CurrentControlSet is missing from Registry. DOH

[Kelemvor]

Windows XP home
I applied a patch to a program and when I rebooted I got the "Windows/System32/COnfig/System" is missing or corrupted. I can't get into Windows at all. I slaved the drive and viewed the registry and I have ControlSet001 and ControlSet002 but I don't have the CurrentControlSet.

I'm guessing this is part of the problem.

I know that Set1 and Set2 have the same keys but different values as CurrentControlSet is supposed to have. Would it work to copy 1 or 2 into Current? Or, anyone have any other ideas? I'm pretty much screwed at the moment.

Thanks.

 

[bsobel]

Your system hive is corrupt, you'll need to restore it from a backup. The file (if you have a backup) is the %systemroot%\system32\config\system file. The CurrentControlSet is a dynamic view into this file, so you can't directly recreate the way you are suggesting.

Bill

 

[Kelemvor]

Wel unfortunately there isn't any baclup that I know of. It is XP so it might ahve a restore point but I can't get in to even do that. Is there somewhere that XP has a backup? I checked the windows/repair or whatever it is folder which only had one from 2 years ago whne I first got the computer.

 

[Ryoga]

%systemroot%\repair\ should be where the emergency backup for the registy is. If you can't find anything else, that's what you'll have to use. I seem to remember Windows XP having a %systemroot%\recovery\ directory, too, but I could be wrong. In any case, the repair registry might enable you to get to a point where you could use System Restore. Or at least get your data.

 

[Smilin]

Current control set is only present on a live and running system.

If you are looking at the registry by loading it into regedit on another system it is normal for it to be absent. If you need to make changes to that system look at the hklm\system\select key to determine what control set you should edit.

If you are getting a missing or corrupt system try loading and unloading the system hive while in a different system or parallel. XP's regedit has some built in capability to fix corrupted hives. If this doesn't work you will need to use a different hive to boot. Try one from your most recent system restore point. You'll find the hive located in your c:\system volume information folder. If that isn't available use the windows\repair version (less desireable usually).