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Thread ID: 71677 2006-08-13 06:01:00 ERROR Starting XP - 'File missing or corrupt' straka01 (310) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
478168 2006-08-13 06:01:00 All of sudden my XP operating system wont boot up. It shows this message:
FILE MISSING or CORRUPT: \windows\system32\config\system.

It has done this before and the only way I could get it to boot up was to insert the repair CD and it wiped the drive, formatted it and reloaded the OS - all my saved files were destroyed.

Does anyone know how I can get around this? Even if I was able to get all my data off it would be good. Can I insert another file using DOS via floppy into the OS to correct it? Is it a virus that's caused it? Any help appreciated. I have BootItNG - would this fix it? Thanks :waughh:
straka01 (310)
478169 2006-08-13 06:16:00 sounds like the usual error message you get when the registry goes awol. MS has instructions on how to restore the registry from the system restore. tweak'e (69)
478170 2006-08-13 06:20:00 Try doing a "Windows Repair" from your XP CD. You can still keep your files. ephesus (2509)
478171 2006-08-13 08:25:00 Unfortunately the Acer Recovery Home & System CD does NOT give any repair options except formatting and reloading the OS.
It's an Acer Aspire RC 500/900 PC.
It's one of those pre-loaded PC's that you don't get a proper XP OS disc with - just their Recovery CD. The OS is loaded in a protected partition for reloading.
I wont be getting another one....
straka01 (310)
478172 2006-08-14 08:31:00 I believe I can use another cd with XP Pro to repair the current installation? Is it straight forward to do repairs being as it's a different copy of XP to what installed on the PC at the moment? :dogeye: straka01 (310)
478173 2006-08-14 08:43:00 This is what MS have to say :-
support.microsoft.com

Give it a try. JT
jinja_thom (4306)
478174 2006-08-14 11:56:00 I believe I can use another cd with XP Pro to repair the current installation? Is it straight forward to do repairs being as it's a different copy of XP to what installed on the PC at the moment? :dogeye:

No, its not a problem. I have used XP home CD to recover an XP Pro OS. You just want to get to the recovery console to do the repairs as suggested. Good luck.
ephesus (2509)
478175 2006-08-14 21:38:00 OK, here's how I got on...
I copied the Regcopy1.txt to a floppy on another PC and then to the c:windows directory on the 'sick' PC. This saved me typing in all the commands. Typed batch regcopy1.txt whilst in 'R' mode and it saved, deleted and installed files for ALL except the 'system' file - the one it really needed. The message read: 'Unable to locate or copy file' (or something similar).
I also tried changing the place it looked for good copies of these files to the 'pre-loaded copy of the OS which is on a partition named 'J'. Still no luck - the same message appears again 'Unable to locate or copy file'. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong? As I can't start in SAFE MODE I can't log in as Administrator - but I wouldn't have thought this would have mattered this early in the repair process. Any suggestions appreciated..... :waughh:
straka01 (310)
478176 2006-08-17 21:36:00 Has anyone got any further suggestions - or ideas why I can't locate / reinstall the backup System file... straka01 (310)
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