[GovtCheese]

Sorry if I should have posted this in the pinned Windows XP repair thread, but I really don't know what else to do.

I've been trying to get some Malware off my computer, and in the process I've screwed up my XP. It's to the point where XP won't even boot up, it says that "\Windows\system32\config\system" is corrupt or missing, and it tells me to reboot with the original CD and repair it.

Well, it won't do it.

I've gone into cmos and turned off all boot devices except the CDROM and it still proceeds to do the same thing.

It's about time for a reformat anyways, so if someone could tell me how I can even get my XP cd to actually boot the computer, please do so.

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this is the process for solving the problem you are having, but it does not work 100 percent of the time

http://support.micro...om/?kbid=307545

as for booting from the cd, what is the OS? What controller is the harddrive on? The CD-rom drive?

Are the drives properly detected in the BIOS?

[gerryf]

this is the process for solving the problem you are having, but it does not work 100 percent of the time

http://support.micro...om/?kbid=307545

as for booting from the cd, what is the OS? What controller is the harddrive on? The CD-rom drive?

Are the drives properly detected in the BIOS?

[GovtCheese]

The CD is a WinXP cd.

Not sure what controller the hard drives/cd-rom are on, all I know is they worked fine yesterday until I tried to get this malware off my PC.

Yes, it is detecting all HDDs and CDROMs in the BIOS startup screen.

[gerryf]

sounds like your windows cd is damaged.

no reason it should not boot, assuming your system supports it and it is prominantly placed as the first boot device.

What kind of system? You say it is a windows xp cd, but is it from MS or from a third party vendor (compaq, HP etc)