registry cannot load hive: security folder

I have a Compaq Presario 6000 with Windows XP Home Edition, sp 2 (I updated to sp2 from sp1) bought in 2004. My computer has been extremely slow lately and and has a lot of junk on it so I'd like to redo the drive with Compaq's System Recovery. Thing is when I start that it reboots..does the recovery bar loading thing and then comes up with the following error:

So then I have to restart the computer. It loads up normally and lets me log into my profile and stuff so I have no other problems than that. Except for the fact that I cannot boot up from a floppy disk or a cd-rom (or in this case my dvd drive). I've searched for this error on yahoo and have seen some that are similar to my case yet I'm confuse on how to go in and fix the registry. As I cannot boot to the command prompt during startup. In fact, I cannot figure out how to boot up to command prompt without a disk/cd. I don't think that's even possible with XP.

I've done the system recovery tool from Compaq's pc tools many times before but this is the first time I've ever gotten that error so now I'm in the dark as to what to do next. I haven't done this for a while either so I'm a little rusty with remembering how to format drives and etc.

Any help so I can re-do my drive would be appreciated.

 

Have you tried something as simple as System Restore?

 

Well, I did that but all I have is System checkpoints. I never create restore points because if something goes wrong I just redo the drive. I usually keep backups of docs and applications so if I have to do that it's no problem. Well, anyway I did restore back to a system checkpoint that was earlier this month (it wouldn't let me go to any month before september) and then I tried to recovery the system again and got the same error.

 

It looks as though your windows security configuration file has become corrupt,there is a backup file in C windows/repair/security config,I have used this file using the recovery console to fix dead computers,using the windows xp cd rom,but I havnt used it to fix a corrupted one.

windows is using this file constantly,so you cannot copy it while windows is running,you may be able to while in safe mode but I aint sure,its quite a simple operation though using the recovery console if you have your xp disk

 

I don't have a XP disk. I have an XP Home CD but that's it. My compaq computer didn't even come with anything like that. How would I go about fixing this file? I have no idea. I can however get my computer to run in safe mode. I just don't know how to fix it. How do I get into the recovery console?

 

I must apologize,you are unable to boot with your xp cdrom,to to do a fresh install,as in your computer will not boot from cd?unfortunately you need to boot from your xp home cdrom to use the recovery console,why cant you boot from cd may I ask?

 

No, it won't even do that. It won't pick up the XP Home Edition cd.

I'm also getting this error whenever I tried to copy something to my A drive (floppy).

I have no idea what that even means.

 

have you tried entering your bios and selecting your first boot device as your cdrom?

 

I did that once. I have it set up like this.

First boot: Floppy
Second: Cd-Rom
Third: Harddrive

Still won't access the disc.

 

your motherboard can get real finnicky when choosing what it wants to boot from set it up like this

First boot cdrom enable "put your xp home disk in it"
second boot disable
third boot disable

if theres also an option like this disable it

boot up other device disable

If you do this correctly and it is your cdrom that isnt bootable the computer will halt on a black screen and ask for a system disk,if you have set the the boot up options incorrectly it will try and load up into windows

To clear up,do you want to repair this drive ie. do you not care about the stuff on it?A fresh install would suite,if you have files and programs you want to keep there are a few things you can try to repair the install

 

Okay, I'll try that. At this point, I just want to reformat the drive and re-install everything. I have all of my programs back up on cds anyway. But since this computer was pre-installed with XP wouldn't it mess it up if I redo everything since it's a brand name computer?

 

Nope,your computer is windows xp compatible so there will be no problems,you may however have to find drivers for some of your components,which is no big deal,let me know how you do

 

Nope,your computer is windows xp compatible so there will be no problems,you may however have to find drivers for some of your components,which is no big deal,let me know how you do

 

Well, I got the disc in the cd-rom to stop it from starting windows but it started something in the command prompt that says:

[DR-DOS]C:\

But then when I switch to drive E (which is my cd drive) it won't run any of the files. I restarted it and tried to boot up a Win98 disk in the A drive and it said the memory was too full to ty and run anything from that disk.

 

I copied the xp boot disks from here (which I had to do on another computer since it wouldn't let me do it on my computer 'cause my floppy drive is messing up):
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...68-6E4F-471C-B455-BD5AFEE126D8&displayLang=en

and I restarted my computer went into setup and disabled all the boot drives except for floppy and it came up with this error:

BOOT DISK FAILURE


so now what do I do? I can't rip the floppy drive out because it's not a homemade computer it's a crappy store bought computer.

