Corrupted Files

Yesterday when I booted up my WIN XP Home SP1 machine, the boot started, never got to Windows and the following message was on the screen:
Windows/System32/configuration/system was corrupted and windows could not start.
This was a first. It requested that I insert the Windows CD which I do not have, because my Compaq has a backup partition on the C drive containing all the files.
I was quite worried about this and decided to reboot. This worked and then I ran sfc /scannow.
Has anybody had this happen?
I have not installed any new programs lately except uninstalling an old version of NAV and then installing
NAV 2005. I'm mystified.

 

Check your event logs for more details.
start=>run=>eventvwr.msc

 

When I do this I find 2 Red X's for:
nVidia WDM A/V Crossbar Service and
nVidia WDM Video Capture (universal service)
Apparently these programs failed to start. On my add/remove program list there is a nVidia Gart Driver.
Are these programs related to my video?

 

Perhaps instead of what you reported it said Windows/System32/config/system which would be referring to a Registry hive. This is a very serious error and you have dodged a bullet for sure. Evidently Windows reverted to the last good bootable version and saved the day.

At any rate, I would recommend keeping the backups current just in case it fails again. Registry failures are practically impossible to fix without special skills or performing a full clean reload, with loss of all personal files.

The other files you referred are video related and may have no bearing on this error.