Cant boot to safe mode because of missing win32 file HELP

So I was working on my computer and everything was fine and then all of a sudden it restarts itself and i get this error about the win32 file. It tells me that my computer cant boot because of a missing or corrupr win32 file and to use yhe repair option on my windows xp installation disk to fix it.

So i think this will be an easy fix and i pull out my disk and force my computer to boot from it. I press R for repair and 1 for the windows program and then it askes me for a administrative password. ?????? I dont have a password set precisely for this reason and no matter what i try my computer tells me that my passwords are invalid and after 3 tries it forces me to reload my windows xp disk and try again!!1 *BANGS HEAD ON DESK*

Please is there anyway to go around an administrative password or is there another way to obtain the win32 file and get it into my computer? If i could just get it to boot i can repair any hidden virus or do a system restore but i cant get past that black screen of death. Please Please Please help me. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Kastarla

Newbie Poster

2 posts since Aug 2010

Reputation Points: 10

Solved Threads: 0

1 Year Ago

Ok try this. Instead of selecting R at the first screen continue on as if you were going to install (do the License, when you get to where you repartition if needed leave it the way it is and Setup will "Search for a previous installation" It will detect the copy of windows that is installed and ask if you would like to repair the installation or install a new copy. Tell it you want to repair and it will delete a bunch of files and then reinstall them from the cd. It will also ask you for your installation key later but it keeps all of your other settings and installations intact.

rch1231

Posting Shark

959 posts since Sep 2009

Reputation Points: 119

Solved Threads: 142

1 Year Ago

I will try that thank you.

UPDATE: This is the exact message i am getting :

Windows would not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:

\Windows\system32\config\system

you can attempt to repai this file by starting windows setup using the original setup CD-ROM

select "r" at the first screen to start repair.