Corrupted file notification on boot up

Today when booting up WIN XP Home I received this message:
..Windows\System32\Config\System is missing or corrupted. Run backup or something like that.

The last time I used my computer, I installed nothing new, made no changes in anything and nothing unusual happened! What caused this to happen?
I had no idea what to do to fix it. I managed to boot into the Safe mode and then when I rebooted it somehow seemd to fix itself. When I looked at the f8ile in Explorer it seemed to inidicate that the file was created today. Does anyone know hwat is going on? Thanks.

 

Perhaps this will help?

 

And, after you have read Daisy's link, if you still have a pulse, perhaps this will help:

From the XP repair panel (R) after booting with your XP CD

cd \windows\system32\config
ren system system.bad
copy \windows\repair\system
Take out the CD ROM and type exit

Good Luck.

 

Sure! Go for the easy fix first, Rockster2U

 

Thanks for your help. Unfortunately I do not have the XP CD because my Compaq computer has a partition with WIN XP on it. The question is how do I do what is suggested with this situation?

 

To that situation, I have no answer .........

Editors note ... I think Daisy anticipated this all along and thus responded more accurately with the official fix from Redmond, a village looking for an idiot.

 

In safe mode there is the option "last known good configuration ". XP automatically creates registry backups. This function will load a previous good registry. XP also has the ability to repair many registry errors and usually tells you it has so done, in a message on the desktop at bootup. I have been receiving occasional messages just like this on my XP/W2K3 dual boot. I've finally tracked it down to most likely a shutdown shortcut I use on the desktops with the following string in the shortcut target "%windir%\System32\SHUTDOWN.exe -s -t 01" I believe this shutdown shortcut is causing windows to shutdown too fast, forcing some, or a programme to not be closed properly causing registry errors. Looks like I go back to the Start/Shutdown usual method?

 

There is a good chance that if you have the i386 folder on your hard drive, you can set up things so you can boot to the recovery console.

Take a look Here for a setup how-to and substitite the location of your i386 file for the one they specify. Worst case is that it won't work and no harm done.