Hi, I came across this forum while googling for some help on the following issue.

My windows xp pro won't star up because this file/folder is corrupt or missing:
WIN>SYSTEM32>CONFIG>SYSTEM

I tried to repair that by following this guide:
http://www.windowsxpprofessional.windowsreinstall.com/installxpcdrepair/part3.htm
but when i get to part 2 instead of the screen shown in the guide i get this one and i'm not able to continue any further.


Any suggestions?


Now besides that i've been trying to copy some folders from C: to an external drive using ms-dos. I have come to assume that this can't be done with the 'copy' command and i must use 'xcopy' instead. However my ms-dos does not recognize 'xcopy' as a VALID command and it does not appear in the command list either. Again, any help?

thanks in advance...Your registry is corrupt.
This guide explains how to restore the registry to an earlier backup.
If you have System Restore enabled you should have registry backups available.
http://webcast.broadcastnewsroom.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=8658&afterinter=true
(Be sure to follow the steps carefully, a printed copy doesn't hurt.)thanks a lot but i don't get how i should insert these commands in the dos prompt

Code: [Select]md c:\windows\tmpcopy c:\windows\system32\config\system
c:\windows\tmp\system.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\software c:\windows\tmp\software.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\sam c:\windows\tmp\sam.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\security c:\windows\tmp\security.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\default c:\windows\tmp\default.bak
delete c:\windows\system32\config\system
delete c:\windows\system32\config\software
delete c:\windows\system32\config\sam
delete c:\windows\system32\config\security
delete c:\windows\system32\config\default
e.g.

if i type this:
Code: [Select]copy c:\windows\system32\config\softwareit works

if i type the whole line
Code: [Select]copy c:\windows\system32\config\software c:\windows\tmp\software.bakor only this part
Code: [Select]c:\windows\tmp\software.bakit says parameter is not valid...You shouldn't be doing this at a dos prompt, but at the Recovery Console. Like I said, it is important you follow the instructions carefully.well actually by dos prompt i MEANT the recovery console (the place where you input those dos commands anyway)

my question is whether that commands i included in the code box above are correctly FORMATED or if there is some mistake

i mean shouldn't it be like this?
Code: [Select]md c:\windows\tmp
copy c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\tmp\system.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\software c:\windows\tmp\software.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\sam c:\windows\tmp\sam.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\security c:\windows\tmp\security.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\default c:\windows\tmp\default.bak
delete c:\windows\system32\config\system
delete c:\windows\system32\config\software
delete c:\windows\system32\config\sam
delete c:\windows\system32\config\security
delete c:\windows\system32\config\default
thanks for your patienceYep that should be correct.
If you find that you can't copy some of the files, rename them instead.
This is also described in the Addendum note below the step you're at.
the struggle goes on...

did what the guide says but upon rebooting the same message of missing file appeared
it seems i have no choice but to format and i must copy some files from c to my external drive before doing that.


xcopy did not work because i was in recovery mode and not in proper ms-dos.

so question number1: is there a way to access ms-dos without starting up windows?

i've come to know about this thing called linux live cd which might help me copying files from one disc to another... any info on that?Did you complete the guide? I.e. did you copy registry backups from your System Volume Information folder? If you did it sounds to me like you got the wrong backup.
Remember you're not supposed to get the most current version.

Quote

Because you used the registry file created by Setup, this registry does not know that these restore points exist and are available. A new folder is created with a new GUID under System Volume Information and a restore point is created that includes a copy of the registry files that were copied during part one. This is why it is important not to use the most current folder, especially if the time stamp on the folder is the same as the current time.

did you copy registry backups from your System Volume Information folder?