[Flint]

Here's the story.

- My girlfriend's computer is a HP Pavillion dv5000 laptop with Windows XP Media Center Edition.
- Yesterday, when she tried to boot it, she suddenly gets the following message:

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

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

- I researched this issue and found out that this is a "corrupt hive" and should be fixable by running the Windows Recovery Console from the Setup CD. See: http://www.kellys-ko...om/xp_sys32.htm and http://support.microsoft.com/kb/269075

There's just one major problem. She doesn't have the CD! A combination of manufacturers never including the Windows CD with the machine and the fact that Media Center Edition is not available from retailers or Microsoft (you have to buy a "Media Center PC") means that there is no Windows Media Center Edition Setup CD for us to use to correct this problem.

I have researched on the Internet how to create your own bootable XP setup disc, and it seems easy enough, but the only instructions I can find are for Home and Professional Editions. I can't find how to do something like this for MCE. So, I am instead looking at this: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16832116049 Before I buy this, I want to know - is this the correct CD I would use to boot her computer and access the Recovery Console with?

Does anybody have any advice? I really want to restore her system without losing anything. I have tried to boot with a Knoppix Live CD (Linux) but it fails to boot. I try a memtest and get a ton of errors. So, unfortunately, the problem is affecting the memory, not just Windows, so I can't boot with anything. The only solution seems to be booting with a Windows CD and accessing the Recovery Console. I only hope that once I get the CD, it won't fail me.

Thanks.

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Media Center XP is basically XP Home in different colours. So if you have an i386 folder somewhere, you should be able to follow the normal instructions for XP Home installations using the i386 folder.

Re the memory issues - how old is the computer? It may still be under warranty and if it is, the memory should be replaceable under your warranty.

Edited by Neil Jones, 14 September 2007 - 05:12 AM.

[Neil Jones]

Media Center XP is basically XP Home in different colours. So if you have an i386 folder somewhere, you should be able to follow the normal instructions for XP Home installations using the i386 folder.

Re the memory issues - how old is the computer? It may still be under warranty and if it is, the memory should be replaceable under your warranty.

Edited by Neil Jones, 14 September 2007 - 05:12 AM.

[Mr Freeze]

back up any valuable information
pictures..music..other important files
HP does have a built restore partition
start/all programs/pc help & tools/HP PC system recovery

thats your option to bring back to manufacturer state

[Flint]

back up any valuable information
pictures..music..other important files
HP does have a built restore partition
start/all programs/pc help & tools/HP PC system recovery

thats your option to bring back to manufacturer state

The computer won't boot at all. I tried to boot with Knoppix so that I could access the files and back up that way, but I get a CRC error and it won't run.

Media Center XP is basically XP Home in different colours. So if you have an i386 folder somewhere, you should be able to follow the normal instructions for XP Home installations using the i386 folder.

Not that I don't trust you, but can I get some confirmation on this? I was actually under the assumption that MCE was based more on Professional than Home (as odd as that sounds). Also, I don't want to risk messing something up by using a wrong type of Windows boot CD.

I found laying around somewhere a bootleg XP CD.. something my dad got years ago for some reason (we are running full legit Windows now and have been for a while ) and I decided I would try to boot with that. It tells me "Press F6 for something something... Press F2 for system recovery" (this requires floppy disks) and then goes on to load a bunch of files. Then it says "Setup is starting Windows...." and it hangs. It just sits there without going anywhere. I believe this might be because 1) it's a bootleg, which means it isn't reliable 2) I know it's not MCE.. in fact I think it's Pro and 3) the CD has many smudges and scratches. But because I am not certain about these causes, I'm a little worried about a REAL MCE CD not working.

[Neil Jones]

First thing you should do is get the faulty stick of memory replaced, otherwise your computer will just corrupt everything you feed it until you change that memory.