Windows XP: Help with Reboot Cycle and Minidump Translation

My computer is in a reboot cycle, always asking the standard "boot windows normally, safe mode, last good known configuration..." It loads Safe mode fine. When looking at the minidumps it points to 'ntkrpamp.exe.' When I look that up I find a lot of hits about the RAM. I have 2 sticks in and I've tried swapping and using only one etc. with no luck. I was able to get the computer to work once after forcing a scandisk /r, but after rebooting it got stuck in it's cycle again. The minidump also says:
ERROR_CODE: (NTSTATUS) 0xc0000218 - {Registry File Failure} The registry cannot load the hive (file): %hs or its log or alternate. It is corrupt, absent, or not writable.

EXCEPTION_CODE: (NTSTATUS) 0xc0000218 - {Registry File Failure} The registry cannot load the hive (file): %hs or its log or alternate. It is corrupt, absent, or not writable.

EXCEPTION_PARAMETER1: e1aed480

EXCEPTION_PARAMETER2: 00000000

EXCEPTION_PARAMETER3: 00000000

EXCEPTION_PARAMETER4: 0

ADDITIONAL_DEBUG_TEXT: \SystemRoot\System32\Config\SOFTWARE - hive could not be loaded.

I'm guessing my registry got messed up, but I'm not sure how to fix that. It is Windows XP sp2 and it is an OEM version, so the MS KB article I found about registry repair didn't help. Any help would be great. I can post any more info if needed. I don't know much about mindidumps.

 

Greetings, awildey...

Looks as if you're a non-neophyte, so I'll not bore you with stuff you've probably already tried...

I will, however, point you to Adrynalyne's excellent thread about debugging: http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=35246 ...there's good info there...

Good luck!

 

I found this application, I've not used it just read about it.

Customer research shows a frequently requested feature that users want from their PCs is fast system startup, whether from cold boot or when resuming from standby or hibernation. The Windows development team at Microsoft has taken bold steps in making fast startup PCs a reality with the Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system.

The design goals for Windows XP on a typical consumer PC are:

- Boot to a useable state in a total of 30 seconds
- Resume from Hibernate (S4) in a total of 20 seconds
- Resume from Standby (S3) in a total of 5 seconds

Boot and resume times are measured from the time the power switch is pressed to being able to start a program from a desktop shortcut.

http://majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=664

 

The first thing that you should do is to check that your hard drive is not failing.

Download the diagnostic utility from the hard drive manufacturer's website to create a bootable floppy or CD. Boot with it, and run the short/quick test and then the long/extended test. If the hard drive test shows no problem with the hard drive, then it is safe to proceed with more work to rectify the problem with the Windows system.

Hard Drive Diagnostics Tools and Utilities
http://www.tacktech.com/display.cfm?ttid=287