XP Home Error Message

[Guest]

I recently received the following error message: "Windows could not start
because the following file is missing or corrupt:
\windows\system32\config\system. You can attempt to repair this file by
starting windows setup using the original setup cd-rom. Select "R" at the
first screeen to start repair." I didn't receive the "original setup cd-rom"
when I bought the computer at Best Buy so they suggested I try the first of
the 12 CDs I was instructed to download when I first setup the computer.
This brought the system back to its original state but I lost all files and
data (Outlook Express messages, Outlook messages and contact info, etc.) and
I had to reinstall MS Word. My questions: Why did this happen and how can I
recover the lost files/data?

 

[Rock]

I recently received the following error message: "Windows could not start
because the following file is missing or corrupt:
\windows\system32\config\system. You can attempt to repair this file by
starting windows setup using the original setup cd-rom. Select "R" at the
first screeen to start repair." I didn't receive the "original setup
cd-rom"
when I bought the computer at Best Buy so they suggested I try the first
of
the 12 CDs I was instructed to download when I first setup the computer.
This brought the system back to its original state but I lost all files
and
data (Outlook Express messages, Outlook messages and contact info, etc.)
and
I had to reinstall MS Word. My questions: Why did this happen and how
can I
recover the lost files/data?

How could it have happened? Do you mean how is it that the recovery process
resulted in lost data? That's because this particular recovery process was
destructive. The OEM set up the recovery. Had you a regular XP
installation CD there are some steps you could have taken. And even without
an installation CD there were some things you could have tried to fix this
problem. That message indicates a registry corruption problem. This is the
normal fix for it.

"How to Recover from a Corrupted Registry That Prevents Windows XP from
Starting"
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=307545

This fix requires working from the the recovery console which is normally
accessed from the XP installation CD. It can, however, be accessed by using
the XP Setup floppy boot disks. There are other ways to try as well,
without the installation CD or the floppy disks, by installing the drive in
another XP computer and retrieving a copy of the registry hives form a
system restore point.

How to obtain Windows XP Setup boot disks
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310994/

How to install and use the Recovery Console in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307654/en-us

Why did the registry corruption occur in the first place? Lots of possible
causes.

How to Troubleshoot Registry Corruption Issues
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=822705

I strongly suggest you use ERUNT to make a daily backup of the registry.
That backup can be used to restore the registry from the recovery console
which can be accessed either by means of booting the XP installation CD or
by booting the computer with the startup floppy disks.

ERUNT
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/erunt.txt

Installing and Using ERUNT
http://www.silentrunners.org/sr_eruntuse.html
http://www.winxptutor.com/regback.htm