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Error message WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/CONFIG/SYSTEM on Windows startup

Discussion in 'Windows OS' started by White Knight123, Jul 8, 2006.

Page 2 of 3

kimsland Ex-TechSpotter Posts: 18,353

How to Recover from a Corrupted Registry that Prevents Windows XP from Starting
http://www.aade.com/XPhint/XPrecovery.htm

kimsland, Feb 25, 2009

#21
fatballs Newcomer, in training

Please be more specific. I do not see anything that will work on my machine to be able to get to the system restore.

fatballs, Feb 25, 2009

#22
jobeard TS Ambassador Posts: 12,339 +132

get your Windows CD and boot from it; enter R for recovery

be aware that it *may* reformat the HD and return it to a 'virgin state' as you received it day-1;
ie: YOUR files may all be missing.

If you can get to a command prompt (run->cmd), then enter

C:\WINDOWS\system32\Restore\rstrui.exe
which will launch the Restore System utility

jobeard, Feb 25, 2009

#23
fatballs Newcomer, in training

I will state again I hit "r" and it says their are no hard drives found. I know it is because I am running in stripe. That solution does not work as previously stated.

If their is some way to get to a command prompt like we could in the old days please feel free to let me know as I do not know how without going thru the "r" which I will state again does not work for me.

fatballs, Feb 25, 2009

#24
jobeard TS Ambassador Posts: 12,339 +132

fatballs said: ↑

I will state again I hit "r" and it says their are no hard drives found. I know it is because I am running in stripe. That solution does not work as previously stated.

Raid-0 (stripes) is fraught with recovery issues as you are discovering.
Even Microsoft discourages Raid on the boot volume.

I GREATLY feel your pain, but you best be planning for a rebuild,

new HD
New OS Install

jobeard, Feb 25, 2009

#25

fatballs Newcomer, in training

I can not rebuild... The hard drives are fine so no need in replacing them. I just need to get into it and repair it. I know their has ot be a utility tool to be able to do it or someone much smarter than I that knows the trick.

I want to get it all backed up then cut the RAID/STRIPE out. I am sick of this crap to be honest.

Computer for sale here

duel 8800gtx overclocked 768 mb ram on them asus 4x4 board duel fx74 processors and 4 gig of ram DOMINATOR corsair in a super swell case lol... dont let me forget the 500 dollar friggin processor to run all this crap...

oh ya and windows xp64 bit to boot friggin thing is making me wanna toss it out the window...

fatballs, Feb 25, 2009

#26

jobeard TS Ambassador Posts: 12,339 +132

my understanding is you will need a commercial data recover company and ask
for your data to be recovered (eg My Documents\). It may be expensive.

see this for Raid Issues

A striped configuration is the most difficult for recovery without a full backup in place.

jobeard, Feb 25, 2009

#27
fatballs Newcomer, in training

I messed with it for three months last time and finally it worked out. I can not remember what i did to get it working is the worst part...

md tmp
copy c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\tmp\system.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\software c:\windows\tmp\software.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\sam c:\windows\tmp\sam.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\security c:\windows\tmp\security.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\default c:\windows\tmp\default.bak

delete c:\windows\system32\config\system
delete c:\windows\system32\config\software
delete c:\windows\system32\config\sam
delete c:\windows\system32\config\security
delete c:\windows\system32\config\default

copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system
copy c:\windows\repair\software c:\windows\system32\config\software
copy c:\windows\repair\sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam
copy c:\windows\repair\security c:\windows\system32\config\security
copy c:\windows\repair\default c:\windows\system32\config\default

fatballs, Feb 25, 2009

#28
jobeard TS Ambassador Posts: 12,339 +132

YES! that's step ONE of Three documented by Microsoft.
The system will be bootable again and then you can get the
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Restore\rstrui.exe to bring your registry current.

Best wishes

jobeard, Feb 25, 2009

#29
bluedame Newcomer, in training Posts: 32

fatballs,

try checking BIOS first if SATA Operation is set to AHCI / ATA / RAID.
default setting should be AHCI.
try changing it to ATA first then boot to CD again to do the repair

bluedame, Feb 25, 2009

#30
fatballs Newcomer, in training

jobeard said: ↑

YES! that's step ONE of Three documented by Microsoft.
The system will be bootable again and then you can get the
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Restore\rstrui.exe to bring your registry current.

Best wishes

none of it worked i cant get in to do it. I was copying to a notepad in case I could get the machine up and posted here on accident.

fatballs, Feb 25, 2009

#31
Informer Newcomer, in training

If your registry hive becomes badly corrupted,you will probably be faced with error messages such as:

* Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

* NTLDR is missing

* Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:<Windows root>\system32\hal.dll

when you boot your computer and Windows will fail to boot.

If you are in a situation where you cannot boot from the Windows CD,which means you won't be able to access the Recovery Console,and also hitting F8 and choosing Last Known Good Configuration fails to fix the problem,then you will need to repair it manually.

This will require that you have READ/WRITE access to the NTFS partition of the hard drive from within MS-DOS.You will need a program called NTFSDOS Professional.

