[PeterS]

Hi,
I'm sorry that this may be a little long winded.
I had a situation where my computer told me "corrupt or missing windows\system32\config\system" file.
I managed to get it to boot up by overwriting the windows\repair\config\system file over it after having removed my drive and plugged it into another computer.
The problems now are varied - if I go into 'help and support' then tools and do a network diagnostic, it tells me that I have WMI problem in all areas. If I go into 'my computer information' there is nothing there - no memory no hard disk etc.
I cannot connect to the internet but can access my sons computer via the network.
At first I tried to load windows over itself through windows and it gave a message that the disk I was trying to load was an older version (this is my setup disk). I uninstalled service pack 2 and rebooted expecting this to solve the problem - it didn't. I tried to load sp2 on again and it refuses to install it after going through most of the install procedure.
When I try to boot off my xp disk, it asks for the sata drivers (f6) and accepts them and then tells me that it will support these drivers but then tells me that windows cannot find any mass storage device.
I am trying to get a later copy of xp with sp2 included to see whether I can load windows over itself through windows but could do with all the advice I can get.
Any suggestions other than a truck load of Valium?
Thanks in advance,
Pete

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1: When you enter BIOS can you see the drives connected? If not we have to start from there.

2: When you install windows you are not asked for sata drivers but given the option to press F6 etc. Ignore this and try srtup again. If you succeed try to repair windows. Get a link to instructions in my signature.

[The Skeptic]

1: When you enter BIOS can you see the drives connected? If not we have to start from there.

2: When you install windows you are not asked for sata drivers but given the option to press F6 etc. Ignore this and try srtup again. If you succeed try to repair windows. Get a link to instructions in my signature.

[happyrock]

you could also just format the drive first then reinstall the copy of windows you have..that way windows doesn't "see" the old version

[PeterS]

Hi Guys,
thanks heaps for the feedback, but all is well. I discovered that my third party driver disk had something wrong with it. I downloaded another one and it allowed me to load windows in 'repair' configuration which solved most of the problems.
I could then also load sp2 although it reported at the end of the install that it had encountered problems but it's on so all I can do is hope that all is well.
Everything worked fine except that I could still not log onto the www, but could see my sons computer on the network which could log onto the www. But thanks to you 'the skeptic', I found winsock for xp.
When I went to do a registry backup it told me that it could not backup certain files such as, secuity,software,system,default,sam,users.
Because I had already placed all of my important stuff onto my sons computer, I decided to risk it, and bingo.....it works!!! Any comments would be appreciated.
Thanks again and I sure hope to not have this hassle again.
This is a great site, guys, you have helped me through a few times now and I really do appreciate you taking the time.
Regards and best of luck,
Pete