Help req'd A.S.A.P!!!Corrupt Bootup

[sirius]

Geez,

here we go again, looks like my puters buggered again.

I put it on this morning, (windows xp pro) to be greeted with a black screen which says my c:windows\system32\config\system file is corrupt or missing and it cant start.

It says to put the original XP cdrom in the player, reboot from cd and select 'r' for a recovery attempt..........
I have tried this, but I press 'r' for the recovery option, it says:

1)c:windows

which installation to you want to recover?
(to cancel press enter):{}

Here, Ive tried typing '1' and 'c' and 'c:\windows' and nowts happening.........it just displays a c:windows command prompt.


Please can somebody tel me what the hell to do to get past this problem.........Im totally lost here.

Im on holiday the rest of this week and the thought of being computerless is a scary one !

[sirius]

I thought Id better add its a mickymouse installation cd off tha web........

Cheers

Sirius.

[sirius]

Please dont tell me is beyond fixing.......Ive tons of stuff on my c:drive and about 2 gigs of partial overnet stuff which will vanish.

[The Frog Meister]

LONG SHOT ALERT

You can grab one from someones else's put.....

or when you boot up hit the F8 key and go for the last known working config.

also try booting up in Safe mode, this might re-write the file for ya nad save ya life....... If not... Re-install WITHOUT formatting.... Ie crush teh installation that is there. There is a draw back to this, it's that the installation will be shit, but at least you'll be able to back up EVERYTHING and then wipe and clean

OR grab another HDD from someone, set it as Master, install Windows (minimal systems) then install a backing up system (burner or whatever you use) set the HDD with everything on it as slave.... and start pulling the info over... either onto CD or onto the drive itself (I normaly use the drive...... easier and faster ) Tehn remove teh HDD that has the new installation, set the correct one as Master again and format and reinstall and VOILA!

I know that this is a long and labourious method. But off hand, if the fixing, and the fresh install, and the grabbing it from someone else doesn't work, is the only thing I can think of to save your files.....

OR A diviation to the method about... put your HDD into someone else's pooter and then back it up that way

Hope this has helped......

[sirius]

Cheers bud,


I tried last known config, but it was the same error, I tried safe mode and various other options and the same error displayed.

I havent the know how to repatch a hdd drive bay, besides my brothers pc already has two or more hdd units in it. There is no real estate on his drives to back mine up .

Ive opted to reinstall over the top, and its currently doing it now.
I didnt have enough room on my pc partitions to install to another directory so Ive had to use the same folder - which is gonna gutter my overnet, all my faves, documents folder, installed programs............. .

Thanks bud, but its totally goosed, and a reinstall looked like the only option.

Perhaps theres more I could have done, but Im not very technically savvy on computer maters.


Thanks again

Paul.

[sirius]

ooops . sorry about the request, wasnt thinking.

[The Frog Meister]

Your registery is deleted......

A lot of the files will still be there mate. OK your favourites will be buggered, but your overnet files should be alive. all you need to do is point the applications to that folder.... If you used the default installations, then it is enve EASIER!

It is a good thing that you have not installed it in a differnet directory cause that would have buggered it up BIG TIME!

Give a shout if you are stuck, or need another hand

[sirius]

Hi,

My brother runs the same windows, I had a program which delved into XP and retrieved the product key........anyone know what its called?


Sirius.

[sirius]

Thanks skippy that should cover it..........

Errrm, as Ive been reminded, its probably not a good idea publicly posting for keys and generators!!!. I was being realy dumb earlier and forgot.

I think the retrieval is a legit operation, however the keygen is probably illegal and i dont wanna get butty in bother.

Thanks again for the links though , but perhaps you'd better delete them?


Sirius.

My puter is custom built from aria (manchester) and its out of warranty now...I think its just pot luck with mixing/matching components or sommet? ..perhaps a new one from somewhere more local should on the cards! lol.

[Myk]

Just read this m8, sorry if I'm late.

All you had to do from the c:/windows prompt once in repair mode was type.

Copy C:/windows/repair/*.* c:/windows/system32




That would have replaced all your critical files and allowed you to boot into windows normally.

I agree with Skippy though, its happening to you a lot lately and you wanna get that seen too m8

[sirius]

Originally posted by skippy
'yer need a new flux capacitor m8, that'll be 500 quid, cheers!'

Yeah! lol.

Im not that bad, but not so long ago Id have been sucked in! lol

I was toying with the idea of a new one anyway, my case is a very basic 'flat' desktop one, I have no CDRW on my machine or spare drivebay to slot it, plus its only an AMD900 (which is only 800mhz or somet really) my hdd is only 40gig....
Id just buy a few upgrades and keep most of it I have now, but I wouldnt want to guess where to start on which is the baddie and dont wanna reinstall dodgy conflicting components again, lol.........

The majority of shops woulnt let you get them to build a new system using partially your old ones, and the specs of mine are well cheap now compared to when I baught it, like 1/3rd the price!.

I could get some new components and get my bruv to build it for me, but Ill have no comback if owt goes wrong with it, yet off the shelf systems dont cater for my musical requirements etc without being silly money.

Ah well, Ill see how I go on, and if the key retrieval has done the trick for the time being.

Thanks all for your advice, and skippy you have saved me hours of hunting with your now deleted links!.


Sirius .

[sirius]

Well, the codes worked.......

yet EVERYTHINGS been kissed goodbye.....


Frig me. This is almost as bad as whats known in my house as "the great computer crash disaster of 2002" ........


Cant bear to even think of all the stuff thats gone walkabout, It'll teach me to back up more often I suppose, but I always fall in the same trap - when everythings fine you dont think about doing it! lol.