System restore in recovery console.
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I have worked very hard to try each fix listed on the site
and put easy to follow step by step instructions on each page. If this
helps you fix your problem please donate with the Paypal link at the
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supplied without warranty. It can help if done correctly. Use at your own
risk. Thanks... Dale
This covers some helpful resolutions for:
Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or
corrupt:
\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
Windows XP could not start because the following File is missing or
corrupt:
\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE
This stop message
Stop: c0000218 {Registry File Failure} The registry cannot load the
hive (file): \SystemRoot\System32\Config\SOFTWARE or its log or alternate
This system error
Unmountable boot volume
Also may help with system restore when system restore doesn't
work in normal or safe mode.
You can also do this repair with a Live cd like
Bart's PE or
UBCD4Win disk. If you have one of these click the link for your type of
disk for instructions.
If you have a hall.dll error upon boot up try this article first.
Click here to fix your hal.dll
error.
Note: This troubleshooting step is usually used for the specific issue
indicated above but it may also work for BSOD issues which recently occurred
and you're unable to boot to either safe mode or normal mode.
Important! Stop and read this.
Before starting this process, Please do yourself a favor and stick
your head by your computer and listen. If you hear a louder than usual click
noise that's out of the ordinary, "SHUT OFF YOUR COMPUTER" and do not
restart it till you can make a backup of your drive. This may be the clunk
of death for your hard drive.
Click here to read about the
Click or Clunk of death in a hard drive.
Okay now lets get started.
A:
First, The basics. You will need a Windows XP CD. If you only have a
recovery disk set like the ones from a HP or Compaq, they will not do what
you want. You can normally use a Dell disk, also retail box disks (XP
Purchased from the store), or some OEM versions of XP will work (most of
these will have the Microsoft hologram on them). You can also download a
boot up Floppy disk set from Microsoft here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310994 There are a few other
places with bootable CDs on the net, but the easiest thing to do if you
don't have an XP CD is to borrow a Dell or Retail box disk and get right to
work. If you cant find a boot disk set and don't want to make a floppy disk
set, you can use an Umbuntu disk (see
article here) or another Linux based live CD version like Knoppix
If your computer already starts
at the CD rom first, or you know how to make it go there skip to part C:
B.
The next step is to make sure that your CD rom is the first drive your
system starts at (or the floppy if you have to use the floppy disk set). If
you are using a Dell then most of the time you can go directly to a boot
menu by clicking the F12 key, I believe that some HP's and Compaq's do this
as well. If not, then the most common keys to get into the Bios (Cmos) are:
Delete (DEL on many keyboards), F1, F2, or F10 will normally get you
there.
If your system doesn't go to the bios screen with one of these keys
pressed several times right after you start the computer then consult the
manufacturers website or owners manual. Once you are in the bios you want to
find the boot section. there are so many different versions of bios that I
could build a whole section of this site just telling you about the bios.
The 2 most common places are:
B1: On the main bios
screen a tab that says BOOT. Highlight the section by using the right arrow
key on the keyboard, then highlight the first boot by using the down arrow
and change it to "CDROM" or "ATAPI CDROM" by using the + or - keys on your
keyboard or sometimes you can click enter and then use the arrow keys
on your keyboard. To make this change then click enter again when you have
picked the CDROM. (If you are booting to the A: drive then you would choose
FLOPPY as the first boot drive)
after you have made the change, then use the right arrow key to highlight
Exit and then click enter as long as the Exit Saving Changes is highlighted.
You may also be able to exit saving your changes by clicking the F10 Key
B2: On the main Bios
screen you will see a choice of "ADVANCED". If you use the arrow keys to get
to the advanced choice then click enter you should see "BOOT" or in some
Bios it will already have the drive order listed. If it says BOOT then
highlight that using the arrow keys and click enter to show the boot order
of your drives. Then using the arrow and the + or - keys make the first boot
the CD rom, or floppy drive depending on which you have to boot with. Click
the ESC key till you get to the main Bios screen, then use the arrow keys to
highlight the choice that implies you will be saving the settings you just
made and click enter.
After doing one of the above mentioned choices your computer should
reboot and automatically try to start at the drive you told it to boot to.
Now ON to Step C:
C.
After you know that the computer will boot to the correct drive, insert your
disk into the appropriate drive. If you have more than one cd rom or floppy
drive you may find that your system only checks one drive before going to
the hard drive for boot up. If this happens you can just move the disk to
the other drive and restart your computer.
When you get the system started and it finds your startup
disk you will see a screen that says Press any Key to boot from CD. I
normally use the space bar as my any key and then you should see a blue
screen that says Windows setup in the left hand corner. Wait untill you see
the welcome to setup screen and then click the
"R" key to get to the
Recovery Console How long it takes to get to each of these depends on the
speed of your system, but I will tell you that it will take a few minutes to
finally get to the Console.
Once you are at the Recovery Console you will be given at
least one choice of Windows installations. Normally the choice you want is
the number 1 choice. Click the number 1 key at the "top" of the keyboard and
click enter.
