Repair/Fix Corrupted/Damaged System File for Win 2000 (Emergency Disk/Install2 OS)

Today, when starting my old Sony laptop with win 2k, I received a message that the file WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEMced was corrupted or needed repair. The recommendation was to use the original recovery or the Win 2000 CDs.

Problems & thoughts: rolleyes

1) Sony is proprietary. When I insert the original Sony CD, the only options which appear on the 1st screen are to get rid of everything on (a) C drive or (b) C+D drives.

Does anyone know if there's a way to access an option to repair? Or, if I get rid of everything on C, do u know if I can reinstall and at least, save everything on D?

2) I tried to use a 'normal' windows 2000 OS CD, but to repair via 'console' or 'emergency,' the prompt asks for the emergency repair disk.

Yikes, I'm travelling for the holidays and my Emergency Repair Disk is at home. Does anyone know if or how I can repair without the Emergency Repair Disk?

3) Another option was to install the Win 2000 on drive D. I'm wondering if this will let me access my files (then, back-up my files - there's not too many and the majority of new stuff is on drive D) and then, to the entire reinstall from the original CD's.

However, if I don't do the entire reinstall and I keep the D drive Win 2000 -- will this be okay until I get home and use the Emergency Repair disk? Or, will there be a problem with two OS's on win 2000?


I'd appreciate your kind advice! :confused

 

Re: Repair/Fix Corrupted/Damaged System File for Win 2000 (Emergency Disk/Install2 OS

Actually, you have registry damage...doing a repair will destroy the OS.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/269075

 

Re: Repair/Fix Corrupted/Damaged System File for Win 2000 (Emergency Disk/Install2 OS

Thank you!

Um, from the MS support doc, I chose to do the "Restore a Backup of the System Hive" only because it was the only thing I could do -- since I don't know if I have a "Promise Technology, Inc. ATA66 PCI controller card" and I couldn't log on to try the "Reduce the Size of the System Hive."

It worked!! Yay!! So, I could log back onto Win2000 -- but as expected, I need to reinstall some of the hardware drivers (such as I can't directly print, even though I can bring up the application) which MS mentioned. I haven't reinstalled the drivers yet.

I also lost the ability to create a pdf file from a MSWord doc (since Acrobat Distiller and the printers no longer show up when I go to print) -- though I can still open the Distiller application.

Just wondering -- would it help to fix things if I run the repair now that Windows is kinda okay now?

Or, is my only option to just back up and reinstall from the original CD?

:confused

 

Re: Repair/Fix Corrupted/Damaged System File for Win 2000 (Emergency Disk/Install2 OS

Backup and reinstall, or find your ERD.

The good thing about all of this is that you now are able to back up.

Repair installs will never address:

1. Registry damage.
2. Missing drivers.

A repair will fix:

1. Damaged or missing Operating System files.

 

Re: Repair/Fix Corrupted/Damaged System File for Win 2000 (Emergency Disk/Install2 OS

When you install a second (temporary copy) you don't need to install to another partition, another folder on the same one will do. Just make sure you answer no to the format? question.
With a second copy of the OS installed you can edit the original registry, although the microsoft tools are much more limited on windows 200o than XP.

A repair install can also fix resource conflict problems which can occur after a new addition to the system and prevent startup.

However you get there you would be well advised to backup your data and then do a fresh clean install to original Sony.
Once you have done this don't forget there have been some important service packs to Windows 2000. The last one was SP4 and there was a 'rollup' after that.