The following file is missing or corrupt

[vwgolf115]

Much as the title sais I am getting the error:
The following file is missing or corrupt Windows/system32/config/system

My system then prompts me to insert the windows disk and restart my computer to attempt to repair it. However there is a problem with this, as soon as i restart the computer it boots directly to the hard drive.

I have tried to switch my boot order with no luck at all. The moment i change the boot order and restart my computer the monitor just doesn't turn on. As a matter of fact, the moment I do anything in BIOS and restart the computer the monitor does not turn on. The only way to get anything to appear on the monitor again is to reset the CMOS. after resetting the CMOS it boots up one time, one single time, to where i can see whats happening on my monitor, after that the PC boots up and i get to stare into blank screen. Also after resetting the CMOS i get this following error:
CMOS Checksum Error - Defaults Loaded - I am guessing this is because i just reset them? I may be wrong.

Anyway, system specs are as follows:
Motherboard - abit IP35-e
CPU - intel core 2 quad Q6600
RAM - OCZ 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 x4
HD - Samsung 250GB SATA
GFX - nvidia geforce 8800 GTS 320MB PCIe

If you guys need any more info please just ask. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[cubby1223]

In the cmos, set the boot order to be cdrom, then nothing, and turn off the option named something like "try other devices?" Boot to the xp cd, and go into the recovery console. Hopefully it won't bug you about passwords. Run chkdsk /f against the drive. This sometimes is the cause for that error. If not, then you've got something much more serious going on, and have to restore that file from the auto-backups, or may end up having to reinstall windows from scratch.

 

[vwgolf115]

I tried to do what you said to do Cubby1223, I got the same response from my system as earlier. Changed the boot order to just CD-ROM and nothing else, then disabled boot other devices. The system restarted then i just got a blank screen not even the motherboard boot screen.

 

[cubby1223]

Actually, I'd suspect ran gone bad as being the problem. Bad memory routinely causes the error message you describe, and can certainly prevent a system from booting from a cd drive.

 

[vwgolf115]

Bad ram, really?
It's a relatively new system. I was using it last night and today after work it was giving me these errors. do you think it could be all 4 sticks or just 1 of them causing this error?

 

[cubby1223]

Try them one at a time.

Actually, don't try to boot into Windows while testing out the memory sticks, grab this software, follow the site's instructions on creating a boot cd, and then try to boot from it:
http://www.memtest.org

This way you're testing the memory without risking the data on the hard drive.

 

[vwgolf115]

Hmm ok well, I didnt download the software but it seems as if i have 2 bad sticks of RAM. with two of my four sticks i am able to change the BIOS as i see fit and my boot order and have it come up every time. But with the other two sticks they just keep my PC idle without taking it to the motherboard screen.
Now I am able to boot from disk but when it sais click any key to boot from disk i can hear my CD drive reading the disk and yet it still brings me to the black screen that tells me that my system32/config/system file is missing or corrupt. It does not actually boot from the disk. I have tried to do what you said and disable all other booting drives and leave only the CD drive as the primary boot device but I still get this message.

Thanks for the help so far though.



**Edit** - It seems as though when it asks for me to press any key to boot from the CD it doesn't matter how many keys i press, it wont recognise it for some reason or other...

**Edit#2** - I took the keyboard off of the USB port in the back and used an adapter to hook it up the the keyboard port on the back of the mobo... that seemed to do the trick, i can now get into windows setup.

 

[robisbell]

you must have the USB emaultion disabled or the bios does not allow for that feature.

 

[vwgolf115]

Well I fixed the system32 error and I am able to load up windows flawlessly again with all four sticks of ram. The only problem I am having now is that when i restart my PC or go into the bios and then restart, my PC doesn't boot, I have to reset the CMOS every time. This is strange... I have never encountered anything like this.

Big thanks to you cubby, you helped me big time!