Windows XP will not boot

[cndavis34]

Today a user (more specifically the owner of the company I work for, eek) booted up his laptop and got the following message:

WINDOWS COULD NOT START BECAUSE THE FOLLOWING FILE IS MISSING OR CORRUPT:
\WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
YOU CAN ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THIS FILE BY STARTING WINDOWS SETUP USING THE ORIGINAL CD-ROM. SELECT 'R' AT THE FIRST SCREEN TO START REPAIR.

I tried to do the repair, but, at first, not the repair from the first screen but the second one, when it would normally ask to repair a particular partition. Unfortunately it never gave me that option for the second repair. Then I went to the repair at the first screen of windows installation...and I'll admit, I really don't know what to do from there. I ran chkdsk, and it repaired some problems, so I rebooted and got the same message. If anyone has any idea please help. Thank you.

 

[Xaqte]

Then I went to the repair at the first screen of windows installation...and I'll admit, I really don't know what to do from there.

Once your there, try this:

cd system32\config [enter]
ren system system.old [enter]
ren system.alt systemalt.old [enter]
copy c:\windows\repair\system [enter]
copy c:\windows\repair\regback\system [enter]
exit

Let us know your results!

X

 

[cndavis34]

Only the first two lines worked. When I tried the rest, I got the message: THE SYSTEM CANNOT FIND THE FILE SPECIFIED.

 

[BadBigBen]

I suggest a REPAIR install...

check out faq779-3930

good luck...

Ben

If it works don't fix it! If it doesn't use a sledgehammer...

 

[wolluf]

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

might be useful.

 

[allteltec]

You have 2 choices wolluf's or format and re install, a repair install will not work. Been there and tried that. Doing a chkdsk /r from the recover concel rarely but sometimes will fix. I fixed a XP Pro today that would not boot after a repair install using wolluf's fix. I used Bert Pe to copy and paste the files, a little easer.