Windows XP Repair/Installation problem

[darkeneddays]

A friend screwed his computer somehow so I told him I'd take a look at it for him. It seems that whenever windows(xp) is about to load, some text saying Windows\system32\config\system is corrupt and that I should use the XP disc to do a repair. Well before attempting that I tried safe mode and last known good configuration, neither worked and displayed the same error msg.

So I decided to try the repair console. XP loads all the .DLLs and such off the disc, but when I get to the repair section where it asks which Windows installation I want to log onto, I choose #1(C:\Windows) and it just hangs.
Alright. I then decided to try to reinstall the system files for Windows. Loads the files and such, I go through the menus until it gets to the part where it is suppose to detect the partitions and it just hangs. Last thing it says is" Searching for a previous version of Windows". Then freezes.

My next step is to take the HDD out and slave it in another PC. Grab whatever files my friend wants to keep and format it via Windows, plop it back in his PC and try to reinstall Windows altogether there but I'm trying to avoid that route. Is there anything else that could be done to repair his installation or is it just shot?

I asked what the last thing he did was, he said he just shut the PC down via the Start menu and unplugged it from the wall(T-storm in the area). When to plug it back up the next day and got the corrupted file error. Any suggestions or help is appreciated.🙂

 

[redbeard1]

some text saying Windows\system32\config\system

This is where the registry hives are stored. The reinstall may be hanging up when it tries to read these corrupted files. Your probably going to be better off to save, wipe and reload I'm afraid. Did you try running the hard drive makers diagnostics on the drive just to be sure it hasn't made some bad spots?

 

[darkeneddays]

Not yet, but Ill give that a shot. What would cause the WinXP disc not to see the partitions or previous Windows installation though?

 

[redbeard1]

I have run into a handful of systems that had been so corrupted that they wouldn't recognize the previous install. My guess as to why it wouldn't repair them was that the corruption was so bad, it couldn't figure out the old installs sid's and other security stuff. Though these did see the old partitions.