System32\Config\System file gets corrupt every reboot

[captaincrunch00]

Hi there,

I've got a 2003 server that has the System file go corrupt every time I reboot it.
I restore the C: and System state from Tape using Veritas' Intelligent Disaster Recovery (which works slick to same hardware) and the server boots up and runs like a champ.

I let it run a few days, then reboot it and wham, there goes that file. This has happened 3 times, and I realize it's probably because I'm restoring the same files to the drive, but I do not restore the System file or anything in the Config folder.

Any ideas as to what could be causing this, or should I just call Microsoft and see if they can figure it out?

Sadly the only way to check and see if it's corrupt is to reboot, then if it doesnt come back up I have about 4 hours of work to restore the server.

I've done all the checkdsk stuff I can, it doesnt find any errors. I do the checkdisk when the file is corrupt and I have to boot from a CD.

 

[AceHigh1234]

First thing I would do is check the RAM. Remove all of it and put in a brand new 256MB DIMM (about $25 and you can take it back if necessary) I work on DVR security systems based on Win2K Pro and the buyers don't believe in surge protection or something, cus I get machines all the time with that same problem, and it's always the memory. You will VERY likely have to rebuild the registry hive, either from an older copy of the current registry, located at \winnit\repair\system.
If that FILE (not folder) is there, do this: Replace the RAM. Boot up with windows CD, go to repair, recovery console. type:

cd SYSTEM32
cd CONFIG
ren system system.old
ren system.alt systemalt.old
cd ..
cd ..
cd repair
copy system c:\winnt\system32\config

If that file is not there, you will have to search microsoft.com for recovering the registry hive in the win 2k support section, after replacing the RAM

-Mark Vickroy, Jr.

 

[captaincrunch00]

That file is there, but it is not the same size as the current System file.
That's going to make some programs not work, right?

 

[captaincrunch00]

There is a huge difference between the files.

In the Config folder, the file is 3.55MB and in the Repair folder it's 978Kb.

That's going to screw something up I imagine.

 

[AceHigh1234]

Sorry about the delay...

I have done this on serveral machines with no problem. I believe that the rest of the hive structure is rebuilt when the OS reboots. You might also try just deleteing system and renaming system.alt to system, although there is a good chance that system.alt is corrupted as well.

Don't you have backups??? you may be able to restore a more current version of the system registry hive from backup, as long as it is older then the hive from whenever you started having these problems you shouldn't be in to bad of shape...

Hope this helped

-Mark Vickroy, Jr.

 

[captaincrunch00]

Yeah, these backups... Funny thing about those.

I can restore it from tape using the IDR solution from Veritas, but it gets corrupt after I work for a week and then restart the next weekend.

I have tried what you mentioned before with just renaming the system and then copying it from the repair directory, and it just wouldnt work. Well, it works, and it boots to windows, but nothing works, none of my services are there, windows pretty much looks like it was just installed and all that.

I spent about 12 hours one beautiful saturday afternoon trying to fix it without having to restore from tape, and I couldnt do it. I just did an NTbackup of the system state which put a file in the "RegBack" folder within the repair folder, so maybe I can replace it with that one and have it work.

Any other ideas on how to stop this from happening altogether?

This weekend I'll check the RAM, I'll try what you've suggested, and I'll pray that this doesnt happen again.
It's odd how a server crashing can make me turn religous.

 

[captaincrunch00]

Okay, I figured I'd update.

I tested the memory, CPU, and hard drives. All of them tested clean with no errors. The Ultimate Boot Disk is an awesome tool.

I managed to restart it just fine when I stopped the SQL services and the Symantec Antivirus services.

I believe after a week the server gets so bogged down that it doesnt run too well, then when I try to restart it it just errors out stopping a service and corrupts that file.

Thanks for the advice, I'll find out why those services are hanging now!