windows/system32/config/system file missing or corrupt, computer will

Hi,
Please try the below mentioned steps:

Insert the Windows XP startup disk into the floppy disk drive, or insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer.

Click to select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted to do so.

When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.

If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, select the installation that you want to access from the Recovery Console.

When you are prompted to do so, type the Administrator password. If the administrator password is blank, just press ENTER.

At the Recovery Console command prompt, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after you type each line:

md tmp

copy c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\tmp\system.bak

copy c:\windows\system32\config\software c:\windows\tmp\software.bak

copy c:\windows\system32\config\sam c:\windows\tmp\sam.bak

copy c:\windows\system32\config\security c:\windows\tmp\security.bak

copy c:\windows\system32\config\default c:\windows\tmp\default.bak



delete c:\windows\system32\config\system

delete c:\windows\system32\config\software

delete c:\windows\system32\config\sam

delete c:\windows\system32\config\security

delete c:\windows\system32\config\default



copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system

copy c:\windows\repair\software c:\windows\system32\config\software

copy c:\windows\repair\sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam

copy c:\windows\repair\security c:\windows\system32\config\security

copy c:\windows\repair\default c:\windows\system32\config\default



Type exit to quit Recovery Console. Your computer will restart

If you can get a Windows CD, try this.

This is the description of your BSOD

0x00000051: REGISTRY_ERROR

This indicates a Registry or Configuration Manager problem. An I/O error may have occurred while the Registry was trying to read one of its files (caused by hardware or file system problems). This message might also appear due to a memory management error (more common in earlier versions of Windows NT).

I am having a similar problem but my access is denied in the recovery console as I tried to add the tmp directory

I tried the logon command to see if I could sign on as an admin, but no windows profiles were listed.

I was allowed to chkdsk /r in the recovery console. Some repairs to disk were made, but windows will still not run.

Any idea of how I can gain access as an admin if I am not propted to do so?

THanks

I am having a similar problem but my access is denied in the recovery console as I tried to add the tmp directory

I tried the logon command to see if I could sign on as an admin, but no windows profiles were listed.

I was allowed to chkdsk /r in the recovery console. Some repairs to disk were made, but windows will still not run.

Any idea of how I can gain access as an admin if I am not propted to do so?

THanks

Please start your own topic.

Hi pcs365_2, diabillic and alzeimer,

Thanks for the tips, advice and information. I do not have a Windows disk for any of the machines as it was preinstalled for her. So if I read diabillic's post correctly and the instructions for creating the disk from the software creator I won't be able to use that option.

I kept at it last night and I noticed that the "rs.iso" file I created per Broni's thread created an "XP Home Edition Setup" environment. I have XP Professional with SP2 installed on the system in question. Is this the reason I am getting the BSOD for a registry error? Is there a way to create a file similar to what Broni proposed for XP Pro?

I did create a recovery disk and created a back up for the other two machines here. I used Macrium Reflect Free edition. With the recovery disk created from one of the other machines I backed up (I created the recovery disk in Linux) I was able to view the C: drive files as it looked for recovery options. So I am making an assumption that I will be able to eventually get the data backed up so that I can get running again and saved so that I can more easily recover should this be a lingering problem.

However, I was not able to recover completely - I think because I am still learning about how to manipulate the software to get to a result.

I was going to try and create a bootable disk utilizing DOS 4 NTFS and try to recover using pcs365_2's corrections above from yesterday's post. See below:

md tmp

copy c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\tmp\system.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\software c:\windows\tmp\software.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\sam c:\windows\tmp\sam.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\security c:\windows\tmp\security.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\default c:\windows\tmp\default.bak

delete c:\windows\system32\config\system
delete c:\windows\system32\config\software
delete c:\windows\system32\config\sam
delete c:\windows\system32\config\security
delete c:\windows\system32\config\default

copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system
copy c:\windows\repair\software c:\windows\system32\config\software
copy c:\windows\repair\sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam
copy c:\windows\repair\security c:\windows\system32\config\security
copy c:\windows\repair\default c:\windows\system32\config\default


Is this a viable option to try?

Thanks again for the help!
J1K

Yes, this is a viable option. I believe i posted these instructions, including using an NTFS4DOS boot disk to repair the registry.

Let us know your outcome.

Diabillic,

Sorry I missed referencing that post - I had seen it but forgot to save it! My bad. I knew it was there. I will go back and find it so I have that post for my use. Thanks again!

J1K

http://www.geekstogo...em-t274745.html

Hi pcs365_2, diabillic, and Alzeimer,

Finally got the computer back up and running with you all's help. Thanks so much for the time and expert guidance!

In the process I re-learned MSDos, how the registry works (on a very basic level) and not to mention how to pay attention to detail.

The root problem of all this was a hard drive going bad. I have a new one on order for her and will install it along with a bigger cooling unit as I found out the one installed for that model was marginal under ideal circumstances at best.

I created the bootable floppy for NTFS4DOS and was able to make changes to the registry in order to allow the Recovery Module in XP to run. From there I was able to use the rs.iso image to get into and run Windows in safe mode to get and recover a previous restore point registry.

At that point I stopped and ran check disk and that is where I found many errors on the hard drive. And to satisfy my own curiosity I ran a few more restored registry adds and ran checkdisk to verify that it was stable enough to make a backup and recovery disk.

With that done I rebooted normally and ran XP normally. I was able to make a recovery disk, back up the image, clean up the restoration, get the software running in top order, and updated.

I a few problems getting all this to work and I am sure it was mostly operator error. I am going to review all the procedures provided again to see why NFTS5DOS disk kept rebooting after every command to copy or delete. There were other errors during the boot of that disk that happened but those I will look up outside of this forum so I don't bore everyone with my attempt to learn new stuff and relearn things that I have long forgotten!!

Again, thanks to you three for the help in tutoring! If there is anything I need to post more let me know.

Regards,
J1K