Classic \system32\ Error and an idiot. =/

Ok, To make it simple I was playing WoW and suddenly my computer just locked up and after I waited a good while. I had to flat out kill it because it wasn't reseting even after I went to watch TV for awhile.

I try to start back up and I get - Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM - . Ok this stinks so I went and read microsofts solutions. I get to what I believe is the recovery console. It starts reading the cd for abit and then gets to a point where it hsa three options. I hit R as the instructions stated to start repair.

Here is where my problem hits. It goes to a black screen and asks me what installation to use. I've tried every number for it and even alot of letters because this is new ground for me and I do not know what it wants but everything is invalid cept the number 1 which then leads to a blue screen saying it needs to shut down because of registery error. I think am forced to kill the computer or stare at it for a long time. Now I don't know what it wants and yes, I did use the search option to read some threads before making this post. None had my specific problem but did deal with later steps. Now I did use stylexp to get a different bootscreen and the drive does have another section on it but its free. I never put anything on it. I don't know if this would effect it in any way but there you go.

I'd greatly apperciate any help. I actualy need my computer back for more then just WoW at this moment and i'm currently on my friends to make this post. I know it might sound dumb or stupid but I just need some help and you guys come recommended. I don't have the spare 300 bucks sadly either to get geeksquad or someone to show up and fix it either. =/

My OS is windows XP professional and its updated to service pack 2.

 

do you have antivirus program and spyware that you can run while in safemode? can you even boot up in safemode? i take the easy way out and just reformat when i have problems, something about a fresh computer just seems so soothing to me, but this problem seems to go pretty deep into stuff i really dont know, but im here posting to try and give you some hope, cuz only thing i can think of is safemode, and antivirus/spyware....post back

 

Tim - I read about that in a reply you gave to someone else in a thread I found with search. When I try to do that I end up at a blue screen that says its shutting down to avoid an error that might or might not cause more damage.

To explain where I get stuck abit more. Is I get to the console and I reach the point where I hit R. I do so and then I get to the black screen with a command prompt that says C:WINDOWS but the real kicker is it goes passed this and asks for an installation command but no letter or number have I put in will it accept cept for the number "1" which it then goes to the blue screen I told you about earlier and forces a reboot. This is where I get stuck. I can not get passed this point and its the furthest out of the others I read in search that will let me go.

Borsung - I can not get into any form of safe mode. It kicks back into the \windows\system32\config\system error and starts to reboot. So I sadly can not get to any of my virus scanners and such. I use kaspersky, lavasoft, and some other programs which were linked to me from here like ccleaner. I do not spam them but I do check them often. Kaspersky was having a network issue of some sort though and refused to connect to update the passed week.

 

Thanks Tim this will help me bring my problem more to light than I could explain. In that link you just gave me. I get to that screen with with C:Windows and it asking for my installation number.

1: C:Windows

Which windows installation would you like to log onto
(To cancel, press ENTER)?

Now here is where I hit one and it goes to a blue screen that needs to shut down and says registery_error towards the top. With an explantion that its shutting down to prevent an error from doing further harm.

This is the wall I hit and I do not know why it won't just let me continue after hitting 1. I'd love to try the rest of your solutions but it will not let me beyond this point.

Small Edit: Just a small note. I will be here for the next couple hours and my computer is nearby. During this time I can give a shot to any ideas or suggestions. .-.

 

Just thought i'd add. (Know its a double post >.<) That I get this same blue screen on any of the solutions given. I even got this when trying to use some floppies recently to just reinstall windows. It all ends up at this screen telling me registery_error. That it had to shut down due to this or my computer could be harmed.

I honestly don't understand it. This is more then frusterating to me its hair pulling out of head point. =/

 

Thanks TimW I appreciate the patience you are showing.

I'm probaly doing this wrong because the blue screen I get with the option to try and recover being in the middle. After I select it and it goes to the black screen. It doesn't let me do anything else but goes right to forcing me to choose the installation of windows again. The - C:WINDOWS Which windows installation would you like to log onto - At this point it will only let me enter just one letter, number, or symbol. I can not type out what you are asking me to.

This is why I think I am doing it wrong. =/

 

Hmmm i wondering....do you have another Hard drive you can install windows XP on, and make your hard drive now the slave drive, and not your primary? this would allow you to get into windows and still be able to access the data on the other hard drive that seems to be corrupt. And you can have better luck in suceeding to fix the problem. Just a thought.

 

Its a nice thought Borsung sadly the only spare hd I have is a really really old one I plucked out of my step dads computer before chunking it upon request. Its so old it doesn't even have the space for xp. So out of luck there sadly. =/

 

Ah darn, am trying to use my very little knowledge of puters to help ya out i feel bad for ya, i hate when my comp goes all whackey

Which windows installation would you like to log onto
(To cancel, press ENTER)?

i might be confused on what you mean by this but did you try to cancel what ever this "step" is asking for? if so what does it do? or am i just readint this wrong?

 

Well if I just hit enter to cancel it kicks back into a restart again and I have to go through all the other stuff just to get there again. If I hit 1 which is the only option it will accept and that I have to choose. It gives me a blue screen with the - REGISTERY_ERROR - and explination that it needed to shut down or something was going to harm my computer.

