Corrupt Hive: Cant access Recovery Console, Cant Re-Install...

[viscount9]

Hi Everyone,

This is my first posting, and unfortunately, quite a negative one.

I am getting the good old corrupt "systems32\config\system\" error message on my Win XP Home Edition machine. But this one is more tricky than any I have seen before.

I have tried the following to no avail:
1. Safe-Mode: Get the same error message
2. Tried last working configuration: Get the same error message
3. Tried to access Recovery Console: The computer hangs
4. Tried to re-install via WinXP Setup Disk: The computer hangs when looking for "previous installation"

Anyone knows of anything I could do to resolve the issue? In the past, at least one of the four options I tried above would work, but now I am seem stuck.

I am left with reformating and reinstalling everything?

Thanks

 

[Sianath]

There is no reason the Recovery Console should hang... what happens exactly when you try and get in?

 

[viscount9]

Hi Sianath,

On the recovery console, after I choose which installation to log-in to (I only have 1 installed OS), the system hangs. I have left it there for 30 minutes, hoping that the computer is just trying to do something, but apparently it hangs (no keyboard response from caps lock/num lock).

Thanks.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: Sianath
There is no reason the Recovery Console should hang... what happens exactly when you try and get in?

Unfortunately one big gaping hole in the RC is that is will hang enumerating the existing installs if one of the hives is corrupt.

A couple ideas. One is, but the drive into another system, try to find a hive that system restore saved off (under c:\volume information) and then place the backup over the corrupt hive (or if you have a backup, do the same thing)

Install XP into another directory and use that install to do the same thing (messier, but can work if you don't have a second system available)

Good luck!
Bill

 

[viscount9]

Hey guys,

Yeah, I am popping out the drive and putting on another system and go from there. I will probably work on it tomorrow or the weekend...I'll let you know what happens.

Thanks everyone for your help.

 

[Sianath]

Interesting... I've never seen Windows hang due to registry corruption (and we get quite a few calls on it). If windows can't read the hive (corrupt or missing) you'll get dumped immediately to a command prompt (boot to the RC, rename your system hive, then reboot into the RC to see what I mean).

The only thing we use the registry hives for during a RC boot is security information (admin logon and local security policy regarding removable media, etc). We don't care about your attached hardware, services, etc. because we don't run them.

Now, hardware issues can most definately cause this scenario (disk specifically) but even then it's rare.

If you have space, I would recommend doing a parallel installation rather than moving it to another machine (due to activation headaches). That'll test the hardware itself, and give you access to a way to repair the registry hive. Pulling an old hive out of the system restore will be very tough from a parallel due to security on that folder. What you can do however (if you can't repair the hive) is boot using copies from the windows\repair folder. Once in there, you can dig out a copy from the restore point folder to use fairly easily.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: Sianath
Interesting... I've never seen Windows hang due to registry corruption (and we get quite a few calls on it). If windows can't read the hive (corrupt or missing) you'll get dumped immediately to a command prompt (boot to the RC, rename your system hive, then reboot into the RC to see what I mean).

I've seen it (personally) on two seperate systems, the RC needs to be able to read the system hive to ID the system (as I recall) and the security hive to validate the login. Don't remember which was the culprit, but I would up having to use a recovery cd (thank you sysinternals ) to replace the hives. Once that was done the RC came up find (tested it to ensure it wasn't some other issue causing the hang). So, not saying it's wide spread, but the symptoms posted here sounds like it's the same issue...

Bill