I wonder how stupid Windows XP is. Here is the story....
I waked up in the morning and started my computer. I worked fine and I checked in SANDRA to see how things are going (I do that every day to check the system). Sandra told me that the new graphic card XABRE 400 which I have installed have no IRQ. So I shut down and restarted the computer, went into BIOS, didn't do anything there and restarted the system again.

Suddenly I had this stupid message - WINDOWS COULD NOT START BECAUSE THE FOLLOWING FILE IS MISSING OR CORRUPT = windows\system32\config\system. You can solve this problem by trying to repair windows.

Can anything just go wrong in 2 minutes? Is windows Xp so unreliable??????

Can anyone give me tutorial on how to really repair this windows. I checked in there but couldnt.

Thanks

Try reinstalling.....

No, I dont want to reinstall. would renstalling not reformat harddisk????

Hi Ernest

If you can boot up in safe mode, try a Systems Restore.
If not then you may need to do a Windows repair, you will have to put Win XP disk in and let it start as if it were installing, you will find a place were you can do a repair over the top of the old installation, you may need some of the original drivers for mobo and other installed components

EDIT
Will wait and see if you get working from Roy’s link

http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm follow this link and boot away.

Can I also boot using xp original disk?

http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/repair_xp.htm follow this link and boot away.

I tried to do the repair install but the set up didn't ask anything of "TO REPAIR". It just said that I will loose all data on the disk if I choose to reinstall in the chosen windows directory.

Moreover when I use the Repair console to back upthe system files, it tells me that the system can not be found.

Any more ideas?

Follow the link Payton as given, have a look at Method 2, is this how you tried to repair? this is the Method I last used to do a repair on one of my comps that had a problem, and I only needed a couple of drivers to put back in when it finished, all my files and programes were still intact

Ernest do you have a CD for the windows from Micro$oft, or a recovery disc from a manufacturer like compaq or dell? If it is a manufacturers and not a micro$oft windows CD you probably can't do the recovery. Check with the maker

Yes I have the original XP cd, but the problem now is that when I tried to make a but up of the system file, it tells me that the system file cannot be found. And when I tried to do REPAIR INSTALL, the set up does not where I can do repair after choosing install windows. If I continue further, it tell me either to install windows into a new folder or to the existing windows folder. I know that installing windows into existing windows folder will wipe out the old file. BUT I do not know about installing into a NEW folder. WILL IT WIPE OUT EVERYTHING ON THE HARD DISK????????

Is it possible also to reinstall windows on another harddisk and then copy the file to the old defect windows disk and let it work.????? I have all the drivers and it shall not be a problem installing drivers.

You receive the following message on the Welcome to Setup screen that appears: This portion of the Setup program prepares Microsoft
Windows XP to run on your computer:

To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER.

To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R.

To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3.

Press ENTER to set up Windows XP.
On the Windows XP Licensing Agreement screen, press F8 to agree to the license agreement.
Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected in the box, and then press R to repair Windows XP.
Follow the instructions on the remaining screens to reinstall Windows XP. After you repair Windows XP, you may be required to reactivate your copy of Windows XP.

Ernest. You have to set the boot order so CD is the first boot. Reboot the computer with the CD in the drive.The CD does the prepare thing. Then it asks you if you want to SET UP Windwos XP press enter.REPAIR XP press R, QUIT SETUP press F3. You want to set up XP PRESS ENTER not R! Then agree to the licensing agreement by PRESSING F8. Then THE SECOND TIME YOU WILL SEE THE OPTIONS AGAIN. THIS TIME PRESS R and the OS will start installing. This way you don't lose ANY data.

After the XP licencing agreement, I do not get anything that has R as repair in it. I get the message that set up wll install in the selected folder. Nothing like repairs show after the F8 agreement.

Ernest when XP is loading from the cd-rom don’t press any keys till it stops bye its self, then do upto the F8 agreement, and after this you should get two more screens up like the one’s I have just taken and uploaded to this space, the first screen is when you press enter the second is R do you not get these?

http://www.snipers-uk.co.uk

EDIT

I have just seen something on the second picture that will not be the same as yours,
It say’s

D:\WINDOWS “ Microsoft bla bla bla, your will say or should say C:\WINDOWS bla bla bla

No Jim I just messaged him. Apparently the system is so corrupted the CD can't even see the installation, thats why he's not getting the repair option. Any suggestions?

Ernest. One more thing to try. If you can get the recovery console started from the CD, try to rebuild the whole registry. This will make a lot of programs not work like games and stuff but it may get the sucker started and allow you to recover your data. Here's the link. It's kinda involved but if you take it slowly you should figure it out.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3B307545

Hello,
The link you provided cannot be found.
I fixed another hard disk and reinstalled Xp and made further XP setup and what you described as Repair Win XP appeared on screen. But when I tried it with the defect windows MAIN hard disk, this Repair screen does not appear.
Thanks for your further help.

Ernest

Ernest this web site doesn't like long links and cuts them short. Right click the mouse and copy the whole line and paste it into the address bar. Or you can go to the knowledge base and do a search for article 307545

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;kbinfo#faq1386

Unplug ide lead from hard drive and board as well, then put it back in, could be a bad connection?

WOW !!

Come on Roy tell us, are we missing something hehehehehehe