Galisteo8
asked on
Missing WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM, and no Safe Mode!
My HP xp2000 laptop, running XP Home, was sitting there, not being used, running just fine, when -- BAM -- it went into the blue screen of death. A reboot produces the typical black screen with text informing me that:
Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\S
Of course it gives options to try again -- reboot normally, or in safe mode, or using last successful configuration... None of these options works. All produce the same error. If I can't even get to safe mode..... That seems a bit rough.
The person I bought the laptop from will be bringing me the original setup CD, so I can try a repair. But that's going to be a few days... Is there anything I can do in the meantime? I have already taken a look at http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;307545 , but the solution there indicates that it's not for OEM installations, and I'm pretty sure this HP laptop has an OEM installation.
Help! And thanks,
Galisteo8
Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\S
Of course it gives options to try again -- reboot normally, or in safe mode, or using last successful configuration... None of these options works. All produce the same error. If I can't even get to safe mode..... That seems a bit rough.
The person I bought the laptop from will be bringing me the original setup CD, so I can try a repair. But that's going to be a few days... Is there anything I can do in the meantime? I have already taken a look at http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;307545 , but the solution there indicates that it's not for OEM installations, and I'm pretty sure this HP laptop has an OEM installation.
Help! And thanks,
Galisteo8
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Command line via the recovery console......
SOLUTION
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ASKER
And each rp corresponds to a successful bootup from the past?
ASKER
Wait.... scratch that last question. I can't even get Recovery Console to work!
When booting from the Setup CD and choosing 'r' for Recovery Console, I am asked "Which Windows installation would you like to log onto?" I am given one choice:
1: c\windows
Naturally, I choose this one, and then after a couple of seconds I am presented with an error:
"
A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.
REGISTRY_ERROR
If this is the first time you have seen this error blah blah blah...
Technical Information:
*** 0x00000051 (0x00000003, 0x00000003, 0x00000000, 0xE11CD000)
"
What can I do now??? And what does this error mean in light of the error cited in my original post regarding the missing or corrupt \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\S
When booting from the Setup CD and choosing 'r' for Recovery Console, I am asked "Which Windows installation would you like to log onto?" I am given one choice:
1: c\windows
Naturally, I choose this one, and then after a couple of seconds I am presented with an error:
"
A problem has been detected and Windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.
REGISTRY_ERROR
If this is the first time you have seen this error blah blah blah...
Technical Information:
*** 0x00000051 (0x00000003, 0x00000003, 0x00000000, 0xE11CD000)
"
What can I do now??? And what does this error mean in light of the error cited in my original post regarding the missing or corrupt \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\S
ASKER
Please read previous post... AND here's something else I found about the 0x00000051 error, at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/w2kmsgs/442.asp :
"
Error Message:
STOP: 0x00000051 (parameter, parameter, parameter, parameter) REGISTRY_ERROR
Explanation:
This is a Windows 2000 Executive character-mode STOP message. It indicates a Registry or configuration manager problem. An I/O error might have occurred while the Registry was trying to read one of its files. This could be caused by hardware or file system problems. This message might also appear because of a failure in a refresh operation, which occurs when resource limits are encountered.
"
Uh -- Windows 2000?? I'm running XP Home on that laptop!
"
Error Message:
STOP: 0x00000051 (parameter, parameter, parameter, parameter) REGISTRY_ERROR
Explanation:
This is a Windows 2000 Executive character-mode STOP message. It indicates a Registry or configuration manager problem. An I/O error might have occurred while the Registry was trying to read one of its files. This could be caused by hardware or file system problems. This message might also appear because of a failure in a refresh operation, which occurs when resource limits are encountered.
"
Uh -- Windows 2000?? I'm running XP Home on that laptop!
ASKER
Followup and finish...
I created a UBCD4Win CD (Ultimate Boot CD for Windows), and was able to firstly revert to an earlier registry. That allowed the laptop to boot up on its own, at least. Then, while engaged in other diagnostics, etc., the laptop blue-screened again (with a different error this time), and upon re-booting... well, it doesn't. I can't even get it to boot from the UBCD4Win anymore. So that's another question entirely!
I appreciate the posts.
--Galisteo8
I created a UBCD4Win CD (Ultimate Boot CD for Windows), and was able to firstly revert to an earlier registry. That allowed the laptop to boot up on its own, at least. Then, while engaged in other diagnostics, etc., the laptop blue-screened again (with a different error this time), and upon re-booting... well, it doesn't. I can't even get it to boot from the UBCD4Win anymore. So that's another question entirely!
I appreciate the posts.
--Galisteo8
ASKER
Also.... I'm not certain I can even get to a command line prompt...