URGENT TECH HELP NEEDED!!!

[Syn_Dem]

Okay, so as I came up to start my computer a weird thing happens and it says I have corrupted files or something, so I do a scan which takes a bit and then it goes to a classic dos-style screen which says...Windows could not start because file is missing or corrupt: \windows\system32\config\system

What do I do?!

[Madrone]

1. Check this link out -

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314477

[Syn_Dem]

2. Ugh

Whenever I try to press r it just restarts the computer and puts me on the mainscreen, none of that stuff that the microsoft is telling me is happening. The thing is I let it recover and then went to eat dinner and went I came down this is what I got, could I have missed something?

[Madrone]

4. Do you have up to date antivirus software?

When's the last time you've done a system scan?

If you don't have up to date antivirus, try this link -

http://www.pandasoftware.com/activescan/com/activescan_principal.htm

It will scan your puter and remove any viruses it finds. It will ask you for an email address to use it - you can use a fake one (I always use [e-mail]) and it will still work.

If THAT's not the issue - more detailed info, please! :)

[Madrone]

9. What version of windows?

Do you have the cd in the drive? Is it booting from the cd, or booting straight to dos from the hard drive?

Does it give you any sort of error message before it reboots?

[neverborn]

3. Might be looking at a reinstall

sorry :(

[Syn_Dem]

5. The thing is I cant get to my normal desktop

Its just stuck on the old DOS screen and when i press r to try to get to the recovery thingie it just restarts my computer and sets me back to where I started again.

[Gman]

6. What version of Windows?

Sounds like its Windows 98.

[Syn_Dem]

7. XP

nt

[AndyP]

8. can you get into safe mode? n/t

[Syn_Dem]

10. Nuh-uh

It has an option for it with F5 but when I press it nothing happens.

[Nomad559]

12. F5

Try F8

What type of PC do you have?

[sir_captain]

11. If you can't get into safe mode

you're probably best off booting to DOS, saving whatever files you need, and then reinstalling

If you do reinstall, make sure to format first--it's much cleaner that way

[Syn_Dem]

13. Helwett Packard refurbed

nt

[sir_captain]

15. Ok

that shouldn't really make a difference in this case, though, other than having less than stellar hardware components.

You still ought to be able to boot to DOS, etc

[Madrone]

18. Hmmmm... if it's a newer HP

(I just got a refurb myself, a couple of weeks ago) - can you change directories when in dos? Or are you simply stuck in the "press r for repair" / reboot loop?

If you can change drives - and your computer is similar to mine, you may be able to switch to the "d" drive (where your back up xp install is) and run it from there.

ALSO - if your computer is similar to mine, you may want to think about making a set of recovery cds. After you get up and running, of course.

In programs - Hewlett packard - hp tools - there's a recovery cd/dvd maker - if you have that option.

It only allows you do make ONE set of cds, and it takes a long time. 6 discs in all - but when I get around to formatting this sucker, I don't plan on keeping the recovery partition around, and if I ever want to sell the computer it would be nice to be able to give the person the discs.

[Madrone]

14. If you can get ahold of a win98 bootdisk -

Starting Windows XP Setup from MS-DOS

1. Insert the Windows XP CD-ROM in the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive.
2. Start the computer to an MS-DOS prompt with CD-ROM support. If your computer does not have MS-DOS already installed, or does not allow you to choose to start to an MS-DOS prompt in the Boot menu, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

187632 How to Create a Windows 98 Startup Disk that Supports FAT32
3. Start SMARTDrive if it is not already started. To do this, change to the folder that contains the Smartdrv.exe file, type smartdrv, and then press ENTER. If you do not use SMARTDrive, you may notice that the portion of Windows XP Setup that copies files to the hard disk performs slowly.
4. At the command prompt, type drive:, and then press ENTER (where drive is the drive that contains the Windows XP CD-ROM).
5. Type cd\i386, and then press ENTER.
6. Type winnt, and then press ENTER. Windows XP Setup starts.
7. Type the path to the Windows XP installation files, and then press ENTER. For example, type d:\i386.

Windows Setup copies files to the hard disk. When the files are copied, the following message appears:

The MS-DOS based portion of Setup is complete.
Setup will now restart your computer. After your computer restarts,
Windows XP Setup will continue.

If there is a floppy disk in drive A:, remove it now.

Press ENTER to restart your computer and continue Windows XP Setup.
8. Remove any floppy disks from the computer, and then press ENTER. The computer restarts and Windows XP Setup resumes. Press ENTER to continue.
9. Follow the steps to select and format a partition in which to install Windows XP.

If your hard disk contains only one partition, do not delete it from the list of existing partitions. Windows XP Setup has copied the installation files to this partition.

You can later convert a FAT32-formatted partition to the NTFS file system.

Setup copies the files needed for Windows XP Setup, and then the computer restarts.

If you chose to format the drive by using the NTFS file system, Windows checks the drive for errors, and then restarts.

Windows XP Setup resumes in Graphical User Interface (GUI) mode.
10. Follow the steps in the Windows Setup Wizard to complete the installation of Windows XP.

[DS1]

16. I'd skip all the other suggestions and

find another XP machine and copy its \windows\system\config whatever file to your own and reboot.

If ~that~ doesn't work, reinstall.

If ~that~ doesn't work, install a new copy onto your same drive without formatting, get your old data off onto CDS/tape/whatever and ~then~ wipe the whole thing for a fresh install.

[sir_captain]

22. yeah, copying the files is unlikely to work

that's one of the most important system directories, and the registry is going to be all messed up and so on. if it were only one file, that might do it, but i doubt it will suffice here. though it's surely worth trying.

[DS1]

25. there's no indication of the other symptoms yet

Always best to start with the easiest and least damaging idea.

Telling people to format when they don't understand what it means can all too often lead to tears.

[sir_captain]

26. well, i *did* explain what it meant eventually...

but yeah, point taken

[Syn_Dem]

17. nt

you're probably best off booting to DOS, saving whatever files you need, and then reinstalling

If you do reinstall, make sure to format first--it's much cleaner that way

Can you explain that for....a simpleton?

[sir_captain]

20. oh...heh...sorry

ok, let's see...probably the easiest way to boot to DOS is to stick in your windows cd: it's a special bootable cd that will let you boot directly to DOS, among lots of other things.

Do you know what to do once you get to DOS? Let me know if you need any help with that.

I assume you only have one hard drive (the one on which Windows is installed) and hence, you'll mainly have to back up files onto floppy disks, which will limit the size of the files you can save--but at least you should be able to get any important Word documents, etc.

As for the formatting, etc--again, I think the Windows CD will be the easiest way. It has the option of formatting the drive for you before it installs Windows, so that way you won't have to deal with doing it manually.

[Syn_Dem]

19. The main problem is

I cant even get to my main desktop screen so I cant really do anything but type bad filenames on DOS

[Syn_Dem]

21. Well

I got to the DOS screen

....Do you know what to do once you get to DOS? Let me know if you need any help with that....

Now what do I do?

[Syn_Dem]

23. Fuck it

Im going Mac

[sir_captain]

24. Ha!

The only difference is that when a Mac breaks, it doesn't *tell* you what the problem is