Won't start with Can't find \windows\system32\config\system

I am having trouble starting my Windows XP install. It has SP2 installed and was working fine until recently. It all of a sudden stopped short with the error message Can't find c:\windows\system32\config\system file. you may try to recover using the recovery console.

I wanted to make sure that it was not a hardware problem so I installed a second copy of WinXP in another subdirectory called \win2. It worked fine and I can just reinstall if I have to. Although I have a great amount of work with drivers etc on this and if I can salvage it. That would be great!!

I tried to boot off of BARTPE and copy the file from the newly installed version to the old version it was complaining about. It seemed like that was going to fix the problem as it started to boot. I got the XP booting screen (you know when would hit the key to go into safe mode) but then a msg came up that said LASS could not update the password (or something to that effect.) I did not want to go anyfurther without advice so I rebooted BARTPE and deleted the newly installed file and renamed the saved version I created. Now it is back to "Can't find...." same message as above. I am brand new to this forum and usually solve my own problems but I have not seen this. Can someone help?

Thanks.

Maxwell.

 

Agent 99 .........

You seem to be quite precise re: message description which raises a question. Is the error message missing or corrupted C:\Windows\System32\Config\System or is it what you have stated?



Edit follows:
OK, close enough upon a re-read - try this.

From a command prompt in the recovery console
CD C:\Windows\System32\Config
REN system system.old
COPY C:\Windows\Repair\system

Press ENTER after each command.
Exit and enjoy

Note - spaces are very important in each of these three commands.
If you don't like this approach, go to the MS Knowledge base and look at the official fix.
You're welcome ........