Hatrack River Forum: Serious computer problem

This is topic Serious computer problem—please help! in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Brinestone (Member # 5755) on :

(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?

[ January 08, 2004, 10:56 AM: Message edited by: Brinestone ]

Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;823614

Posted by Brinestone (Member # 5755) on :

The Windows help site. Who'd a thunk?

But this makes me laugh:

quote:
When you try to start Microsoft Windows XP, you may receive the following error message:

Windows could not start because the C:\windows\system32\config\system file is missing or corrupt.
Additionally, Windows may not start.

Are there people who get this message, but Windows still starts?

Anyway, thanks, Tom. [Smile]

Posted by Brinestone (Member # 5755) on :

Okay, another problem: the rename operation failed. Help, s'il vous please?

Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :

Did you correctly separate all three commands? Inexplicably, they appear as one bunched-up line when I view the page.

Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :

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.

Posted by Brinestone (Member # 5755) on :

Yes. I went to the proper directory, and then entered in "ren system system.old."

Posted by Brinestone (Member # 5755) on :

I already tried skipping to the copy command, but it said the file could not be copied.

Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :

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.

------

Try running a CHKDSK /R command at the prompt after doing a DIR on your system directory.

[ January 08, 2004, 11:23 AM: Message edited by: TomDavidson ]

Posted by Brinestone (Member # 5755) on :

Crap.

Well, the repair system file is there. It just doesn't want to copy. And now I can't even do commands like DEL or DIR. I hope CHKDSK works . . .

[ January 08, 2004, 11:28 AM: Message edited by: Brinestone ]

Posted by Brinestone (Member # 5755) on :

And now it can't even find the CONFIG directory. Sounds like my hard drive is failing.

Posted by Sarcasm (Member # 4653) on :

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.

Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :

Jon Boy, now that you're in Windows, I'd immediately back up all your essential data and run a disk utility.