Either way its pretty lousy and I appreciate you trying. Just wish I had the spare HD to even give the idea a shot.

 

Dang, im not sure, this is way beyond me, i never had this problem and im only good at fixing things i experianced before ill see if i can scrap some other info on it later tonight and see if i cant find anything.

 

Instead of pressing "1" at the Please select the operating system to start press F8 and see what you get.

Steve

 

Matacumbie - I think I did it at the right spot you requested but to be sure I did it in two spots. First spot is where it asks for which bootscreen to use. The first brings up the selections such as safe mode and so forth. Any of which if I try to bootup with it goes to the blue screen or the \windows\system32 bit. The other at the recovery console where it asks me to select the installation to log onto. - The number 1 pressing spot - It does nothing at all. Just sits there as if i'm pressing nothing. Waiting for me to select 1 so it can more or less deny me. =/

 

OK. I really didn't understand exactly which steps you had tried.

Steve

 

Well i've tried abit and I try again with what is said. I'd really like to solve this and if I have to repeat a step 500 times to do so. I will. It doesn't bother me.

 

When you get the "blue screen" what is the error?

Steve

 

My blue screen error.

A problem has been detected and windows has been shut down to prevent damage to your computer.

REGISTRY_ERROR

If this is the first time you've seen this stop error screen,
restart your computer. If this screen appears again, follow these steps:

Check to make sure any new hardware or software is properly installed.
If this is a new installation, ask your hardware or software manufacturer
for any windows updates you might need.

If problems continue disable or remove any newly installed hardware
or software. Disable BIOS memory memory options such as caching or shadowing.
If you need to use Safe Mode to remove or disable components, restart
your computer, press F8 to select Safe Mode.

Technical Information:

*** STOP: 0x00000051 (0x00000001,0xE1124008,0xA62CEA4E,0x00000616)

 

download UBCD4Win (Ultimate Boot CD for Windows) available from
www.ubcd4win.com and burn the .iso to CD (Of course, you'll need a functioning PC, a friend's PC, whatever...). Follow the web site's instructions for creating the UBCD. Boot to the UBCD on your messed up PC and you'll be presented with a Windows-like environment that runs exclusively from the CD.
There is a registry repair tool that will usually make the PC boot into Windows successfully after it's been run and you reboot to your hard drive. If you go to www.microsoft.com and check out KB307545, you'll find that the UBCD registry repair tool completes the first step of this process.
Go to this link: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/en-us and follow the directions..... read the info at the above microsoft link BEFORE doing anything so you're clear as to what's going on and what you'll be doing.....
Alternatively: if you have ERDCommander (it can be found at various torrent sites for download), you boot into the ERD environment (similar to UBCD) and
use the ERD system restore which uses WinXP's restore points. You can roll back the PC to before the errors started. If this is sounding confusing, it's really not that bad. If you go to the microsoft link above (print the article if you can) it'll lay it all out for you.....
ERDCommander is published by Winternals and can be purchased on the web.
Good luck and I hope I helped!!!
hopperdave2000
PS- I'm assuming you've tried booting into 'Last Known Good Configuration' from the XP 'F8' boot menu..... I'm also assuming the reloading Windows 'over the top' of itself from the install CD isn't working.... I'm also assuming that formatting the hard drive and starting all over from scratch is NOT an option.
Keep posting and let me/us know what's happening.....

 

Thanks Hopper, I will try this today. (Haven't had access to a pc for abit)

Yes, the loading from last good known configuration didn't work and I tried to reinstall windows if thats what you mean from those same screens and suggestions. Just ends up dieing at that blue screen and not even letting me go further. Ya, I foolishly didn't backup alot of what I had on it. So its not much of an option because alot of it is very important to me.

 

Yes, I do have a win98 disc but I was also stupid enough to not put xp on another partition of the drive which does actualy exist.

Hopper, I'm currently trying the other thing but its no longer just a burn an iso bit. They've changed it and its complicated to me at least. I was kinda getting it till they got to this slipstream bit. Now i'm lost and on his site he said this was to better the end result. Well to me he just turned something that I might have understood to something that makes me want to pull my hair out again. =/

 

Doublepost! Well here goes. I downloaded the autostreamer from the site and such. Began that part so I could move on but the program seems to be suck after trying it three times. It always stops at 13 bars and goes no further. Went away for around 45 minutes and still stuck at 13 bars. Should I try the hard way it talks about on the site?

 

Don't worry about any slipstreaming.... it confused me too. Just create CD as per the UBCD web site w/o the damn slipstreaming and the CD will work great. I made mine by printing the directions and following to a 'T'. I first tried the autostreamer and it didn't work. Be sure to visit the microsoft link if you haven't already and print out those instructions too if possible. It's Knowledge Base article KB307545 . As previously mentioned, try to locate ERD Commander on a torrent site (Google search for 'torrents' or 'bittorrent' or 'bitcomet') and download it. It's a straight .iso and will allow you to perform a 'remote' system restore. I wish I could be of more help.... I'll try to find an exact link to ERD Commander and the associated torrent site.

hopperdave2000

BTW: ERD stands for Emergency Rescue Disk.... and it ROCKS!