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

[mzadi01]

This works!!!

step 1:
***************************

boot with the windows xp cd

at "welcome to setup screen" press r

select the appropriate path for windows and press enter
if it asks you for the administrator password, type the administrator password and
press enter or just hit enter

we will now see the prompt c:\windows>

step 2:
***************************
cd system32\config

ren system system.old
ren software software.old
ren sam sam.old
ren security security.old
ren default default.old

then type cd type cd system~1\_resto~1 and press enter

if you get "access denied" (error) then

restart the computer by type exit and get back to recovery console

type cd \ and it will display c:\>
type cd system~1\_resto~1 and press enter

step 3:
***************************
type dir
it will list you restore points
(e.g. Rp1, rp2, rp3, rp4, etc...)

select the one from the list except the last one
say rp4

· type cd rp3 (or rp2 or rp1 or rpn) and enter

· type cd snapshot and enter

· type copy _registry_user_.default c:\windows\system32\config\default and enter

· type copy _registry_machine_security c:\windows\system32\config\security and
enter

· type copy _registry_machine_software c:\windows\system32\config\software and
enter

· type copy _registry_machine_system c:\windows\system32\config\system and enter

· type copy _registry_machine_sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam and enter

· type exit and enter

this worked so well for me that i just had to create an account and say so! Thank you soooo much (i was about to hunt through the disk, and backup my files - over 300 gb worth!) it saved me hours of reinstalling!! Thank you!!!!!

 

[beccah]

\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM error

i have a problem too:
when i start my computer up it says:

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

You can attempt to repair the file by starting Windows Setup using the original Setup CD-ROM
Select ‘r’ at the first screen to start repair.

-my computer does not have a cd-rom. how do i fix this? i need to fix it today!!! i pressed r when this came up because i did not know what to do and it goes to the loading page but goes back to the error message. i have a dell netbook. one of the small ones. it wont let me even go unto the log on page. wat do i doo??

- need an answer today! 3/24/10

 

[Route44]

beccah, this is an old thread and in addition many people will think you are answering the original poster never knowing you are actually in need of serious help.

My best suggestion to you is to make a brand new post in the Mobile Computing forum and explain there what you wrote here. Good luck.

 

[beccah]

oh ok thanks

 

[kmetek]

i HAVE same problem today...
did this

6. Depending on which section was corrupted:
ren software software.bad or ren system system.bad
7. Depending on which section was corrupted
copy \windows\repair\system
copy \windows\repair\software

but now this file is smaller...



on left 1tb disk with renamed system and system bad, on right 640gb disk i used before with good system file (using this disk now).

Is it possiblle to copy from 640gb to 1tb?

What i did 2 weeks ago that i cloned 640gb to 1tb, till today worked fine........ANY IDEAS?