Computer question???

Question

My laptop won't startup. It's an IBM Thinkpad. I know, oldschool. It has Windows XP on it, and it was running just fine, and then all the sudden, it wouldn't start up one day. I get the error message \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM. It says this file is missing or corrupt. Any ideas?

Answer 1

Read this and you will get the picture.

http://www.help2go.com/Tutorials/Windows/C:%5Cwindows%5Csystem32%5Cconfig%5Csystem_missing_or_corrupt.html

Answer 2

Good chance your hard drive is bad. Download DFT and burn it to CD, put it in your laptop and let it boot to it, initiate some of diagnostics on your hard drive and it will tell you if your hard drive is bad. If your hard drive is fine, you can try to boot onto your Windows XP cd and startup recovery console and attempt to restore the missing or corrupt file from the CD to your hard drive. I work with computers all day, and the latter option works maybe 1 out of 10 times.

Answer 3

Computer Help Page

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/ http://oss.netfarm.it/winpe/
http://www.paraglidernc.com/ http://www.bootcd.us/

VISTA Upgrade or Requirements

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/upgradeadvisor.mspx

http://www.diskgenius.com/

http://www.pcbeginner.com/tools/pcdoctor.htm

http://www.pcguide.com/byop/index.htm

http://www.ntfs.com/boot-disk.htm

http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Boot-Manager-Disk/

http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/Best/ntfs-boot-iso.html

http://www.disk-image.net/products.htm

http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm

http://www.errornuker.com/info/01.php?hop=product1

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder

http://www.majorgeeks.com/downloads2.html

http://www.ntcompatible.com/Acronis_True_Image_9.0_Build_2337_s61449.html

http://www.theosfiles.com/

http://www.data-recovery-reviews.com/windows-startup-disasterrecovery.htm?gclid=CMSl0b7X2YcCFSJxYAodKy6Lpw

http://www.winternals.com/

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,25181-order,1-page,1-c,alldownloads/description.html

http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Boot-Manager-Disk/Windows-XP-PowerPacker.shtml

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,674406,00.asp

http://windows.about.com/od/tipsarchive/l/bltip632.htm
Visit our Helpdesk for PC Bug Doctor
http://www.maximumsoftwaresupport.com
PC Beginner software
http://www.pchell.com/support/limitedconnectivity.shtml
http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/
http://www.bootdisk.com/utility.htm
Chapter 1: Purchasing Components
Chapter 2: Component Overview
Chapter 3: Installing the CPU, Heatsink, and RAM On The Mainboard
Chapter 4: Installing The Mainboard In The Case
Chapter 5: Installing Drives
Chapter 6: Connecting Components
Chapter 7: Installing AGP and PCI Cards
Chapter 8: Testing the System and Completing Assembly
Chapter 9: Installing Windows XP
Chapter 10: Configuring Windows XP
Chapter 11: Installing A Dual Boot Operating System (Linux And Windows XP)
Chapter 12: Home Video -- “So, You Want to Be the Next Steven Spielberg?”
Chapter 13: What’s Next?

http://www.hardwareanalysis.com
http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4007.html
http://www.nu2.nu/bootdisk/
http://www.free-pc-checkup.com/
http://www.pctools.com/registry-mechanic/?ref=Googlebspeed
http://pcperformancetools.com/recovermyfiles.htm
http://free.grisoft.com/freeweb.php/doc/...
http://www.download.com/3000-2144-100459...
http://www.worldstart.com/tips/tips.php/...
http://www.aarp.org/learntech/computers/...
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using...
http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/co...

BUILD YOU OWN COMPUTER:
www.directron.com
www.newegg.com

A Good PC Cleaner

http://www.pc-error-cleaner.com/?gclid=COzW8YTD0ogCFRL1YgodAD0pbg

NTFS Boot Disk:

http://www.ntfs.com/boot_disk_includes.htm

To place Active@ KillDisk Pro onto a floppy disk type the following at the command prompt:
COPY G:\KILLDISK.EXE A:
COPY G:\DOS4GW.EXE A:
The above assumes that the G:\ drive is the bootable CD-ROM drive and the A:\ drive is the floppy disk drive.
DOS4GW.EXE is a required file for Active@ KillDisk, Active@ UNERASER and Active@ Disk Image.

http://www.download.com/BartPE-Bootable-Live-Windows-CD-DVD/3000-2094_4-10611130.html

Answer 4

Try to start in safe mode. To run in “Safe Mode” read:
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/boot_failsafe.mspx?mfr=true
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/2001052409420406

If you can start in safe mode:
Start> Run> enter "sfc.exe /scannow" in the run box.
Run. You will need the windows XP disk. This utility will check all system files against the disk and repair if needed.

If this doesn't work, do a repair install.
Repair install. (should not lose data) Backup files first.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx
http://www.fujitsu-siemens.co.uk/rl/servicesupport/techsupport/software/windows/xp/Repair.htm

If this doesn't work:
Reformat and install. (Cleans drive loses all data)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/313348
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/winxp/install.mspx
--------------------------------
Securely delete all files. Recommended before reformatting and reinstalling windows when the computer is being sold or given away or when the computer was infected with malware.

http://forums.cnet.com/5208-6142_102-0.html?forumID=5&threadID=194873&messageID=2115918
"You can find out the manufacturer of your HD and then attempt to download the formatting tool created by that manufacturer for their HD's. Most HD Mnufactuer have a Zero Fill Low level formatting tool available to erase their HD products. This will clean any existing OS files from your system as well as any viruses other files etc.."

Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN)
http://www.download.com/Darik-s-Boot-and-Nuke/3000-2092_4-10165154.html
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=61951&package_id=58479&release_id=439240
DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect, which makes it an appropriate utility for bulk or emergency data destruction.

WipeDrive by White Canyon
http://www.whitecanyon.com/
Completely wipe and erase all the information from a computer before selling or discarding it. WipeDrive makes it easy.

Active@ Kill Disk - Hard Drive Eraser (Free version/ $29.95 for enhanced version)
http://www.killdisk.com/
Active@ KillDisk - Hard Drive Eraser is powerful and compact DOS software that allows you to destroy all data on hard and floppy drives completely, excluding any possibility of future recovery of deleted files and folders. It's a hard drive and partition eraser utility.

Answer 5

Couldn't see the whole file name, but if you boot from the Windows XP cd, you can do a 'recover' and it should rebuild everything in place.

Answer 6

Best bet is to press F11 to do system recovery when you turn it on..Thats what I think b/c I had a problem like this and it worked.. But, the only disadvantage is that you will lose all your files. But its always worth having the access to the computer back!

Answer 7

Reinstall Windows xp

all your problems fixed,

And I will kill the people who say anything about windows causing more issues below this.

>_>

Answer 8

reinstall windows xp

Answer 9

Windows caused the problem, so eat dogpoop.

Answer 10

if you have the install disk you might be able to restore or repair it.