-----Original Message-----
My computer will not bootup. I get a message that says
Windows\System32\config\system is missing or corrupted.
The message says you can attempt to repair this file by
starting windows setup using the original setup CD-Rom.
Select R at the first screen. I've done that. What do
you do after that when you get a windows: Prompt?
.
You, unfortunately have a corrupted/missing System hive
in the registry.
You can successfully boot to the recovery console, which
is good.
Hopefully, you can get your system back to what it was
before this, as close as the day before.
Here is an article for this:
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
us;307545
Hope this helps.
PS: Create a restore point if this is successful.
PSS: If this is an OEM copy of Windows XP (came with your
pc from the manfacturer), the system file in the %
systemroot%\repair folder may be called system.bak.
If it is system.bak, copy it with the extension, for
example:
copy c:\windows\repair\system.bak c:\windows\system32
\config
then, rename it to system w/o an extension.
A repair install may not be necessary, as it will wipe
out your service packs, and updates, it may wipe out some
drivers, and if you have a dial up connection, or a PPP
connection to the internet, a repair install can break
your rasman, if you had SP1a installed.
Good luck with this, as the recovery console is a
stickler for syntax.
Angus.
