Viewing Single Post From: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

Viewing Single Post From: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
cvn-tv-dip	May 25 2009, 11:40 PM
Retired Soliloquist Posts: 2,939 Group: Members Member #54,295 Joined: May 14, 2005 I'm Browsing With Firefox 3	A problem similar to one I had a year and a half ago is now occurring on my friend's laptop. Quote: 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. Basically Windows wouldn't start because this one file is missing or corrupt. For reference, my friend has two hard disks in her laptop; C: Approximately 148GB, with about 120GB used and about 28GB free -> Windows XP installed and corrupt D: Approximately 1GB, with about 300MB used and about 700MB free I knew what I had to do, or so I thought. First I tried using GParted to partition C drive into two - a 20GB partition with nothing inside for installing XP, and a 128GB partition containing the files. However, there's an icon next to the C drive (looks like ). Right-clicking on this icon shows that there are some errors with it. The D drive is not problematic like this. I also noticed that while the D drive showed info on how much space was used and how much was left, the C drive could not. And when I try to resize the C drive (this separates some of the free space and makes it available for a new partition), it wouldn't let me. For those curious on what all this means, try making your own ISO-image GParted CD and then running it (independently of XP). It's a useful program. Then I tried using an XP CD (I had SP1 and SP2) to either reinstall Windows or repair (Recovery Console), the latter that I don't really know how to work. There's a problem, though. When I try either one, something roughly meaning this message comes up: Translated message Windows Setup CD could not find a usable hard drive. Check to see if hard drive is on, the hardware is properly connected... (I don't know what the rest means exactly) Although I don't completely understand this message, I diagnosed the problem as not just some file missing (as important as it may be), but something's really wrong with this drive, and that's why none of these CD programs could read/recognize the C drive. This is strange, because when I encountered the problem back in November 2007, I could at least format/reinstall XP. Maybe it's because I had two drives, each big enough (9+ GB) to hold XP, but I doubt that it's simply this. In summary, I can't seem to do anything with this corrupted drive. I want to know: * What keeps causing this? * Is there a way to connect the laptop to some external hard drive and install Windows there, and access the files by running Windows there? Edited by cvn-tv-dip, May 25 2009, 11:41 PM.


\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM · Technology Chat