Nanci252 0 Light Poster

Same machine issues also posted in Dead Machines.

Press spacebar NOW to invoke Hardware Profile/Last Known Good Menu
Windows NT could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
\WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
Boot error message after Dell screen. GX1 machine, 'spose to be running 98, purch. ebay for dirt cheap, small 8GB hard drive in question. If I must switch out the drives, I will. I have others but they are much larger ( 15 , 20, 40 & 80 gigs).
But purpose defeats - 1) Must learn to fix this stuff 2) cheap-ness was that a smaller child will be using for look-up stuff only, no need for speed, etc., but no need for space/ performance beyong basic on and off. Third grader.
Any future child error won't be "killing" an expensive unit.

The unit powers on normally, sounds good, appears to respond to all lights and flickers. Inside appears sound and secure.
Any ideas.?
THINGS I TRIED:
Been to bootdisk.com.......got as far as the second floppy of (3) of the NT set for windows/dos. It shows the GUI for the first floppy - tells me it's downloading files, asks for floppy 2, press enter when ready......did that, enter causes Nothing to happen ...and disk 2 sits.
Made two clean attempts from that angle (remade downloads, fresh clean formatted floppies) - nothing.
It will not recognize a CD. Drawer powered, but not recognized.

Cannot get past screen 1 of bios. using the alt p to enter pg.2 just hangs. I am assuming to chg. boot seq. - panel to select is on pg 2, it is not on pg 1.
What is visible in bios appears normal default items and choices.
I did Dell, and tried to flash the bios - again - another floppy sat and did nothing.
Copied that particular file (the win/sys32...in the error mess.) to floppy from the 98SE machine - nothing.

Thank you in advance for any answers, ideas or links. I have been to MS KB for multiple searches. No big help.
Avail. machines: winXP on a Dell workstation, XP on another GX110, 98SE on a GX100, XP on an IBM Netvista...and two new, full install XP licensed disks, "the Ultimate boot disk", a repair CD for windows, a bootleg of my own 98SE machine, a restore backup DVD of IBM machine (home created), and a recovery CD for w 95 (likely so old it's dust) !

I get obsessed that I MUST be able to fix these. Anyone who wishes to assist - all help welcome !
Cordially, nan

"I live to serve"