davidp423

hey, i need a little help can some one help with this error i keep getting evertome i boot up windows, it says:

"Windows could not start beacuse the following file is missing or corrupt
\windows\system32\config\system
You can attempt to repair this file by starting Windows setup using the original Setup CD-Rom. Select 'r' at the forst screen to start repair. "

This happens everytime I boot my computer and windows wont even load... i tried the pressing 'r' recovery console thing but with no luck, i boot from the windows xp cd and the blue windows "windows xp setup" screen pops up and when i press 'r', nothing happens, all that happens is at the bottom of the screen all this crap loads and then it says "Windows is starting".. after that the creen goes black and the comouter restarts and i get the error agian... and if i try to boot from cd the same shit happens... can someone help please....

thanks

TheChef

At the Setup Welcome screen, instead of choosing "To repair windows now, press R", hit enter to install and when Windows searches for an existing OS and finds a previous installation of Windows, it will then ask to repair it. Try doing it that way.

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Bobo

Well from previous experience, I would think that the repair would not work. I would just reinstall. Or, you could find that file on another computer, put it on a floppy, boot DOS, and copy it into the correct location.

davidp423

thats also the problem i cant get to the "Setup Welcome Screen" and how can i copy the file to ta floppy and paste... i dont even know what file i need or to even enter DOS if windows dosnt even load

Bobo

where do you get to? you need to make a DOS boot disk (www.bootdisk.com (i think)) and then copy the file that the error message says is missing or corrupt to the same floppy. Insert the floppy before you turn the system on, and then when it boots, it should automatically go to DOS. From there copy the file from the floppy to the folder that it should be in.

edit: actually on that website you might try some of the XP boot disks, see if that works.

ceewi1

A repair installation may fix it, but have you looked at this:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;en-us;q307545

Provided you don't have an OEM machine, it should work.

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Cheap PSUs - 2% of system costs, responsible for 28% of system deaths

sw2001

ceewi1 is right. All those Acer Dells HP computers use M$ sysprep stuff, if you have one of those, you're prbably out of luck with a repair and have to reinstall.