windows/system 32/ config/system files corrupted or missing ?

M

Hi

i have wiproLittleGenius laptop,it have xp home sp1 but i m unable to load system since morning.
And i m getting following message.

window's couldnot start because the following file is missing or corrupt.
windows/system32/config/system
you can attempt to repair this file by starting windows setup using original CDROM
select r at first screen to start repair.

i never faced such problem ...
i m unable to go safe mode and i m unable to restore sytem to Last known configuration...nothing is working.........

itx geninue cp home ,but right now i dont have cds with me..it willl take 2 days to get that cd from home..
is it possible to use another xp home installation cds...or it must be original used one ?

what will happen after opting for r ......

expecting to get answer soon.........other wise i will loose lot of important files...which i dont want any how......
so pls explain me procedure in simple workds ....

thanks

Boot from Windows XP CD then when it asks press R to enter recovery consol now there run SFC /scannow

it will ask for the Windows Installation source, therefore keep the installation CD in hand and will scan the system to replace the missing files !!

M

Thanks saurav........

i got some thing on google ..pls tell me is it same method as u told me ?

Boot from the cd. Do NOT do a repair using recovery console. proceed like you were doing a fresh install but BEFORE you select which disk to install to it will look for previous installs and ask if you want to repair it. DO NOT INSTALL A NEW COPY! Hit "r" to repair bt only when it shows you the previous install disk/directory not at the revovery console prompt!

If it does not see the old install post back as the filesystem is just corrupt and it can't read the boot.ini and I'll walk you through that repair. It isnt hard.

and one more question................

is it ok if i will use another xp home cd for repair purpose as original used one is not with me ?

mkmkmk said:
Boot from the cd. Do NOT do a repair using recovery console. proceed like you were doing a fresh install but BEFORE you select which disk to install to it will look for previous installs and ask if you want to repair it. DO NOT INSTALL A NEW COPY! Hit "r" to repair bt only when it shows you the previous install disk/directory not at the revovery console prompt!

try to 1st to boot in to XP CD then go to Command interface... at there, try running these 2 commands, chkdsk x: /f x is the drive where you have windows xp and also run for the c drive if you have windows xp some where else... then run the SFC /Scannow to search for missing files...

now, if these 2 doesnt work, you dont have any other option rather reinstalling (note not clean/fresh install), when you reinstall all the applications you have installed and many of your settinsg stays intact, only the Windows and Documents and Settinsg folder gets re-writen...

!!

mkmkmk said:
is it ok if i will use another xp home cd for repair purpose as original used one is not with me ?

well no problem when you have a genuine windows, just try using any OEM CD, so in that case when u re-install u will be able to use the Same CD key which u have in the sticker in ur system !!

as most of the time Pirated XP CDs are pre-act volume licanse CDs which wont accept OEM Keys !!

M

Thanks ...
i will follow u r steps .....let's see.......

M

Thanks Saurav........ u r tips helped me to save my files........

I

hey i have the same problem but when i stick my window cd and restart my computer and do a refresh reinstall....it does all the loading and then it says press any key to boot from cd....when i press a key it doesnt do anything and jumps to the screen where is says missing corrupted file ....... help anyone?

J

i had the same problem for ages read up about it on the internet, everyone recommended that i repaired but i tried and the person who installed my xp put an administrator password on my computer. hes now dead thus that isnt going to work. also after a few times of trying various things my pc just came to life one day for no reason but was running very slow so i decided to do among other things a de frag this said something about running chkdsk/f and had to restart. so i restart the computer and it does the corrupted rubbish again.

so my next step was to try and use a second hard drive i already had in my computer but never got round to using, restarted and the computer to install xp and it started working. its now doing the chkdsk if it finds the problem and fixes it ill be happy if not ill just never turn it off again

^^ WTH!! are you bumping on a old thread.

The answers are posted already you dumba$$...read the comments first before dumping an old grave...