NOTE: at this point your numbers to the right of your keyboard are turned
off. If you insist on using these keys for your numbers remember to hit the
Numbers Lock key before clicking a number over there or your computer will
automatically reboot and you will have to wait through the previous steps to
get back to the console. I know because I've done it several times out of
habit and had to wait it out again.
You will be given a message asking for the administrator
password. Unless someone or something has messed with your computer there is
no password so you just click the
enter key.
If your computer insists you have a password and you never
had one before or it isn't working with your password,
"CLICK HERE" to see how to fix a corrupted password.
This will bring you to a prompt that says:
C:\WINDOWS>
Type: cd \ and then click enter
( Note: between "cd" and "\"
there should be a "blank space" otherwise the command won't work. If
you find that a command hasn't worked make sure you typed it correctly.
These are similar to old DOS commands where spaces had to go between each
command so DOS knew where one command stopped and another started.)
You are now at the ROOT of the drive where it all begins. The Prompt
should now say C:\>
Now type: CHKDSK /R and click enter.
The chkdsk / r command also includes the P command and will also look for
lost recoverable information in bad sectors.
This Disc check takes some time especially if you have a lot of
information on your drive, so you should go take a break now and come back
periodically to check on the progress. It has taken as much as several hours
for this on some machines I've worked on, so be patient.
Now after the chkdsk has run type: FIXBOOT
then click enter.
It may prompt you with a warning but continue through it and once fixboot
has finished type: EXIT and click enter.
Your system should reboot and when it does click the F8 button to get a
windows start menu. Use the up or down arrow to highlight the LAST KNOWN
GOOD CONFIGURATION and click enter. If it was a simple drive error this
should have fixed it.
If you still get a system32 error reboot the system to the Recovery
Console and follow the steps below.
________________________________________________________________
I. Boot to Recovery Console as
described above.
II.
Restore the registry with the steps below.
1. Type: cd \
( Reminder: between "cd" and "\"
there should be a "blank space" otherwise the command won't work.
These are similar to old DOS commands where spaces had to go between each
command so DOS knew where one command stopped and another started.)
2.Type: Cd system~1\_resto~1
If it gives an error "Access Denied" while accessing the folder,
follow the method below
Type: cd \
Then click enter
Type: cd windows\system32\config
Then click enter
Type: ren system system.bak
Then click enter
(note the spaces
between ren and system, and then between system and system.bak)
Type: exit
Then click enter
now the computer should restart, then follow steps 1-6 of the
article.
3.Type: dir
Then click enter
NOTICE: When you hit enter it will list all the restore points folders
like "rp1", "rp2" we have to see the last restore point to copy the file
from a recent backup. If the restore points have more than one page then you
have keep on hitting the key to view the last restore point folder.
NOTICE: It is a good rule of thumb to choose the files from the restore
point folder which the second to the last one.
4.Type: cd rp {with the second to the last
restore point no. } (Note: Example: cd rp9. if rp10 is the last restore
point. where last restore point no. =10)
Then click enter
5.Type: cd snapshot
NOTICE: Now the command Prompt will look like this
c:\system~1\resto~1\rp9\snapshot
( Note : restore point 9 assumed for clarity of the content, you have to
go to the last restore point folder as described in the previous lines) Now
according to the error message we have to copy the appropriate file from the
restore point folder.
II.
NOTE: The appropriate command should be used according to the error
message. But often times I do both to make sure they match each other. Also,
there is a SPACE between "copy" and the underscore and also a space between
system or software and the c:
If the file "system" is
corrupted
Type: copy _registry_machine_system
c:\windows\system32\config\system
Then click enter
If the file "software" is
corrupted
Type: copy _registry_machine_software
c:\windows\system32\config\software
Then click enter
Type: Exit
Then click enter to restart computer and boot to the hard drive normally.
If this does not work, then you should try an earlier restore point.
Normally 2 or 3 more restore points back. If that does not work your drive
may be corrupt. At this point you will have a couple of different options.
1: You can copy your drive to a new drive and then try again. Make sure
the software you use copies the restore folder with the rest of the windows
system. Some do not move the system restore folder over to save time and
space, but you can manually tell the program to move the restore folder. I
use Casper XP, and it has the option to move the restore folder.
NOTE: Only do step 2 if the above has failed. Step 2 will remove all
system restore points from your system and as far as I can tell they will be
gone forever unless you have a copy of your hard drive. Also this should
remove all MS updates and service packs and you will have to do your windows
updates over again.
2: Another is to start the system from the cd as described previously and
then, instead of loading the command prompt by clicking "R" at the first
recovery prompt, you tell it to install windows and after you click the F8
key to agree to the End User License, you then will be given a chance to
recover a previous version of windows (if the installation software does not
recognize a previous version of windows !!!"STOP"!!!, or you will loose
everything on the drive). Carefully follow through that repair setup wizard
and that may also fix your problem.
Please check your drive with a diagnostic program like Western Digital's
WD Diagnostics to see if there is a problem with the drive. Many times there
is no problem, but its better to play it safe than loose your stuff after
you just recovered it.
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