[jabba21]

Ok, I am using Windows XP and every time I turn on my computer a black screen comes up and says:

windows\system32\config\system file missing or corrupt. It then says I can I can use the recovery console if I hit "r" but I also need to have my windows XP cd in the cd-rom drive. Now, does that mean my restore cd that came with the computer? I think that is the only cd I have. I put that in and hit "r" like it said. It then presents me with two options. 1) restore my whole HDD or 2) recover files or something like that. I chose option two and I just get an A:\> prompt. From there I don't know what to do or if I'm even in the right place. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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What kind of computer? If it's a Dell then I can guarentee you should have the correct cd since I have a Dell as well. The cd they supply should be titled something like "Operating System....Reinstallation CD Microsoft Windows XP." Mine is purple in color. If you don't have a Dell chances are your reinstallation cd is still the correct cd. You should be presented with more options than you're getting though.

Try inserting your cd into your computer and restart it. Right when it first starts up hit F2 until your BIOS screen pops up. Hit alt+p to change pages until you get to the page where you can change your boot order. Change it so your cd drive boots before your hardrive, this way the computer will sense that you have the cd in the drive and will ask you if you'd like to boot from the cd before it tries booting from the hardrive. Exit the BIOS...if your computer doesnt go to a black screen and ask you to hit any key to load from the cd then restart it and it should ask you during the next startup. Hit any key to load from the cd. You will then come to a blue screen where your computer will take a few minutes to load a bunch of files from the cd. After you should be given 3 options, number 2 being to enter your recovery console. Pressing R will get you to the recovery console which looks a lot like ms-dos. Someone else will have to jump in here to give you the command you need to extract the file you're looking for from the cd to your computer though, or maybe if you do some research on google or something you can maybe find out. There's plenty of info on the net about using the recovery console. It has saved my butt MANY times. Goodluck, let me know if I was unclear on anything. I'll try to respond as quick as I can, but I'm also working on fixing my own problems right now!

[bhmax16]

What kind of computer? If it's a Dell then I can guarentee you should have the correct cd since I have a Dell as well. The cd they supply should be titled something like "Operating System....Reinstallation CD Microsoft Windows XP." Mine is purple in color. If you don't have a Dell chances are your reinstallation cd is still the correct cd. You should be presented with more options than you're getting though.

Try inserting your cd into your computer and restart it. Right when it first starts up hit F2 until your BIOS screen pops up. Hit alt+p to change pages until you get to the page where you can change your boot order. Change it so your cd drive boots before your hardrive, this way the computer will sense that you have the cd in the drive and will ask you if you'd like to boot from the cd before it tries booting from the hardrive. Exit the BIOS...if your computer doesnt go to a black screen and ask you to hit any key to load from the cd then restart it and it should ask you during the next startup. Hit any key to load from the cd. You will then come to a blue screen where your computer will take a few minutes to load a bunch of files from the cd. After you should be given 3 options, number 2 being to enter your recovery console. Pressing R will get you to the recovery console which looks a lot like ms-dos. Someone else will have to jump in here to give you the command you need to extract the file you're looking for from the cd to your computer though, or maybe if you do some research on google or something you can maybe find out. There's plenty of info on the net about using the recovery console. It has saved my butt MANY times. Goodluck, let me know if I was unclear on anything. I'll try to respond as quick as I can, but I'm also working on fixing my own problems right now!

[jabba21]

Thanks for the info. It is fixed now... I think.

[bhmax16]

Good to hear, did you use my info to fix it or was it fixed before then? I just want to make sure I actually knew what I was talking about, but I'm 99.9% sure I did, haha

[jabba21]

Well, I just did a system restore. I really needed to clean the HDD up anyway.

[bhmax16]

Nice to hear you were able to take the easy way out. System restore has yet to work for me. Everytime I try to do one I get the message that no changes were made to my system because system restore wasn't able to complete and I have to choose a different restore point, but no matter which restore point I choose none of them work. it's quite frustrating because I could realllllly use a system restore right now! Instead I have to manually go in and take a look at all that's wrong. Keeps me up until sunrise most nights trying to figure it all out. Glad to hear things worked out for you though

[jabba21]

Oh wait. I didn't mean to say system restore. I tryed doing that but it wouldn't work either. I had to wipe the whole HDD. It's all good now.

[oneimus]

Need additional help. I followed the advice of the Knowledge Base articles and was able to restore my computer however…. I can no longer use any of the Microsoft Suite tools. I’ve even tried to re-install office 2000 but to no avail. Does anyone have any suggestions before I burn all my information to a CD and rebuild the computer?