Blue Screen Flashes, Then Disappears

[muthabored]

With Windows XP, I know that you can go into the System Properties and under Startup and Recovery you can go to Settings and under "System Failure" remove the checkmark from Automatically Restart so that if there is a blue screen, it will stay on the screen without repeating the loop of flashing and then disappearing.

My problem is I can't get into Windows XP because it continues to reboot (Last Known Good, Safe Mode, etc. not working). Is there a combination of keys that you can use to stop the blue screen from disappearing?

 

[bcastner]

With Service Pack 2 you have the option on the Advanced Options menu to disable the automatic restart. Otherwise, not.

Boot to Recovery Console using your XP CD.
Do a chkdsk /r

http://support.microsoft.com/defaul...port/kb/articles/q307/6/54.asp&NoWebContent=1

 

[muthabored]

I'm dizzy now but I've managed to capture the error as being c000218, which appears to be associated with the registry. I ran chkdsk /r from the Recovery Console and repaired what it found. However, when I rebooted, I now get "Windows XP Could Not Start Because the following file is missing or corrupt: \winnt\system32\config\system. I used the following link to try to solve my problem but to no avail:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307545

I'm not sure if it's because the System32 folder is really missing.

 

[bcastner]

http://www.digitalwebcast.com/2002/03_mar/tutorials/cw_boot_toot.htm

 

[muthabored]

bcaster:

Thank you for your assistance.
Unfortunately, these directions (which are the same as the one on Microsoft's site) aren't working. After i type in copy c:\winnt\system32\config\system c:\winnt\tmp\system.bak, I receieve "the system cannot find the file specified". Could it be that the system directory is really gone?

 

[bcastner]

A a dir *.* shows what for that folder? Remember you are on XP, so the folder name is either c:\Windows or if an upgrade from Win2k c:\Winnt But certainly not both. Try repacing the C:\Winnt advice with C:\Windows

c:
cd \Windows\System32\Repair
dir

See it?

 

[muthabored]

I actually have c:\winnt\system32\config but there is no system directory.

 

[muthabored]

cd \windows\system32\repair
The system cannot find the path specified

 

[bcastner]

system" in this context is a file.

copy C:\Winnt\system32\config\system C:\windows\tmp\system.bak

.etc all the way through use C:\Winnt\system32\config\ and then the last element wich is a filename.

 

[muthabored]

bcaster:

Forgive my ignorance but should I type in this syntax at a C: prompt or from where? I tried it from C:\winnt and received:

The system cannot find the file specified

Thanks for your help!

 

[muthabored]

I actually don't have a repair directory under C:\winnt\system32...drat!

 

[bcastner]

Jump to page 3 of my article above, and use the System Restore folder.

 

[muthabored]

Since the system restore folder is hidden, I can't unhide it because I can't get into XP's GUI...curses!

 

[bcastner]

Let try again.

Start Recovery Console.

c:
cd \
md tmp
cd \winnt\system32\config

copy C:\winnt\system32\config\system C:\winnt\tmp\system.bak

copy C:\winnt\system32\config\software C:\winnt\tmp\software.bak

copy C:\winnt\system32\config\sam C:\winnt\tmp\sam.bak

copy C:\winnt\system32\config\security C:\winnt\tmp\security.bak

copy C:\winnt\system32\config\default C:\winnt\tmp\default.bak

delete C:\winnt\system32\config\system
delete C:\winnt\system32\config\software
delete C:\winnt\system32\config\Sam
delete C:\winnt\system32\config\security
delete C:\winnt\system32\config\default

copy C:\winnt\repair\system C:\winnt\system32\config\system
copy C:\winnt\repair\software C:\winnt\system32\config\software
copy C:\winnt\repair\sam C:\winnt\system32\config\sam
copy C:\windnt\repair\security C:\winnt\system32\config\security
copy C:\winnt\repair\default C:\winnt\system32\config\default

Exit
Reboot

Be very careful of the three directory paths involved:
c:\winnt\system32\config
c:\temp
c:\winnt\repair

 

[muthabored]

bcastner:

This portion works for me:

c:
cd \
md tmp
cd \winnt\system32\config

copy C:\winnt\system32\config\system C:\winnt\tmp\system.bak

copy C:\winnt\system32\config\software C:\winnt\tmp\software.bak

copy C:\winnt\system32\config\sam C:\winnt\tmp\sam.bak

copy C:\winnt\system32\config\security C:\winnt\tmp\security.bak

copy C:\winnt\system32\config\default C:\winnt\tmp\default.bak

However, the next series does not:
delete C:\winnt\system32\config\system
delete C:\winnt\system32\config\software
delete C:\winnt\system32\config\Sam
delete C:\winnt\system32\config\security
delete C:\winnt\system32\config\default

(error: The system cannot find the file specified).

I really appreciate your help/patience!

 

[GazNew]

Simply run the XP CD again but without removing the old install. All missing files will be replaced and everything should return to normal.

As soon as possible replace your hard drive since it sounds like this (or your IDE port if that is what you are using) is lossing sectors.

 

[bcastner]

Just keep going by following the article I posted in my second link.

The third stage in my immediate post above will replace the files anyway.

You should then be able to boot into XP. From there start at page three, remembering that your directory paths are different than those listed in the article.