[Midnighter]

Hi, this particular thing hasn't happened before but my computer has a history of malware. I just got off one problem, now I have another... oh well. >> On startup, most icons were missing and the taskbar was just blue. It keeps on loading and nothing happens, the mouse can't move and I couldn't Ctrl+Alt+Del. I tried restarting but then gave up and just cut the power. After restarting it, I got this on a black screen:

" Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:

\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM "

Then it asked me to press "r" and start the recovery console, but that didn't work-- I just got the blue screen. Please, I don't know what to do... I'm using this on a different computer.


I found a person with a similar problem. I have yet to try what was said in there, I probably need someone to help me so I don't make it worse:

http://www.geekstogo...PT-t237370.html

Edited by Midnighter, 13 June 2009 - 09:21 PM.

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If you have Windows CD...

1. Insert your Windows XP CD into your CD and assure that your CD-ROM drive is capable of booting the CD.
2. Once you have booted from CD, do NOT select the option that states: Press F2 to initiate the Automated System Recovery (ASR) tool.
You’re going to proceed until you see the following screen, at which point you will press the “R” key to enter the recovery console:



3. After you have selected the appropriate option from step two, you will be prompted to select a valid Windows installation (typically number “1″).
Select the installation number, and hit Enter.
If there is an administrator password for the administrator account, enter it and hit Enter (if asked for the password, and you don't know it, you're out of luck).
You will be greeted with this screen, which indicates a recovery console at the ready:



4. There are eight commands you must enter in sequence to repair your problem..
I will introduce them here, and then show the results graphically in the next six steps.
NOTE. Make sure, you press Enter after each command. Make sure, all commands are exact, including "spaces".
These commands are as follows:

CD..
ATTRIB -H C:\\boot.ini
ATTRIB -S C:\\boot.ini
ATRIB -R C:\\boot.ini
del boot.ini
BOOTCFG /Rebuild

Note about the above command.
BOOTCFG /REBUILD command which searches for pre-existing installations of Windows XP and rebuilds sundry essential components of the Windows operating system, recompiles the BOOT.INI file and corrects a litany of common Windows errors.
It is very important that you do one or both of the following two things:
A.) Every Windows XP owner must use /FASTDETECT as OS Load Option when the rebuild process is finalizing.
B.) If you are the owner of a CPU featuring Intel’s XD or AMD’s NX buffer overflow protection, you must also use /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN as an OS Load Option.
For the Enter Load Identifier portion of this command, you should enter the name of the operating system you have installed.
If, for example, you are using Windows XP Home, you could type Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition for the identifier (it's not crucial, however what the name is, as long, as it's meaningful).
Here is your computer screen:



5. Following command verifies the integrity of the hard drive containing the Windows XP installation. While this step is not an essential function in our process, it’s still good to be sure that the drive is physically capable of running windows, in that it contains no bad sectors or other corruptions that might be the culprit:

CHKDSK /R

6. This last command writes a new boot sector to the hard drive and cleans up all the loose ends we created by rebuilding the BOOT.INI file and the system files. When the Windows Recovery Console asks you if you are Sure you want to write a new bootsector to the partition C: ? just hit “Y”, then Enter to confirm your decision:

FIXBOOT

7. It’s time to reboot your PC by typing
EXIT
and pressing Enter.

With any luck, your PC will boot successfully into Windows XP as if your various DLL, Hive, EXE and NTLDR errors never existed.



If you don't have Windows CD...
Download Windows Recovery Console: http://www.thecomput...om/files/rc.iso
Download, and install free Imgburn: http://www.imgburn.c...hp?act=download
Using Imgburn, burn rc.iso to a CD.
Boot to the CD...let it finish loading.
When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.
Then, follow instructions from Step #3 above.

Edited by Broni, 13 June 2009 - 09:22 PM.

[Broni]

If you have Windows CD...

1. Insert your Windows XP CD into your CD and assure that your CD-ROM drive is capable of booting the CD.
2. Once you have booted from CD, do NOT select the option that states: Press F2 to initiate the Automated System Recovery (ASR) tool.
You’re going to proceed until you see the following screen, at which point you will press the “R” key to enter the recovery console:



3. After you have selected the appropriate option from step two, you will be prompted to select a valid Windows installation (typically number “1″).
Select the installation number, and hit Enter.
If there is an administrator password for the administrator account, enter it and hit Enter (if asked for the password, and you don't know it, you're out of luck).
You will be greeted with this screen, which indicates a recovery console at the ready:



4. There are eight commands you must enter in sequence to repair your problem..
I will introduce them here, and then show the results graphically in the next six steps.
NOTE. Make sure, you press Enter after each command. Make sure, all commands are exact, including "spaces".
These commands are as follows:

CD..
ATTRIB -H C:\\boot.ini
ATTRIB -S C:\\boot.ini
ATRIB -R C:\\boot.ini
del boot.ini
BOOTCFG /Rebuild

