Windows/System32/Config/System - Missing OR Corrupt?

[razor14789]

Hi all,

Yesterday I turned on my PC and completely out the the blue I recieve this error:

Windows/System32/Config/System - Missing or Corrupt...

My system won't boot at all into windows, so I have been browsing the net for a solution to cure this error, although every website I've been to doesn't work, I've tried many different solutions and none of them work, and the last thing I want to do I reformat win XP and lose all of my data, so I have to find a way to either repair the file OR copy all of my data (especially my web browser links)

At the moment I have my HD from the broken PC in my dads PC downstairs and I've been trying to transfer his system file onto my HD but it won't allow me to do this, it keeps stating - 'Cannot copy system: It is being used by another person or program' is there a way around this? If so, would it be possible to transfer this file and cure my PC?

The other thing I was trying to do was to find my web browser links (favs) on my HD but I have been looking and I can't seem to find them, does anyone know where I can locate them?

Any help would be most appreiated!

[iamthwee]

try the repair option on the winxp cd

Disclaimer: If you do more damage to your PC I cannot be held responsible. The article is an official microsoft one so in theory it should be fairly reliable.

[razor14789]

I have tried the repair option but no luck, when you first start up the win xp cd there are two options, one to repair and the other to install, someone said that there is another repair option in the install section after you choose which partition location where to install Win XP, is this true?

[iamthwee]

perhaps this as well?

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307545

[razor14789]

I've already tried that

[iamthwee]

I think I read something about someone replacing the cd rom drive with a new one and it fixed the problem?

Is that an option.

[razor14789]

Not really, I don't think that's the problem.

When you reboot the computer whilst the win xp cd is in the drive, is there an repair option after the section where you have to select which partition you want to install on?

[iamthwee]

Not really, I don't think that's the problem.

When you reboot the computer whilst the win xp cd is in the drive, is there an repair option after the section where you have to select which partition you want to install on?

No you are going too far. There should be this option before that...

press R to start the Recovery Console

[razor14789]

I've tried the Recovery Console option but it takes me to a kinda dos where I have to type actions in, I tried this when I was looking at the MS tutorial and other ones....

[iamthwee]

I've tried the Recovery Console option but it takes me to a kinda dos where I have to type actions in, I tried this when I was looking at the MS tutorial and other ones....

So you actually typed in all those lines in the MS tutorial, or you just skipped it because you didn't want to fiddle in DOS mode?

[razor14789]

No, I got to the third part in section 5 and it wouldn't accept the code...

The 1st and 2nd parts worked fine, I believe it said something like the file was unknown OR unable to locate the file

[iamthwee]

No, I got to the third part in section 5 and it wouldn't accept the code...

The 1st and 2nd parts worked fine, I believe it said something like the file was unknown OR unable to locate the file

Just to make sure, there were no typos when you did it?

hmm, perhaps you need to start googling how to get data from a hard-drive now.

[razor14789]

At the moment I have my HD in my dads PC, would it be possible to copy the 'system' file from my dads PC and paste it onto my HD. Would this solve the problem?

My only problem would be then is when I try to copy and paste the file this message appears;

'Cannot copy system: It is being used by another person or program'

Is it at all possible to get around this some how?

[razor14789]

Just to make sure, there were no typos when you did it?

hmm, perhaps you need to start googling how to get data from a hard-drive now.

No there wasn't any typos, I made sure.

That's the news I didn't want to here. Are you sure there aren't another options to try?

[iamthwee]

At the moment I have my HD in my dads PC, would it be possible to copy the 'system' file from my dads PC and paste it onto my HD. Would this solve the problem?

My only problem would be then is when I try to copy and paste the file this message appears;

'Cannot copy system: It is being used by another person or program'

Is it at all possible to get around this some how?

That I don't know. Normally, the repair option on the cd would solve most issues. I.e get you back into windows, from there you can easily find all the important files you want, then do a reformat.

But without having the actual operating system there, trying to find critical files, is going to be a big ol' pain.