owner reports, out of the blue, the error, noted in
the subject.

I followed the recovery console steps. When I tried to:
copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32
\config\system , " file not found " or similar was
reported.

"C:\windows\repair>dir" showed the presence of
system.bak , but not system. So I entered: copy
c:\windows\repair\system.bak c:\windows\system32
\config\system . That got me into Windows. But I
couldn't obtain an ip address. I received 0.0.0.0 .
There were also DNS server entries, which persisted after
I flushed dns. I verified that there were no manual
setting in TCP/IP for the adapter. The firewall was off.

I uninstalled the NIC driver, re-booted, then re-installed
the driver from the Dell Driver disk.
Then, "error occurred while renewing interface" "cannot
find the file specified" appeared.

I ran sfc /scannow . I had to re-active XP.

Per: http://www.jsiinc.com/SUBM/tip6100/rh6124.htm , I
ran: netsh int ip reset resetlog.txt .

That did not fix the problem, so I am now running an
inplace repair of XP Home, per:
http://www.jsiinc.com/subl/tip5800/rh5808.htm

What do you suggest?

WC

 

[The Prophecy]

Go in to Control Panel, Network Connections, Right click on "Local Area
Connection" and go to Properties. Click Install, select Protocol, and
install the "NWLink NetBIOS" or "NWLink IPX/SPX/NetBIOS Compatible Transport
Protocol". Then reboot. After you are back in Windows, try to repair your IP
address again. If it does not work, download this file.

http://www.grc.com/files/letshare.exe

Run it and reboot again. Repair IP address when in Windows again. I'm 99%
sure it will work this time.

 

[WC]

Thanks for the reply & info about the GRC file.

I decided to not wait 10 hrs for someone to reply, so I
ran an inplace repair, which hung at 35 min. If this is,
indeed, now a hardware problem, this Laptop may be toast.

WC