Note about the above command.
BOOTCFG /REBUILD command which searches for pre-existing installations of Windows XP and rebuilds sundry essential components of the Windows operating system, recompiles the BOOT.INI file and corrects a litany of common Windows errors.
It is very important that you do one or both of the following two things:
A.) Every Windows XP owner must use /FASTDETECT as OS Load Option when the rebuild process is finalizing.
B.) If you are the owner of a CPU featuring Intel’s XD or AMD’s NX buffer overflow protection, you must also use /NOEXECUTE=OPTIN as an OS Load Option.
For the Enter Load Identifier portion of this command, you should enter the name of the operating system you have installed.
If, for example, you are using Windows XP Home, you could type Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition for the identifier (it's not crucial, however what the name is, as long, as it's meaningful).
Here is your computer screen:



5. Following command verifies the integrity of the hard drive containing the Windows XP installation. While this step is not an essential function in our process, it’s still good to be sure that the drive is physically capable of running windows, in that it contains no bad sectors or other corruptions that might be the culprit:

CHKDSK /R

6. This last command writes a new boot sector to the hard drive and cleans up all the loose ends we created by rebuilding the BOOT.INI file and the system files. When the Windows Recovery Console asks you if you are Sure you want to write a new bootsector to the partition C: ? just hit “Y”, then Enter to confirm your decision:

FIXBOOT

7. It’s time to reboot your PC by typing
EXIT
and pressing Enter.

With any luck, your PC will boot successfully into Windows XP as if your various DLL, Hive, EXE and NTLDR errors never existed.



If you don't have Windows CD...
Download Windows Recovery Console: http://www.thecomput...om/files/rc.iso
Download, and install free Imgburn: http://www.imgburn.c...hp?act=download
Using Imgburn, burn rc.iso to a CD.
Boot to the CD...let it finish loading.
When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.
Then, follow instructions from Step #3 above.

Edited by Broni, 13 June 2009 - 09:22 PM.

[Midnighter]

Thanks Broni for the response. Is this different from the Recovery console that was already there? Whenever I start up, there are two options that say Windows Recovery Console and Windows Media Center XP, the Windows Media Center option is always highlighted on startup.

Anyway, I'll get back to you when I finish with the instructions above.

Edited by Midnighter, 13 June 2009 - 09:49 PM.

[edge2022]

Whenever I start up, there is an option that says Windows Recovery console and Windows Media Center XP, it just automatically goes to the Windows Media Center on startup.

The Recovery Console CD that Broni wants you to boot from is the same as your Windows Recovery Console startup option. Follow Broni's directions and use the Recovery Console startup option.

Edited by edge2022, 13 June 2009 - 09:35 PM.

[Broni]

I start up, there is an option that says Windows Recovery console and Windows Media Center XP, it just automatically goes to the Windows Media Center on startup

At this very moment, you have just couple of seconds to select Recovery Console (using arrow keys), and you can follow my manual, when you get to recovery console.

[Midnighter]

Remember the options at Startup? --> Windows Recovery Console and Windows Media Center
After selecting this >Windows Recovery Console<, I was treated with the blue screen that says: "A problem has been detected..." So, that didn't work.

THen I tried F8 which gave me options: Safe Mode, Last Known Good Config, Reboot and others.
So, I selected Last Known Good COnfig, and It went back to the >Windows REcovery Console/Media Center< screen.

Everytime I tried Recovery console, and after it loads,I get a blue screen. It doesn't even give me the option of doing something after that. It just says that it will "shutdown to prevent further damage to your computer."

What do I do?

[Broni]

In that case, you have to boot from CD.
Re-read my reply #2, what to do, if you have Windows CD, or you don't.

Edited by Broni, 14 June 2009 - 11:47 AM.

[Midnighter]

Ok, thanks. I will get back to you as soon as I can... as soon as I find the CD.

Does anybody know, by chance, what kind of CD I should burn the ISO on? I don't really know how to do that.

EDIT: Uh, the iso thing already came w/ Roxio... but I installed ImgBrn... that's still ok right? Weird, Roxio asked for a Product Registration and stuff.

Edited by Midnighter, 14 June 2009 - 08:28 PM.

[Midnighter]

Um, I wasn't prompted for a valid Windows installlation number. (FROM STEP 3)

There wasn't a --> 1: C:\WINDOWS

Do I just continue on? --> It says:

C:\>

If I do continue on, is "CD.." part of the commands? 'Cause, that doesn't work.

Edited by Midnighter, 14 June 2009 - 08:46 PM.

[Broni]

No Windows was listed at all?

[Midnighter]

No, everything on the screen on step 3 was there, just not the: "Which Windows Installation..."

This was the option with the "Onboot [something,something] or USB CD-ROM..." that finally led me to the screen that was shown on step 1

Edited by Midnighter, 14 June 2009 - 08:59 PM.

[Broni]

At C:\> type:
dir
Press Enter.

Post what's listed there. You may see many folders, so look if Windows folder is there.

[Midnighter]

Probably a problem w/ the ISO cd? Though, I don't think so... it took me through all the screens that was shown here.

EDIT: K, got it.

Edited by Midnighter, 14 June 2009 - 09:01 PM.

[Midnighter]

Ah, weird, "There is no floppy disk or CD in the drive."

I'm pretty sure everything was there, it was 7 MB.

Edited by Midnighter, 14 June 2009 - 09:03 PM.

[Broni]

Are you sure, you're at C:\> ?