Download: NTFSDOS Professional 5.0 www dot flyupload dot com/?fid=6794034 (This is very old software - Abandonware)

To create a boot disk,run BootDisk.exe.It will then require that you enter some licence details.You can find those details in the licence.txt file.Copy and paste them into the space provided.It will then ask you to specify the directory from which it will copy the required Windows files.For this,use your Windows CD which would be D:\I386 .Next you will need to choose where you want to save the boot disk to.Save it onto some floppy disks on drive A:\ .You will need 3 blank floppy disks.

Boot up the computer using the floppy boot disks you made.It will take you into a MS-DOS screen.From there,run the file NTFSPRO.EXE and you will now have access to the files on your hard drive.

Next you will need to type in the following lines as per the instructions from the Microsoft website:

md tmp
copy c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\tmp\system.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\software c:\windows\tmp\software.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\sam c:\windows\tmp\sam.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\security c:\windows\tmp\security.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\default c:\windows\tmp\default.bak

delete c:\windows\system32\config\system
delete c:\windows\system32\config\software
delete c:\windows\system32\config\sam
delete c:\windows\system32\config\security
delete c:\windows\system32\config\default

copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system
copy c:\windows\repair\software c:\windows\system32\config\software
copy c:\windows\repair\sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam
copy c:\windows\repair\security c:\windows\system32\config\security
copy c:\windows\repair\default c:\windows\system32\config\default

Remove the floppy disk from the drive and reboot the computer.Your Windows should now boot up and you will be able to carry out the remaining steps given on the Microsoft website,which are:

Part two

To complete the procedure described in this section, you must be logged on as an administrator, or an administrative user (a user who has an account in the Administrators group). If you are using Windows XP Home Edition, you can log on as an administrative user. If you log on as an administrator, you must first start Windows XP Home Edition in Safe mode. To start the Windows XP Home Edition computer in Safe mode, follow these steps.

Note Print these instructions before you continue. You cannot view these instructions after you restart the computer in Safe Mode. If you use the NTFS file system, also print the instructions from Knowledge Base article KB309531. Step 7 contains a reference to the article.

1. Click Start, click Shut Down (or click Turn Off Computer), click Restart, and then click OK (or click Restart).
2. Press the F8 key.

On a computer that is configured to start to multiple operating systems, you can press F8 when you see the Startup menu.
3. Use the arrow keys to select the appropriate Safe mode option, and then press ENTER.
4. If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot system, use the arrow keys to select the installation that you want to access, and then press ENTER.

In part two, you copy the registry files from their backed up location by using System Restore. This folder is not available in Recovery Console and is generally not visible during typical usage. Before you start this procedure, you must change several settings to make the folder visible:

1. Start Windows Explorer.
2. On the Tools menu, click Folder options.
3. Click the View tab.
4. Under Hidden files and folders, click to select Show hidden files and folders, and then click to clear the Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) check box.
5. Click Yes when the dialog box that confirms that you want to display these files appears.
6. Double-click the drive where you installed Windows XP to display a list of the folders. If is important to click the correct drive.
7. Open the System Volume Information folder. This folder is unavailable and appears dimmed because it is set as a super-hidden folder.

Note This folder contains one or more _restore {GUID} folders such as "_restore{87BD3667-3246-476B-923F-F86E30B3E7F8}".

Note You may receive the following error message:
C:\System Volume Information is not accessible. Access is denied.

If you receive this message, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article to gain access to this folder and continue with the procedure:
309531 (support dot microsoft dot com/kb/309531/ ) How to gain access to the System Volume Information folder

8. Open a folder that was not created at the current time. You may have to click Details on the View menu to see when these folders were created. There may be one or more folders starting with "RPx under this folder. These are restore points.
9. Open one of these folders to locate a Snapshot subfolder. The following path is an example of a folder path to the Snapshot folder:
C:\System Volume Information\_restore{D86480E3-73EF-47BC-A0EB-A81BE6EE3ED8}\RP1\Snapshot

10. From the Snapshot folder, copy the following files to the C:\Windows\Tmp folder:
_REGISTRY_USER_.DEFAULT
_REGISTRY_MACHINE_SECURITY
_REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE
_REGISTRY_MACHINE_SYSTEM
_REGISTRY_MACHINE_SAM
11. Rename the files in the C:\Windows\Tmp folder as follows:
Rename _REGISTRY_USER_.DEFAULT to DEFAULT
Rename _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SECURITY to SECURITY
Rename _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE to SOFTWARE
Rename _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SYSTEM to SYSTEM
Rename _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SAM to SAM

These files are the backed up registry files from System Restore. Because you used the registry file that the Setup program created, this registry does not know that these restore points exist and are available. A new folder is created with a new GUID under System Volume Information and a restore point is created that includes a copy of the registry files that were copied during part one. Therefore, it is important not to use the most current folder, especially if the time stamp on the folder is the same as the current time.

The current system configuration is not aware of the previous restore points. You must have a previous copy of the registry from a previous restore point to make the previous restore points available again.

The registry files that were copied to the Tmp folder in the C:\Windows folder are moved to make sure that the files are available under Recovery Console. You must use these files to replace the registry files currently in the C:\Windows\System32\Config folder. By default, Recovery Console has limited folder access and cannot copy files from the System Volume folder.

