Windows Xp wont load up!

[jcpangs]

I have another pc (Pentuim III 866) which I only use for typing and surfing the net, one morning my sister open up the cpu and windows xp wont load up saying "The file is either missing or corrupt \windows\system32\config\system"

I tried repairing it with the use of the windows xp cd but it wont start up,

I tried reformating it but everytime I get to the part where i have to press F8 to agree the pc hangs up!

is something wrong with my hdd? Do i have to buy a new one?

[eCK0]

You may need to reconfigure your user accounts after this as it may set them back to default

1. Boot to the Windows XP CD
2. Go into the Recovery Console
3. Browse to the C:\windows\system32\config\system folder
4. Rename the files default, sam, security, software, and system
5. Copy the default, sam, security, software, and system files from C:\Windows\repair

Alternative Solution:

Do you have an Automated System Recovery disk created?

Is your hard drove broken?
To answer this question, try putting it into a different computer, does it boot? Does it still freeze when you try to reformat? What about a different Windows CD, does it still freeze?

[jcpangs]

I tried to reconfigure my users account using the steps you have given me.. but when I browse to the C:\windows\system32\config\system folder my pc will suddenly hang up! Ive been waiting for 2 hours but it hasnt load up yet, I do not have any Automated System Recovery disk..

So I tried instead to put the harddisk into a differeny computer and it still has the same problem, so my conlusion is my hdd is busted right? My sister admitted to me that the night before the pc wont open instead of shutting down the pc she just turn off the main power supply..

is there anyway to recover my files?

[eCK0]

Take your hard drive out of the PC and put it into another PC as a secondary hard drive. Boot to Windows and run a scan disk on that hard drive. Hopefully that will repair any errors on the disk and you will be able to boot back into it. You can use the same procedure to back up all of the information on your hard drive.

[acal3000]

Actually could be the hd is a posaibilty to keep in mind but I think could be somethng else.To know if is the hd you said you reformated and installed xp whne you type chkdsk in ine console Do you see mesagges about bad sectors or flesystems and when you repair them with chkdsk/f Do they still continue poping up? Also chek you manufacturer brand of hd They sometimes offer utilitees to chek the hd status or aalso the BIOS could warining if your hd the is bad (Do you get some error message whne you turn on the computer for example "SMART ones" ( that some technology most hd have these days that warning before the hd gtes complelyly bad) or intermimets erroros? Also whe you formated it do you got any message eror in the process? If you didn't get any of this maybe the hd is fine the porblem could be other thing

I I was remebering something One time Ihad similar case to yours I guess could be that too. I no longer use XP as main OS but when I still ussd it I had some problem coz the install cd was scratched some of the data copied corrupt and whe xp booted up pu a error message simimalrr to yours /cant remember I was the same coz was long years ago) What I did was use other xp install disk insead and the problem gone. In other words chek if your xp install disk is scratched

[jcpangs]

Take your hard drive out of the PC and put it into another PC as a secondary hard drive. Boot to Windows and run a scan disk on that hard drive. Hopefully that will repair any errors on the disk and you will be able to boot back into it. You can use the same procedure to back up all of the information on your hard drive.


Thanks a lot, I tried this one and it work perfectly, everything is ok now,

[eCK0]

Excellent news! That being said, that means that there were some errors on your drive. Make sure at the very least you have a current back up, because this could happen again. If you're very forward thinking, you might want to take this opportunity to replace your hard drive.

[fdjc4]

Might want to try a tool from the hard drive manufacturer.

For example seatools from seagate (who i think also make maxtor drives).

I used this on a guys pc at the weekend there, during the long test it found two errors, heck checkdsk found about 200 before i used seatools so obviosuly something wasnt right.


I got seatools dos and burned to a disc with nero, you may need to have boot from cd in the bios in oder for it to kick in, just try it and see if the drive has any problems, thus far seatools fixed the pc I am working on (at weekends as I am at uni otherwise weekdays)