Here's the messages I get on my computer before it keeps rebooting to the PF8 screen:

Stop: C0000218 {Registry file failure}
The registry cannot load the hive (file):
\systemroot\system32\config\software
or its log or alternate.
It is corrupt, absent, or not writable.

Beginning DUMP of physical memory
Physical memory dump complete.
Contact your system administrator or technical support
group for further assistance.

On a black screen afterwards appears this message:

Invalid Boot.INI file


What does all of this mean?

Any help is greatly appreciated.
SOUNDS like you have a corrupted registry. This may be because of a power failure while the registry was being updated, or an improper shutdown (e.g. somebody just pulled the plug) or possibly the beginnings of hard drive failure.

There is a Microsoft guide here

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

Please NOTE that this is NOT for use if you have an OEM installed version of Windows. In that case you may have to use the SUPPLIED recovery disk.

Quote from: Dias de verano on December 09, 2008, 11:47:47 AM

Sounds like you have a corrupted registry. This may be because of a power failure while the registry was being updated, or an improper shutdown (e.g. somebody just pulled the plug) or possibly the beginnings of hard drive failure.

There is a Microsoft guide here

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

Please note that this is NOT for use if you have an OEM installed version of Windows. In that case you may have to use the supplied recovery disk.