Need help!! SOFTWARE file corrupted?

jaylek55

Senior member
Aug 26, 2000
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When I got home from work this afternoon and tried to boot my computer, I got the following message:

STOP: C0000218 {Registry File Failure}
The registry cannot load the hive (file):

\SystemRoot\Systerm32\Config\SOFTWARE

or its log or alternate

it is corrupt, absent, or not writable.


I was unable to start the computer in Safe mode because I got the same message. So I had to resort to other ideas. After messing around using a Win98 boot disk, I was able to find the file in the specified directory. In the directory there was the offending file along with a, what I assumed was a copy, SOFTWARE.SAV. So I deleted the original, SOFTWARE (after copying it to another directory), and renamed the sav file. Rebooted. What I got was a login prompt ala Windows NT. When I logged in as administrator, I received the message that this copy of Windows needed to be activated. Not exactly what I wanted. So I started looking for alternatives.

Digging around some more, I found another SOFTWARE file in Widows\Repair so I restored that. BINGO! Windows booted up fine. However, all of my programs are not registered. Word and a plethora of other programs are not recognized by windows and aren't listed in Add/Remove Programs. Not what I was looking for again, but at least my comp is up.

My question is there some way I can restore the original SOFTWARE file and have windows back to the way it was this morning? Do I need the AMR disk to fix my problem and does it matter if I make it now? I didn't make one after I installed XP. Can I make one now and will it help? Any help is greatly appreciated.