 

Hmmm,so your floppy drive is on the fritz,can you see it in bio?theres no reason why you cant replace the floppy drive they are universal,last time I checked they were only a couple of ££

 

I can't afford a floppy drive not to mention I can't even rip the old one out of the computer to put a new one in. Compaq has it fixed so you can't rip anything out of the drive. If I could afford it I'd just throw this away and buy a new one but I can't.

How am I supposed to get into the registry and take the files from the repair folder and place them in the registry where it's messed up?

 

I've looked at this page
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307545
but it says Warning Do not use the procedure that is described in this article if your computer has an OEM-installed operating system. The system hive on OEM installations creates passwords and user accounts that did not exist previously. If you use the procedure that is described in this article, you may not be able to log back into the recovery console to restore the original registry hives.
I have an OEM-installed operating system. At least I think so. WinXP was already installed on the computer when I got it.

 

yes that is what I would have done to restore the configuration files,but since you want reinstall windows and dont care about whats on the harddrive getting windows to boot from floppy is your task now

 

Its a generic warning. MS never listened to us when we showed them it was possible. Plus, they put that in there because OEM support is termed as best effort. If something differs from retail, then the XP techs are NOT ALLOWED to touch it. Of course, they do (or did when I worked there).

The difference is, in C:\Windows\repair, there is no system hive, just a system.bak.

Rename that file to system and go on to finish the article.

You will have to reinstall most, if not all your drivers afterwards.

However, look at this error;

STOP: c0000218 {registry file failure}
the registry cannot load the hive (file):
\systemRoot\System32\Config\SECURITY
or it's log or alternate.
It is corrupt, absent, or not writable.


Not writeable...hmmm, permissions issue?

Reboot to Safe Mode, and right click the file, properties, to get to the security tab in XP Home. You can then give the file full control. make sure both system and administrator group have full control.

 

i don't care either way just as long as i get those registry files working so i can use Compaq's system recovery. at the moment, i can't get it to work because that's when the registry error comes up.

 

I don't understand what you mean by this: right click the file, properties, to get to the security tab in XP Home. What file am I suppose to do that to in safe mode? Do I do that before or after I rename that other file to system. I'm so confused.

 

The file it mentioned.

The security hive.

C:\windows\system32\config\security.

Do it before you get your hands dirty with the other stuff. A last ditch effort to save your current registry hive.

 

Okay.

On that page it says:

- Insert the Windows XP startup disk into the floppy disk drive, or insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer.
Click to select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted to do so.

- When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.

I can't do that because the floppy drive doesn't want to cooperate and the Windows XP disc I have when I open it regularly as I would a regular cd on the system and click install windows xp it says that the version that is on the disc is older than the version I currently have on my computer.

When I restart my comptuer it never brings up the Setup menu from the disc. It brings up a bunch of text and when it's done doing that it stops with the following: [DR-DOS] A:\

And that's it. I can't get anything to boot up to a setup screen.

 

...

Boot to Safe Mode.

Take the CD out, and reboot the computer.

I guess I shouldn't have stepped into this thread. Rikky should take over where he left off. I just saw an oppurtunity to help, but I've apparently confused things worse.

 

I finally got a cd to bring up the setup window. Surprisingly, only WinXP Professional would bring up the setup screen. Why the Home Edition wouldn't I have no idea. Anyway, I completely erase the C drive and re-install the professional edition of Windows XP. Now, I've got this thing working!

I apologize for my previous behavior, I've been working on this computer since yesterday afternoon and didn't get much sleep last night because of it. Anyway, I thank you for trying to help me.

Although, I still get the controller error for my floppy drive, but I think that might be due to the fact that it doesn't work.

I have one question though. I use Tune-Up Utilities 2004 edition for cleaning my internet cache, registry, etc. Could that have messed up my registry? I hope not. I think it's a nifty program.

 

Well done,xp pro is bootable thats all,just reading this thread made blood come out of my ears,I use CCleaner,as for causing the prob I havnt a clue,I have no brain left for today and its only monday.

check the frequently asked questions stickies on the best way to do a clean install,remember Install then firewall

 

Haha, sorry about that. I didn't even want to bother trying to repair the registry. It was making me frustrated and it was a big hassle (a small task I'm sure for some other than me) but I digress it's fixed. Yeah, I had CCleaner on my computer as well. I had a lot of spyware programs. I had so many spyware programs on there you'd think I was ready for an invasion! I don't think spyware was the problem though. It was probably something I willingly (sp?) downloaded.

Will do. I've already got the firewall enabled.

Cheers!