using Recovery Console to get WinXP up and running again

For the record, copy c:\WINNT\repair\system didn't work either.
"The system cannot find the file specified. "

 

Assuming you ran the attrib command to make those files available, that means you're out of luck all the way around.

The Registry hive "System" is missing and the Repair folder has no backup copy of same. double

You best be gettin' on with the full clean install.

 

To be doubly sure, run these commands:

attrib -h c:\winnt\repair\system (enter)
copy c:\winnt\repair\system c:\winnt\system32\config\ (enter)

Be precise and observe the spaces and \ as included.

 

One more last-ditch question - how about a "parallel installation" of WinXP on this laptop (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=316941)? Might my friend then be able to still access her pix in "My Documents" if we do the reinstallation this way?
I think I understand the instructions provided for doing this (a parallel installation), except for #5:

Select the partition in which you want to install Windows XP, and then press ENTER ​

How do I select a partition? Oh, okay, I just found instructions for that at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315242, but can you tell me if it's really as straightforward as it sounds?
Thanks for all your help and patience, Surferdude!

 

Sure, the Parallel install doesn't bother the My Documents folder since it resides outside of the Windows directory (or winnt). If she has the free disk space, that's a viable solution. Please see my last post before moving on.

 

The Parallel Install is quite straight forward and friendly. You just have to point it to where you want the new windows folder to reside and give it a different name than the existing.

Good luck Rebecca...post back if you hit any snags.

 

I think I'm confused again, but here goes:

attrib -h c:\winnt\repair\system (enter) ​

gives me: The system cannot find the file or directory specified.

But if I change the word system to system.bak, then the laptop comes back with C:\WINNT>

Since I've apparently successfully renamed system to system.bak, is THAT what I should be typing in, instead of just plain 'system'? (A dir of C:\WINNT\repair shows 15 files, the last one being system.bak)

If that's the case, would I modify your second suggested command from

copy c:\winnt\repair\system c:\winnt\system32\config\ (enter)​

to
copy c:\winnt\repair\system.bak c:\winnt\system32\config\ (enter)

I know I'm jumping the gun here, but in case I do ultimately end up resorting to a parallel installation, could I call the new folder Windows, since the previous installation was apparently in a folder called WINNT?

 

Run these commands now:

copy c:\winnt\repair\system.bak c:\winnt\system32\config\ (enter)
ren c:\winnt\system32\config\system.bak system (enter)

If it won't complete those or if it does and still won't boot to Windows, then proceed to the Parallel install. Yes, you can use the Windows name for directory to install the new files into.

 

copy c:\winnt\repair\system.bak c:\winnt\system32\config\ (enter)

The computer asks me: Overwrite system.bak? (Yes/No/All):

And the answer is....?

 

Yes, definitely.

 

ren c:\winnt\system32\config\system.bak system (enter)
The 'reply' is:
A directory or file with the name system already exists.

 

Run:

ren c:\winnt\system32\config\system systemold

ren c:\winnt\system32\config\system.bak system

 

I kid you not, when I type in ren c:\winnt\system32\config\system systemold, it tells me "The system cannot find the file or directory specified. "

I tried re-typing ren c:\winnt\system32\config\system.bak system, and I still got "A directory or file with the name system already exists. "

I feel like there's a gremlin in this doggone laptop that's trying to sabotage me literally every step of the way! How can it not find the file when it tells me a file with the name system already exists???

 

Run:
attrib -h c:\winnt\system32\config\system

then do the rename commands.

 

attrib -h c:\winnt\system32\config\system

"The system cannot find the file or directory specified. "

 

but when I run "dir" on system32\config, there's a system.bak file, a system.LOG file, and a system.sav file

 

Parallel install.

 

LOL, okay, parallel install it is! I'm prepared with questions ahead of time this time!

Following the MS instructions:

3. Run the format command to format the partition. Use the following syntax, where FileSystem is FAT, FAT32, or NTFS:
format drive: /q /fs:FileSystem​

Thus, "format C: /q /fs:NTFS" ? Are the spaces before the slashes intentional, or did the article just show the command that way for clarity?

4.Run the md command to create a \Windows folder.
5.Boot by using the Windows installation CD-ROM, and then perform your new installation. ​

So I exit and turn the computer off after running the md command, and then turn the computer on to go through with the installation?

When Setup encounters the \Windows folder during text-mode setup, Setup prompts you to overwrite the folder or to press ESC to use a different folder. Press ESC, change the folder name to match your original DriveLetter:\%SystemRoot% folder name, and then continue with the installation. ​

What? Change the folder name to MATCH my original DriveLetter:\%SystemRoot% folder name? Wouldn't that overwrite the old installation?

 

DEFINITELY do not follow those commands! Do not run the FORMAT command under any circumstances when doing a parallel install to a different folder. That would apply on some other situation such as installing on a different partition.

I have never had to do one but I would think all you need to do is proceed as if doing a clean install and directing it to c: drive. Then when it detects an existing system already installed and asks if you want to delete it, I think you have to press Esc and then supply a folder name for the new system. Perhaps I can find something to supply more definite directions so hold off for a moment. Maybe someone will chime in that has done this before, that's the best way.

 

Uh oh, not looking good already!
I ran DISKPART to partition a new drive. "To create a partition in the unpartitioned space, press C. To delete the selected partition, press D. "
Then there's a box that says:
28616 MB Disk 0 at Id 0 on bus 0 on atapi [MBR]
C: Partition1 [NTFS] 28616 MB (21230 MB free)

Pressing C does nothing.
Don't know anything aboutcomputer hardware, but that doesn't sound like a lot of free space to me, especially when the DIR's I ran earlier consistently showed "22261374976 bytes free "...