Windows XP Pro restarting

[Mike11]

Hi, Windows XP Pro on my laptop keeps restarting. It gets to the load screen then as it is about to goto the logon bit it flashes a blue screen then restarts. I can't boot up in safe mode or anything, it does the same. I was reading another post which has got a similar problem and though I'd record it when it booted up so I could see what it says to post on here and get some help. This is what it says:

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 writeable.

The last bit what it shows is just where it says it is dumping the physical memory then completes.

I hope this is the info that will help me. I have got my disc and can load that up and get into the recovery console but I don't know what to do /t ype from there. All I want to do is boot up windows then empty my HDD into my external one then format it all as I was going to do this anyway soon.

All help will be muchly appreciated, thanks,

Mike

 

[Mike11]

I have found this on the Microsoft support website here: support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/

I was going to start this but cannot copy one of the files in the manual steps section. I don't want to go any further incase I can't recover it. It is the software one I cannot recover.

Has anyone got any ideas?

 

[rf6647]

If you have resolved your problem, we all celebrate your success.

I have found this on the Microsoft support website here: support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/ ?

Also covered here in a posted tip. This topic is easier to read, in my opinion.

I was going to start this but cannot copy one of the files in the manual steps section. I don't want to go any further incase I can't recover it. It is the software one I cannot recover.

Please be specific. Which copy of 'software' failed? It is important to copy from "restore" to "config". The goal is to limp into safe mode. A check of "restore" on this computer (Compaq) reveals a missing file. I would then choose a file with a name that suggest a suitable replacement (system.bak on this computer created same as the others in the dataset.)

Loss of so many critical files suggest HDD problems. Backing up user files from the laptop involves other challenges.