The World of Layonara

The Layonara Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: Guardian 452 on April 05, 2007, 03:44:12 PM

Title: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Guardian 452 on April 05, 2007, 03:44:12 PM
My PC went belly up on me yesterday. Im using my wifes laptop at the moment, while I try and figure out how to get my pc running again.

Yesterday when I went to turn it on I kept geting stuck and getting error messages before windows would open up.


Here are examples of the messages I was getting

the registry cannot load the hive (file) \\systemroot\\system32\\config\\SOFTWARE
its corrupt, absent, or not wrtiable


I tried using f8 and stating in safemode, and using last know good configuration, both times I get this message.

Windows could not start because the following fine is mising or corrupt: \\WINXP\\SYSTEM32\\CONFIG\\SYSTEM


Then it tells me I can attept to repair this file by starting the windows setup from my windows CD.... well I finally got it to read the CD right away and I got it to start up this repair mode.....  But I cant figure ut how it works at all!!

I'd appreciate any help from the community... in walking me thru this and geting my PC back!


Thanks

G-452
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Nyralotep on April 05, 2007, 04:18:48 PM
This (http://www.informationweek.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=189400897) might be able to help you.
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Guardian 452 on April 05, 2007, 05:07:54 PM
Following the instructions in the link and I cant get past screen 6.

They said its aother poorly worded screen and not to wory that I am still on the right track but I cant figure out how to get past here....

If I hit ENTER it looks for a disk with a previous version of windows..... if I hit F3 then it just takes me out of the prograa]m completly.


what am I doing wrong... .or not doing to get to screen 7?
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Nyralotep on April 05, 2007, 05:43:42 PM
Does it find a previous version of Windows?  or does it just continue to look?
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Guardian 452 on April 05, 2007, 05:47:17 PM
it wants a previous version on disk, which I dont have.

then it comes right back to ENTER and F3 so I cant figure out how to move on!
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Nyralotep on April 05, 2007, 05:51:10 PM
Found the actual Microsoft document.  Try it from scratch again following these (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx) instructions.
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: jrizz on April 05, 2007, 05:59:54 PM
i repair mode can you run a system restore from a restore point?
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Guardian 452 on April 05, 2007, 06:00:58 PM
nope

It just wont let me past the set up windows XP Now and asking for my disk with an older version of windows.


*thinks about using his Remington 870 20 gauge to "fix it" *
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: jrizz on April 05, 2007, 06:03:07 PM
the Rem wont do it you will get the blue (read as blew) screen of death
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Guardian 452 on April 05, 2007, 06:08:37 PM
No..... but it will feel good!  

This $^@(^&;\\'ing  PC hasnt worked all day and its driving me NUTS!

the links I have been given would work great if I could get past the hangup I am having!


AHHHHH!!!!!
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Nyralotep on April 05, 2007, 06:17:03 PM
From another document here (http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=138):

Next, Windows Setup will find existing Windows XP installations. You will be asked to repair an existing XP installation, or install a fresh copy of Windows XP.

If no installations are found, then you will not be given the option to repair. This may happen if the data or partition on your drive is too corrupted.



If it's not finding an installation your only option might be to re-install XP.  What happened before this problem started?
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Marswipp on April 05, 2007, 09:35:37 PM
SpinRite (http://www.grc.com/spinrite.htm) should tell you the physical state of the hard drive, but you would have to be willing to pay about one hundred US dollars.
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Guardian 452 on April 05, 2007, 10:10:12 PM
Alright ive given up on that hard drive and im now gonna try and mke my back up storage hard drive into my main drive.... hope that works at least!
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Filatus on April 05, 2007, 10:15:32 PM
This page might help.

Corrupt Hive (http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_sys32.htm)
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Guardian 452 on April 05, 2007, 10:15:56 PM
cant do tht either..... *sigh* I give up.
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: hawklen on April 05, 2007, 11:30:40 PM
Well, when windows gives me this many problems, I just format the drive and reinstall. But thats just me
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Guardian 452 on April 06, 2007, 05:08:07 PM
ok.... after trying to log in to windows about 137 times over the past 2 days... out ofthe blue today it let me log in !!!!

Thank god too!!! I tried to play Layo on my wifes laptop... OMG laaaaaaaggy!!



Now what do I need to do to fix what wasnt letting me log in !? What programs should I run!?
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Fatherchaos on April 06, 2007, 05:10:28 PM
Guardian, you may want to start by making a backup of your hardware profile (save hardware profile) just to give you an extra fall back point. Given your issues, I'd also recommend a full backup of any critical data for a worst case scenario.
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Guardian 452 on April 06, 2007, 05:43:05 PM
I have made a few disks worth of things I dont want to loose!  :)
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: hawklen on April 06, 2007, 06:02:55 PM
Quote from: Guardian 452
I have made a few disks worth of things I dont want to loose!  :)

Good! Wipe windows clean, it will run quicker :)
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Guardian 452 on April 11, 2007, 04:23:27 PM
Quote from: Filatus
This page might help.

Corrupt Hive (http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_sys32.htm)


Well my PC died again sunday... ive been trying to get this corrupt hive one working butkeep getting stuck....

Here is what I put in.... and here is what I get back...


------------------


In Recovery Console, change to the c:\\Windows folder.

Type cd system32\\config , and then press ENTER.

Type dir system , and then press ENTER.

If you cannot run the preceding command successfully (because the file is missing), skip to step 3. If you can run the preceding command successfully, type ren system system.bak , and then press ENTER.

NOTE : If the message that you received referred to the software file, replace "system" with "software" in the preceding command. For example, you would type ren software software.bak (instead of ren system system.bak ), and then press ENTER.

-----------------

C:\\WINXP\\system32\\config>ren system system.bak
The system cannot find the file or directory specified

I get the same message if I change "system" for "software"


any idea what I am doing wrong?
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Blackguy on April 11, 2007, 04:30:03 PM
I wish I was living near you G, then I would clean this mess up so fast. :D
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Guardian 452 on April 11, 2007, 04:30:49 PM
wow I think
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Guardian 452 on April 11, 2007, 05:21:00 PM
I have things back I think !!!  all my settingsand such are toast so itsgonna take a bit to figure that all out again   lol

none of my USB ports are working,..   :(
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Fatherchaos on April 11, 2007, 07:25:29 PM
Guardian, I just noticed your earlier post. If your looking for a particular file, cd to the root (e.g. c : >) and type in dir /s foo.bar (where foo.bar is the file in question). Dir /s will search all folders and subfolders for the name specified. It's essentially window's search for dos. It may be possible that your system.bak file was located elsewhere if windows has been installed multiple times into separate folders.
Title: Re: PC Troubles - Looking for help
Post by: Tanman on April 11, 2007, 08:06:12 PM
G,

Try this article from the Microsoft KB. helped me countless of times.
How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from starting (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545)
SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2026, SimplePortal