Stop error c0000218 strikes back! Corrupted 'software' hive

[Zaner71]

Hi, two months ago I performed a similar issue with
system32\config\system file (see my first message and
the seven replies from january 16 2003) and the only solution was to reinstall everything.
Last week I performed a similar error on a different
machine that until now have never showed it (this time
with the system32\config\software file corrupted). The
damn was that this machine was the only without a backup
of the registry, so I had to reinstall all also in this case!
Now I've a hardly suspect about a problem with my 4in1 VIA
drives, that was installed on both machines. I've upgraded to the last version of them, but I'm still afraid about them.
Do anyone knows some else about this damned - and I suppose
very common and very few cared by Microsoft - issue?

 

[thefourthwall]

may not be the solution for you, but this has worked for me: start recovery console using the windows 2000 pro cd and navigate to c:\winnt\system32\config.
copy the software file to something like software.new
then rename software to something like software.old
then rename software.new to software
microsoft says the copying process will eliminate fragmentation of the software file on disk, which can be a recurring problem

 

[2ffat]

Another possible solution is to use PageDefrag from SysInternals. It's free. See

http://www.sysinternals.com/ntw2k/freeware/pagedefrag.shtml

James P. Cottingham

When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute and it's longer than any hour. That's relativity.
[tab][tab]Albert Einstein explaining his Theory of Relativity to a group of journalists.

 

[tekquest]

guys,

would you also recommend this for a missing or corrupted file? one of my files (ks.sys) in the c:\winnt\system32\drivers causes a stop error.

I have checked the files date and size to a working Windows 2000 Pro machine, and they are identical, I also tried booting off the cd / floppies and doing a repair, but it got me no where.

Can I use the recovery console to repair this file? I am guessing as a result of file fragmentation (of locked files) ks.sys has turned to custard??? any other ideas?

Thanks for your time,

Luke

 

[tekquest]

N.B. I wonder if it could also be a bad sector on the HDD???


Luke

 

[Zaner71]

Thanks to all,
I think some of your suggestions will be helpful
for a future (unlikely..) thread.
But the question is still here: which is the possible
cause? Have you heard something about it?

 

[fredwildebeest]

Thread 616-86626 has what must be an exhaustive account of the various circumstances that give rise to this error, and counter-measures employed with varying degrees of success by many people.