config sys

My hubby got delete happy!!!!!! He deleted some files and now can't even turn his computer on. his screen says "Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\system32\config\SYSTEM
You can attempt to repair this file by starting Windows Setup using the original Setup CD-ROM, Select 'r' at the first screen to start repair." There is no command prompt and each time a key is pushed on the keyboard, it just restarts the computer and comes back to this screen, which is the first screen you see when the computer turns on, after the picture logos for MSI, ATI and 8Series Extreme.

But he does not have original Setup CD-ROM, and neither do I (I purchase my computer all set up from Future Shop and they didn't give me many disks [just a Medion Operating system Installation CD]....I inquired about it, but they said everything I needed was in the packaging....and not knowing much about anything two years ago, I believed them) Is there anything he can do, or that I can do for him since I have an operational computer?????

FYI he WAS running windows XP sp2....his computer was a generic box, that he and a friend put together...would my Medion disk do the job??? or would my parents version of Windows Vista work if he installed that??????

Thank you so much for any expertise you can offer!!!!
Tammy

 

I went ahead and tried the Medion disk....also figured out how to try a restore by pushing F8 at the screen I described to you, but neither worked.....Please help....am panicking!!!!

 

Here's a link.... read all the way through at least twice before deciding if you want to try it. It is not for the timid. Print it out if possible:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/en-us

Here's another link.... this one is much easier, and less likely to cause further problems if you mess it up, but is also a bit less likely to actually fix the problem, but it might (it's worth a shot since the PC is doing nothing now):
http://icrontic.com/articles/repair_windows_xp

In this situation, I don't think a repair install will bring the PC back to how it was, with all your settings and shortcuts, but you could do it to get to the desktop. All your data and programs will be there, but none of the programs will run. Any photos, music, and documents will be intact, but may not open correctly unless the program they were created with is re-installed. If you need to recover the data and don't want to try the repair install route, create a UBCD4Win (Ultimate Boot CD 4 Windows). It boots into a Windows-like environment and is full of programs that will help you copy your data to an external drive or burn it to a CD:
UBCD4Win http://www.majorgeeks.com/UBCD4Win_d5710.html
How to build the CD: http://www.ubcd4win.com/howto.htm

Good luck! I hope this helps!
:major [dlb]

 

Thank you so much.....we've read and re-read the articles with the links....went with the first one and we've gotten so far, it's exciting!!! But we are stuck again, believe it or not, at the darned password Hubby made a major change since buying this computer, mainly moving to be with me, haha and left behind a lot...apparently his records of passwords etc....to make a long story short, we can't get passed the password.....is there any way to figure this out????? The site suggested leaving this blank if there was a possibility that there was no password set, but we tried that and no luck

oh, by the way, we used my medion disk to get him going into the recovery console, and so far so good.....just this darn password.....any ideas???? It's (the administrator password) please help quick, lol...he's tearing apart the bedroom looking for any files he might find !!!! :confused

Thanks again.....

 

Woohoooooo!!!!!! Okay, he found his password, but it didn't work....we tried every different way to spell it just in case it was spelled wrong when he first set it up.....nothing worked......so he just simply re-installed windows xp from my disk (I assume this is ok, since we are in the same home, married, and on the same internet connection???)....

anyway, he now has an operational windows XP on his computer....with only a recycling bin icon.....he's not too upset about starting fresh.....but now the problem is that he can't get himself connected to the internet......We've looked at a few things online and from what we've seen is that he didn't go through the entire process of setting up windows...for example, he didn't re-name his computer and set another administrative password....he didn't have to enter the product key....he didn't have to set up internet connection parameters.....etc.....but what we didn't see was how to move it on to that point.....

any ideas???

 

You don't have to name the PC, and setting a password isn't a real good idea... the previous password debaucle taught you nothing? If it's just the two of you in the house using the PC, then a password really isn't necessary.

:confused Didn't enter a product key? It must be an OEM disc from the factory designed for use on their PC only....
Anyway- I'm thinking that the reason you can't connect to the internet is due to lack of drivers. Go to the Device Manager; if you see any exclamation points, or question marks, or red X's, then there's some driver problems....

 

WEll, we've been working away at this for quite some time.....I just wanted to tell you that he has resolved it.....hit plenty of obstacles on the way, but he's up and running....wooohooooo!!!!!!!!

But we can't tell ya how he did it, cause we just don't know! lol

Thanks for all your help...it certainly got us over some of the obstacles!!!!