system32 corrupt

My laptop recently crashed & I was unable to start it, error message appeared, Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:\windows\system32\config\system.
I did a complete restore, cleaned up everything & restored it to the factory setteings. After about 2 days the exact same error came up & I am back to square one! Don't fancy doing another clean up as it took me an age to set it up as I would like it. Any tips guys?

 

That's a Registry hive and speaks of serious trouble.

Open My Computer and right click the system drive > Properties > Tools > Check Now > tag both boxes offered > allow the reboot and wait several minutes for it to complete. (probably 20 mins or more) Then boot to Windows and go to Start > Run> type eventvwr.msc (press enter) and when the event screen opens click on Applications (left side panel) and look for the entry "Winlogon" (right side panel) and open it. The results of the error check should be there. You can punch the button there and copy it to the Clipboard if you like and post it here for any further help it may be.

Then get the manufacturers diagnostic software for your HD and run it to see if the HD is healthy. I suspect you may turn up some clue from doing those two tests. Let us know what reports you get.

I would also recommend that you keep System Restore activated at least until this is resolved. It may save you having to reload the system to allow for testing. If it's a HD problem however, SR will not likely be of much use.

 

Phew ... thats a lot of reading.

Rock's quick fix:
Boot from your XP CD and when prompted, select the first R for the recovery console. Once there and from a command prompt type

CD C:\Windows\System32\Config

REN system system.old

COPY C:\Windows\Repair\system

Press ENTER after each command

Then type exit and boot normally



Pay careful attention to the spaces in the bolded type above. You're welcome.

 

I didn't suggest a Registry repair given that he had just reloaded the system 2 days earlier and it had previously crashed with this same Reg failure. I don't think his hardware is performing well enough to support the files in a healthy manner. The XP Registry is very robust and I can't imagine it would crash twice inside of two days without some serious hardware malfunction such as a bad HD or controller. I don't rule out some bizarre software conflict but that's clutching at straws.

And yes Rock, MS does tend to make thing more complicated than necessary as your method demonstrates.

 

Surferdude2:

I'd agree - guess I was reading too fast and thinking too slow. Am always floored when I read the "official" fix for a missing or corrupt system32\config\system

timeoutgang:

Follow SD2's recommendation and let us know what you might discover. Two times for this error in two days is too many. You aren't doing forced shutdowns with that on/off button are you?

 

Tried the official line from Microsoft, however, when I typed in "copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system" the file could not be found? What next guys?

Tried again & this time, it was unable to find the first file "copy c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\tmp\system.bak "

 

Use what I wrote a few posts ago (above) from the repair console and type exactly as I have it. Then let me know how you feel about trying that Microsoft fix.



note: there are three lines, each of which are seperate and require hitting <enter> afterwards.

 

Dell have just got back to me (as it's under warranty) & have told me to run PC restore (again!), which I've done. Not to happy about this as I don't think this will solve the problem. Back up to speed at the moment but not to hopeful.

 

If and when you get into Windows. Backup everything you want to keep. When the system32 is having issues, there is usually some more serious problem that needs to be looked at.