posted
(This is Jon Boy, but I'm too lazy to log out of Ruth's screen name.)
So I turn on my computer this morning, and I get the following message:
quote:Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
You can attempt to repair this file by starting Windows Setup using the original Setup CD-ROM. Select 'r' at the first screen to start repair.
Okay, sounds simple enough. So I put in my Windows CD, press r . . . and get a DOS prompt. No magical repair application. No instructions at all. What the flaming heck am I supposed to do now? And what could have caused this?
posted
Did you correctly separate all three commands? Inexplicably, they appear as one bunched-up line when I view the page.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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posted
It's also possible, of course, that the system file really does not exist. If that's the case, you can't rename it, and should skip straight to the COPY command.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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posted
Hrm. That IS odd. The c:\windows\repair\system file should exist on EVERY XP installation, and you need to boot as an administrator to load the recovery console in the first place.
You can try checking out the contents of the various directories; type HELP when in the Recovery Console to see the available commands. It's possible that a chunk of your C:\ drive is simply hosed, in which case you're going to need to do a reinstall from CD.
At this stage, frankly, I'd do that anyway.
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Try running a CHKDSK /R command at the prompt after doing a DIR on your system directory.
posted
Oops. The CONFIG directory is still there. I was in the SYSTEM directory, not SYSTEM32, when I said that. I ran CHKDSK, and it found and fixed a problem. Then the REN and COPY commands worked. Hello again, Windows!
Thanks for the help, Tom.
Posts: 276 | Registered: Feb 2003
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posted
Jon Boy, now that you're in Windows, I'd immediately back up all your essential data and run a disk utility.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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