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Hi,
does anyone know there is a resolution for the following window xp error ?
windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:\windows\system32\config\system
I'm using windows xp professional and keep getting the above message - with no reference to the file that is missing or corrupt. I have tried a complete fresh installation runs ok for about a day then won't boot.
I'm now set up with a dual boot so I can at least get windows 98 running - still get the XP problem though.
regards
Richard
I had this exact problem, and found out the cause is either, an out of date bios or bad\wrongly comfigured memory.
I upgraded my bios, then changed my memory to lower settings.My solution was to change my memory to 'host clock', then changed my processor from 100 fsb to 133. Then followed the recommended settings for the soundblaster 5.1 issue.
I am using the Abit KT7A-Raid with bios 'ZT', this is the best bios, newer versions cause other errors.If you don't have the KT7A-Raid then look at your motherboard manufacturer's website for a newer bios.
To get your system back I cannot guarantee, but you can try the following,
boot with the CD then run the recovery console, choose your windows setup to repair.
Then type the following exactly,
cd system32\config (Press Enter)
ren system system.old (Press Enter)
ren system.alt systemalt.old (Press Enter)
copy c:\windows\repair\system (Press Enter)
copy c:\windows\repair\regback\system (Press Enter)Once this has been done try to reboot, even if some of the above files cannot be found. This doe's not always work, but it's worth a try.
Mark H.
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Mark H., both my brother and I have run into this problem on our Abit boards (KT7A-RAID and KG&-RAID), and I thought it was the memory at first, too. I switched out the memory, slowed it down, and even gave up on RAID and installed XP on a single drive on the HPT controller, both with and without the SBLive, but I ran into the same problem after a few reboots. Finally I installed onto a hard drive on IDE1, and it ran fine. The problem was with the Highpoint controller, not the memory.
I found a bit of trivia that helped me solve the problem: some releases of the HPT370RAID driver have trouble writing system files in both Win2K and WinXP, on both VIA KT133A and AMD761/VIA686B hybrid motherboards--especially when an SBLive or similar non-IRQ-sharing PCI device is present. Newer drivers have mostly fixed the problem, but it still crops up on some configs. The controller fails to update the system files quickly enough during the shutdown process, and you're left with a fragmented or missing file that won't even get you through Safe Mode. Here's how I got XP to purr on RAID on both the KT7A-R and KG7-R:
Create a new array in the HPT BIOS. Perform a clean install of WinXP using XP's default HPT3xx driver--you can install with the SBLive and all your other devices attached. After the first boot into XP, load the Win2K_103b driver (download it from Highpoint) for the RAID controller. Reboot. That's it.
This IS normally a memory timing issue, but all bets are off when the HTP370 is involved. The driver revision history mentions the system file bug, but it's my guess that it has nothing to do with system files--just that the controller can't get enough time on the PCI bus during the shutdown process to finish writing to them.
Anyway, have fun. It's working great on our machines.
David
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My IBM NetVista was running fine with XP since the first of November. Downloaded Nero CD software the other day, installed, rebooted and died with corrupt system file.
I have no idea how to create a new bios array and not sure I want to. Needless to say I will be installing some automatic recovery software. Not fun recovering from this. Remain calm.
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Same problem guys but this would be interesting. I had the problem with my Compaq Presario laptop. It started when I turned the power off while Win2K is closing halfway (can't wait, when I booted it up I had the same error message while booting to Win2K. So I booted to WinXP to do my work. I tried to fixing the problem by copying WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/CONFIG/SYSTEM from a different computer running Win2K and pasting it to the said corrupt file, when I booted it up, it booted a while but hanged halfway. I think I lost the original file. So I tried fixing it with the CD but I eventually installed a new Win2K OS. Now.... It is doing it on my WinXP boot! Any input? Any real fixes out there?
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I had the same problem. After reading your replies and solutions. I tried without success. I gave up and bought the Adaptec 1200 card. I'll let you know if it's any better. By the way, the Adaptec card uses what looks like the same Highpoint RAID controller chip.
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Okay everybody....I have the fix for the problem that will keep your current settings intact and you won't have to reload XP.
I found it in this Microsoft knowledge base article.http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=%2fsearch%2fviewDoc.aspx%3fdocID%3dKC.Q307545%26dialogID%3d6684114%26iterationID%3d1%26sessionID%3danonymous%7c5913752
Follow their directions exactly to recover your system. Also, if your tech-savy and you have a second computer to hook your hard drive up to(or running a dual boot), you can boot from the other computer and work with the files that way(that's what I did). Be sure to back-up the originals to a back-up folder just in case.
If you're using NTFS, the second computer must be either a Win2000 or XP machine to be able to work with your NTFS harddrive.
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I hav same symptoms but the problems has not yet to be decided as the permanent solution and still waiting if the problem will strike again.
If u hav a look in the event-viewer, see if u hav a warning named "Userenv".Advised by people, that we should use recovery console from the winXP cd to repair our registry. However, this is not a fix to resolve the corruption but just a quick recovery. It will eventually happen again and virtually will drive you crazy.
It's possible that 1 of the programs are still running and using the registry while the computer shuts down due incompatibility of the software. The software may seem to be compatible with winXP but in fact it could be dodgey with being known.
I had been suspecting my AudioHQ from Creative would the bugger and i disabled it for running at startup. Userenv seems to be had been cleared out and problem had been assumed to be stopped.
Any enquires or opinions to my situation,plz email me @ willamette4@hotmail.com with a subject: corrupted Registry.
PLZ email me if u also have "userenv" in the eventviewer, so i can collect ideas whether this is the main thing causing the havoc corruption.
Ta
Cheers! =)
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I got this message after installing XP to dual boot with Win 2K. The following article in MS Knowledgebase says that Win 2K does not know how to load XP because only the newer OS is backward compatible with the old. It says to copy the files: ntldr and ntdetect.com to the root of the system drive from the Win XP CD (i386 directory).
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q283433
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I have switched to DDR memory two times.(Micron). Both times I have had this problem when rebooting hours later. The system runs fine until I reboot. Then I have to swap out the DDR memory, reinstall XP Pro, and the problen goes away. (Had had no luck trying the repair route). Seens to be a bios/memory setting problem. Don't know which one. Any guesses. I have the ECS K7S5A motherboard. Shame on me!
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 Hangs on SHutdown
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Repair Boot Sector
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