Help! My computer won't even load Windows now!

[JkiD2k2]

Well it goes like this. Last night about 11:30 I was sitting there listenin to music and talking to my friends like usual and then all the sudden my computer freezes. I didn't think nething huge of it beacuse my computer has froze before like most of us. So I press the restart button and then after a few seconds it brings up a message that says C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM is missing or corrupted, Use the original XP cd and press 'r' to do a repair. And i'm just sitting there like wtf happened?!? So does anyone have any ideas of what I should do? Is my whole computer F%ked now? I tried to use the cd but it wants you to type in what file and when I do it it wont work. So I don't really know how to use it.... But if anyone could give me some help I would be happy as hell! I will check back here sometime later today....I am running XP Pro... or should I say was...

 

[igowerf]

Boot off the CD again and instead of going to the repair console, go to the installation part of the CD. It'll have the option of repairing your current Windows installation by recopying all the system files. Good luck!

 

[JkiD2k2]

Alright well I just tried that and basically all I can do is type in what I want to repair (looks like a dos prompt) and install it. When I go to install it wants to install over the partition i already have and then it wants to format it. Is there any way I can keep all my stuff or what??

 

[DefRef]

A Repair Install only recopies the system files, etc. but leaves your installed apps intact.

 

[igowerf]

Originally posted by: JkiD2k2
Alright well I just tried that and basically all I can do is type in what I want to repair (looks like a dos prompt) and install it. When I go to install it wants to install over the partition i already have and then it wants to format it. Is there any way I can keep all my stuff or what??

Yeah, there should be an option to "Repair this installation" or something similar in the install menu.

 

[NicColt]

>Is there any way I can keep all my stuff or what??

Yes there is a way --- but I bet you anything that you forgot to say software - "SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM\SOFTWARE" but this is the windows registry hive (file) error msg.
There is a way to get to your data but basically after copying/backing up your data the rest of the system is un-usable, you'll have to reinstall everything.

In win2k/xp everytime you install software it updates a file called 'software' in the directory winnt\config this file can get very big, well in the 2-5 megs big...

To my knowledge neither win2k nor xp makes a current backup of this file (I could be wrong) but there is a backup of the original file when you first installed win2k/xp. Meaning that if this file get's corrupted there is no way to rebuild or repair it but you can copy your original one that was created during your first install once you do that you be able to get to your data. It as if you will boot your system for the first time without any programs installed.

1) Boot from your Win2k/XP CD and choose repair.

2) goto console mode. (when you installed win2k/XP for the first time that's when it made a copy fo the software file in the winnt\repair directory)

3) do a directory of winnt\config (this is hidden from your normal system) you should see the corrupted file called 'software'

4) do a directory of winnt\repair (this is where it created a copy of the 'software' file when you first installed your system.

5) since your winnt\config 'software' file is corrupted, copy the file from winnt\repair\software into the winnt\config directory and replace the file.

Boot up and it will boot with the new 'software' file, at least you'll have access to your data to back it up or copy it somewhere else.

Good luck.

 

[JkiD2k2]

Ok well I have tried all those so far and I must be doing something wrong. But just to get an idea of what is happening when I load the XP cd.... It loads a blue background page that says windows setup in the top left and it loads a bunch of files on the bottom of the screen. Then once thats done theres 3 options to choose from. 1) To setup XP now, press enter. 2) To repair a windows XP install using recovery console, press 'r'. 3) To quit setup press F3. Those are my options. When I goto recovery it brings up the black dos type screen and says Which windows installation would you like to log on to? And it has 1.) C:\WINDOWS, so once you select that it just brings up C:\WINDOWS> and you have to type in commands which I don't know what to do. SO hopefully that cleared some stuff up.... Please help me out if you can.

 

[DefRef]

I believe you want the first option to Setup Windows. When you go there, it'll ask if you want to repair the original install or install to another partition.

 

[JkiD2k2]

The first thing that comes up after I select the first option is showing me about my partition. You can: Setup XP on the selected item, Create a partition in unpartitioned space, or delete the selected partition. At the bottom it shows my partition which says C: Partition1 [FAT32] 26306MB (7216MB free)
Anyone help me from here?

 

[JkiD2k2]

bump for desperate need of help!

 

[woodie1]

Originally posted by: JkiD2k2
The first thing that comes up after I select the first option is showing me about my partition. You can: Setup XP on the selected item, Create a partition in unpartitioned space, or delete the selected partition. At the bottom it shows my partition which says C: Partition1 [FAT32] 26306MB (7216MB free)
Anyone help me from here?

Select the 'Setup on the Selected item' Enter, It will give you another repair otion I think and that is what you want. Then it will install over the current install saving your other data.