\system32\config\system

[kingy7]

Hi guys, ive got a problem with a qosmio f10 laptop. Basically If I try a normal startup, the system keeps restarting itself before the xp screen comes up. If i go to last known good configuration, I get the missing or corrupt \system32\config\system directory error. The only cd's ive got are the recovery cd's, which ive tried, and it hasnt sorted the problem. Ive seen lots of guides that use the xp cd and recovery console but i havent got the xp cd so i cant use this. Does anyone have any idea as to what options i have?

Cheers

[gerbil]

go here, to www.webtree.ca and get this xp bootable cd image which includes recovery console. it runs from the cd which you will burn from the iso file..
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/Tools/bootdiscs/xp_rec_con.zip
One other thing, to enable yourself to capture the error messages go into BIOS and disable the auto-restart on error thing.
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/index.htm ... toward the bottom of this page is a description of the use of the console.
By the way, that error message is telling you that your registry has been duffed...

[kingy7]

Hi, im having no luck with this, I can get into the console but ament having any luck. Ive tried copying the new files etc but they arent there. and the guide for trying the restore point (which i dont know if it has) uses the '~' symbol which doesnt want to work. Any other ideas? I find it a bit weird how ive run the recovery cd and its still happening. And i couldnt find the guid for the console on that site you gave me, just used other guides I found. Cheers

Anyone got any ideas?

['Stein]

1) You might need to reformat

If so, I would get youre files off the computer by hooking your hard drive up as a slave into another computer.

[kingy7]

Thats the thing, can i reformat and use a recovery cd? WOuldnt i need to get a copy of xp to do that? Ive got all my files backed up so im not worried about losing anything.

[kingy7]

Anyone ever had to reformat with only a recovery cd? Im not sure what to do. I thought that when i ran the recovery cd, it automatically reformats for you?

['Stein]

I thought that when i ran the recovery cd, it automatically reformats for you?

Not really. What happens is that the Recovery CD just replaces the critical files that need replacing.

Anyone ever had to reformat with only a recovery cd?

I think it's possible. Try searching Google for directions.

[kingy7]

I would have tought that a corrupt/missing system folder would be a critical folder it would reinstall?

Im having no luck finding anything on google. If i ran fdisk, wiped the hard drive and stuck the recovery cd in, would it still work and reinstall everything?

[gerbil]

hello, kingy
i hope you are way since sorted.... i'm sorry for the delay. Anyway, i assume you extracted and burnt the .iso image and so got yourself a bootable CD with recovery console? And that it works.... ie boots your machine eventually into the console?
[you use NERO 6 or another pgm which can burn an IMAGE - don't do a data CD or all you will get is an iso file on a cd, which will be the same as the iso file you extracted and which is NOT bootable. Burn the iso image..]
Right.. you're in the console. I don't understand what you meant by "i've tried copying the new files but they are not there"?
And the bit about restore point and the ~ .... is what is on this page as section 2 the sort of thing you are talking about? http://www.help2go.com/Tutorials/Windows/C:%5Cwindows%5Csystem32%5Cconfig%5Csystem_missing_or_corrupt.html
Well, that ~ should work ok if you type those commands as shown.
Note:.. using chkdsk is NOT as they say on that webpage. chkdsk /p only performs a simple check of the drive. If there are any errors reported you must then do chkdsk /r to attempt to recover them, and follow with chkdsk /p to see if it is fixed. If not, try /r again, and so on.
{{{ chkdsk with /p as parameter will not fix a thing. Promise you. Some websites say it does.... well, if /p runs and reports no errors there were no errors there in the first place to be fixed}}}
And the guide for the console? ummm sorry bout that - on that link run down about 30 lines on the left of the page in the help section and click Repair XP. But there are untold recovery console guides out there... i was using theirs cos that's from where i originally got that iso.

[gerbil]

chkdsk in recovery console only has /p and /r as parameters.... it's not as comprehensive as when run from command window. And those commands with the ~ in them - type them exactly... the ~ is not a general character replacement thingy, and if you break the cd command into two parts you'll justly get access denied. This is the system volume information folder you're looking into, and M$ only lets you do that on their terms.
Of course, from a command prompt you could always type %systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe
But no data to save? If there is, try a repair install. None? format and run your recovery disk.

There is another method also which should not harm your data, but will break any recently installed applications[you have to reinstall them] cos it takes you all the way back to the registry created and saved by default when you installed windows originally.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545
I've never tried it.