Registry file failure

[MelissaM]

Hi Guys!

I hope any of you can help me. I am almost in tears.

My laptop is running Vista and at one stage I accidentally switched my laptop off, when restarting it gives me a blue screen with the following info:

STOP: c0000218 Registry File Failure
The registry cannot load the hive (file)
\Systemroot\system32\config\SOFTWARE
or its log or alternate.

It is corrupt, absent, or not writable.

Collecting data for crash dump...
etc.
I have tried to reboot in Safe Mode, same result. There is nothing wrong with the hard drive, I think. I have the original Vista Disk. I have been able to boot from disk and tried the repair function - no joy!

The help tutorial on the disk says I can upgrade (even though Vista is already on the system) without losing my data, files and photos! But I am a bit scared. Can I click on "Install" and a "Upgrade" option will appear? I am so scared of losing my stuff. I was one day away from a full back-up of my entire system!

Is there a way to troubleshoot this, or can I go ahead?

Pleaaaase help, hopefully one of you can help a lady in distress!

 

[MelissaM]

Update: I have tried the installation route. The upgrade option is disabled: one can only do this from Windows, which I cannot access!!

Please help guys...

 

[Tmagic650]

You can have the hard drive removed and put aside... Then install another drive and re-install Vista. Is this a laptop or desktop? Once Vista is installed and updated, you can install the old hard drive as a second drive (if a desktop) and try recovering files off the old drive to the new drive. If this is a laptop, you can purchase an external USB enclosure and install the old drive in it. The files might be able to be recovered this way. If this is too complicated, you can have a computer repair shop or a computer repair savvy friend do this for you

 

[MelissaM]

Hi Tmagic!

Thank you for your reply. Yes, it is a laptop.
Is there no way the registry file can be fixed any other way? Even though I would be more than happy to save my files, folders and pictures, what about all my programmes and applications? Can this all be installed back from the hard-drive?

I have been looking through the internet, and most solutions seems to apply to XP.

Thanks a million Tmagic!

 

[Tmagic650]

Is this Windows 7? Any other tampering with the registry might make it impossible to save any files... You may have some other repair options by pressing an "F" key as the computer fist starts to boot, or pressing F8 might give some options. Be careful because some repair options might wipe your files away

 

[MelissaM]

Hi Tmagic,

Thanks for replying and your help, I do appreciate it, but it seems you have not read my original post: I have mentioned already that it is a laptop and I am using Vista, yet you have asked me both questions again.

Thanks for the help - so it is Vista!

 

[Tmagic650]

Sorry about that... So many posts, so little time Do you see any recovery options as the computer starts booting?
"I accidentally switched my laptop off" How? Pulling the plug, with a weak or with no battery installed?

 

[MelissaM]

No problems, thanks for the help!
My battery on that laptop is non-existent. The computer was "hanging" for a while, and instead of applying just a little bit of patience, I wanted to reboot by simply pulling the plug. Yes, silly, I know. I am actually very dilligent with my laptop, by cleaning, scanning, defragging and updating my laptop weekly. I like a super-neat computer!

The only options are those offered by F6, I tried rebooting by using last known good configuration, etc...all the usual stuff. I tried the recovery procedure offered by the original Vista disk, no go. The solution would have been to "upgrade" to Vista from disk, even though it already exist on my laptop, this option is disabled - only allowed from within Windows!

I have seen after Googling the problem that a number of options are possible if you have XP by accessing some recovery console on the disk, but that doesn't help me much.

 

[Tmagic650]

Yes, "pulling the plug" corrupted some important system files on the hard drive. Your only options left are in post #3

 

[MelissaM]

Ok, thank you Tmagic, really appreciate the help!