Corrupt File/Computer Boots Oddly

A

Artoonie

New Member
Long story short, I downloaded a new version of HP's QuickPlay and now, every time I turn on my computer:
-It boots into quickplay, which does not play my music (but it can locate it on the computer), dvds, or anything else
-If I try entering safe mode, I get a blue screen
-If I try backing up to the last safe boot mode, i get the error message
Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt
C:\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 first screen to start repair.
Click to expand...

I found the following site which tries to solve my problem:
http://www.help2go.com/Tutorials/Windows/C:\windows\system32\config\system_missing_or_corrupt.html

But in Option 3, the step asking me to CD C:\system~1\_resto~1 does not work, and when i try to CD to C:\system~1, i get the error "Access is Denied."


How to I "allow" access? Is there a sudo-type command for windows?

Somebody told me something using the SET command, but in my Recovery Console, it says SET has been disabled.




Any help would be greatly appreciated.
















Computer type: HP DV8000z, 70gb HD, 1gb ram
(any other needed information?)
 
Artoonie said:
Long story short, I downloaded a new version of HP's QuickPlay and now, every time I turn on my computer:
-It boots into quickplay, which does not play my music (but it can locate it on the computer), dvds, or anything else
-If I try entering safe mode, I get a blue screen
-If I try backing up to the last safe boot mode, i get the error message


I found the following site which tries to solve my problem:
http://www.help2go.com/Tutorials/Windows/C:\windows\system32\config\system_missing_or_corrupt.html

But in Option 3, the step asking me to CD C:\system~1\_resto~1 does not work, and when i try to CD to C:\system~1, i get the error "Access is Denied."


How to I "allow" access? Is there a sudo-type command for windows?

Somebody told me something using the SET command, but in my Recovery Console, it says SET has been disabled.
Click to expand...

why not do a normal repair process other than Recovery console.
RC is much faster but sometimes when you have a password on Administrator account you're pretty much doomed if you don't know it.
Just do a normal repair process mate
 
I have no password, so I just press enter and it works. (anything else gives me incorrect-password errors.)


What's the regular repair process? (I'm not very good at this technical stuff, heh). Tips/links?
And "repair" actually is a repair, not restore, right? (my files stay?)


Thanks for the quick reply


edit-
I'm assuming you mean this? http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm#RI
It seems like that's reinstalling all of windows. The problem is, my current copy is a genuine windows which came with my laptop and the one I have on CD is for backup purposes such as this only. Wouldn't that make my windows not genuine?
 
Last edited:
Okay, I did the restore thingy after some research, and at first the "Recovery" option wasn't there, but i copied the corrupt file (C:\windows\system32\config\system) from my HP Recovery drive to C:/ and then it was there, so i did it, but after about 30%, every file gave me an error saying it can't be copied and i had to hold down esc til it finished.
Now when i try booting, it tells me autochk is not found or something, and quickly switches to a bluescreen, then quickly restarts, endlessly looping.

I tried re-repairing, same results.


What shall I do?
 
Would getting a real XP disk solve this? I can try calling HP and asking for one, maybe the repair there would work?
 
Start Recovery Console, Press "1" to select your Windows Installation to be recovered, follow by entering your Administrator account password (if none just hit enter to continue..)

You should be here:
C:\WINDOWS>

Now type cd system32

Next, type chkdsk /r

After it finished running, type these lines one at a time, each follow by hitting enter:

expand d:\i386\ntoskrnl.ex_ c:\windows\system32
expand d:\i386\hal.dl_ c:\windows\system32
copy d:\i386\ntldr c:\windows\system32

Next:

attrib -h c:\boot.ini
attrib -r c:\boot.ini
attrib -s c:\boot.ini
delete c:\boot.ini

Next:

bootcfg /rebuild
(When it asks you if you want to add to Boot List, enter "Y" for YES. Type in: MS WinXP Pro as the Boot Identifier. Next, hit enter to skip the Boot Option).

Next:

fixboot then hit "Y" for YES. Now type exit to reboot. Now try the Repair Installation again.
 
Thank you very much for the helpful reply, I do appreciate it.

However, I cannot get into the Recovery Console using no password for C:/ anymore.
I go onto D:/, the HP Recovery drive, and type
dir C:
and the Documents and Settings folder is 0kb

Under this, there is something which in the filename has:
" 268029952 hiberfill.sys"
with that leading space, and the numbers are not in the column with the kbs of the other files/folders. what is that?
and what does this all mean, are my files gone?
because if so...




well, yeah i'm kind of screwed. i havent backed up for months, and i've never backed up my programs (onto an external).


please good news?
 
When you first enter the Recovery Console do you still see your Windows' partition? 1) C:\WINDOWS\ ?

If so, there is still a chance to save it. Download Ophcrack ISO and burn to a CD then boot up your system with it to reset/change password to ANY account: http://pcsupport.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=pcsupport&cdn=compute&tm=8&gps=65_398_1276_848&f=00&su=p284.8.150.ip_&tt=4&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//ophcrack.sourceforge.net/

This one is completely free. Try it and see if you can get in after changing your Administrator's password. Good luck.
 
Apparently, when I used bootcfg last time, it changed my main HD to D:/, and looking there, my stuff is still in tact.
C: is a blank installation of windows i think, i dont really know.
E: is my recover drive
F: is the CD


I appreciate this support more than I can express.

On the instructions you gave me, f:\i386\ntoskrnl.ex_ does not exist. I'm going to get a genuine WinXP disk and restore using that, then I'll let you know how it goes.



Thanks,
Toonie
 
Using a real CD:

expand d:\i386\ntoskrnl.ex_ c:\windows\system32
-ntoskrnl.ex_ is called ntoskrnl.exe on the CD
-when i enter exe instead of ex_, it says it's not expandable
-other files do end in .ex_/.dl_/etc (last letter as an underscore)
expand d:\i386\hal.dl_ c:\windows\system32
-as before, this one is only hal.dll, and is not expandable
copy d:\i386\ntldr c:\windows\system32
-this works


I tried copying rather than expanding, that worked for the two files that did not work, but i can't repair, i still get Cannot-Copy errors.


Ideas?
 
I finally completed repairing, I switched between XP disks every time I got an error, but after repairing, i get the error:

"Setup cannot set the required Windows XP configuration information. This indicates an internal setup error.

Contact your system administrator."


Expanding the two files still gave me the errors, however.
 
still no progress.

i guess i'll have to scoop up some $ to get it to a computer repair store, cause i realllyyy need it. This computer has nothing.
 
Okay, so I still haven't taken it to a shop =/ I fear the costs






Is there any way to transfer everything to an external HD, reformat, then move it back, keeping the data (programs, etc)?
 
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