Note The procedure described in this section assumes that you are running your computer with the FAT32 file system. For more information about how to access the System Volume Information Folder with the NTFS file system, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
309531 (support dot microsoft dot com/kb/309531/ ) How to gain access to the System Volume Information folder

Part Three

In part three, you delete the existing registry files, and then copy the System Restore Registry files to the C:\Windows\System32\Config folder:

1. Start Recovery Console.
2. At the command prompt, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after you type each line:

del c:\windows\system32\config\sam

del c:\windows\system32\config\security

del c:\windows\system32\config\software

del c:\windows\system32\config\default

del c:\windows\system32\config\system

copy c:\windows\tmp\software c:\windows\system32\config\software

copy c:\windows\tmp\system c:\windows\system32\config\system

copy c:\windows\tmp\sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam

copy c:\windows\tmp\security c:\windows\system32\config\security

copy c:\windows\tmp\default c:\windows\system32\config\default

Note Some of these command lines may be wrapped for readability.
3. Type exit to quit Recovery Console. Your computer restarts.

Note This procedure assumes that Windows XP is installed to the C:\Windows folder. Make sure to change C:\Windows to the appropriate windows_folder if it is a different location.

If you have access to another computer, to save time, you can copy the text in step two, and then create a text file called "Regcopy2.txt" (for example). To use this file, run the following command when you start in Recovery Console:
batch regcopy2.txt

Part Four

1. Click Start, and then click All Programs.
2. Click Accessories, and then click System Tools.
3. Click System Restore, and then click Restore to a previous RestorePoint.

** Information in quotes is supplied from support dot microsoft dot com/kb/307545

Informer, Apr 26, 2009

#32
fatballs Newcomer, in training

Looks like something I will try if it goes down again.
I am up and running atm. I only see half the ram that is installed.

I thought about doing the safe mode stuff now without going the the first steps or is their something I can do now with my xp64 bit to get in back on track ?

fatballs, Apr 27, 2009

#33
Kelborn Newcomer, in training

I am experiencing a similar problem myself.

In the Windows XP Recovery Console I press 1 for C:\WINDOWS

The Mircosoft support site says I will be prompted for my admin password, but the only account on the computer (and the network) is my own, and I have no password. So I get no prompt and it just sits there with a 1 on the screen.

In class atm and can't get back to my comp for a while. Should I just wait until it does something so I can use the the command prompts, or... I don't know. I'm not very familiar with command interface.

I see that there are several different methods to remedy this situation that have been posted. Which one works the best? I really don't want to have to lose all my files, as I have many iTunes purchases that aren't backed up.

Kelborn, May 4, 2009

#34
kimsland Ex-TechSpotter Posts: 18,353

Just in case you missed this it's Press 1 then Press Enter, then Press Enter (if no Admin password)

kimsland, May 4, 2009

#35
fatballs Newcomer, in training

I tried a few of them and none worked on my x84 bit xp. I amtrying to find a way to get everything running properly without having to take it a shop for them to tell me it is fixed me pay them and still have the same issues...

fatballs, May 4, 2009

#36
kimsland Ex-TechSpotter Posts: 18,353

fatballs said: ↑

without having to take it a shop

Well after 3 months trying, you might start to think it's beyond you

kimsland, May 4, 2009

#37
Kelborn Newcomer, in training

Ok so I've been trying a few of the things here... and whenever I get to a command line that has the c:\windows\system32\config\system in it, it tells me that it cannot find the file specified.

It would seem that my registy is not corrupt, but just not there.

Any ideas as to where I go from here?

Kelborn, May 4, 2009

#38
kimsland Ex-TechSpotter Posts: 18,353

Microsoft's Windows XP Professional Repair Install step by step
http://www.windowsxpprofessional.windowsreinstall.com/sp2sp3installxpcdrepair/indexfullpage.htm

Microsoft's Windows XP Home Repair Install step by step
http://www.windowsxphome.windowsreinstall.com/sp2sp3installxpcdrepair/indexfullpage.htm

And if that doesn't work
Try to backup (you may need to physically mount the drive into another working computer, as a secondary (or slave) drive)

Microsoft's Windows XP Professional Repair Install step by step (* Including Delete Partition)
http://www.windowsxpprofessional.windowsreinstall.com/sp2sp3installxpcdoldhdd/indexfullpage.htm

Microsoft's Windows XP Home Repair Install step by step (* Including Delete Partition)
http://www.windowsxphome.windowsreinstall.com/sp2sp3installxpcdoldhdd/indexfullpage.htm

* Warning deleting the Partition will remove all User data and Windows system files

kimsland, May 4, 2009

#39
jobeard TS Ambassador Posts: 12,339 +132

Kelborn said: ↑

Ok so I've been trying a few of the things here... and whenever I get to a command line that has the c:\windows\system32\config\system in it, it tells me that it cannot find the file specified.

It would seem that my registy is not corrupt, but just not there.

Any ideas as to where I go from here?

MAKE SURE your view settings include View Extensions and Hidden files!

jobeard, May 4, 2009

#40

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