Re: windows\system32\config\system

Tech-Archive recommends: Fix windows errors by optimizing your registry

If the system hive is corrupt, and assuming you already tried LKG (F8 and choose Last Known Good), It may be possible to rename the system hive found in
%systemroot%\system32\config\system
to system.old
then rename
%systemroot%\system32\config\system.alt
to
%systemroot%\system32\config\system

You can also try using the most recent backup found in
%systemroot%\repair\regback

If that fails you haven't much choice but to copy/ use the original-as-installed system hive from
%systemroot%\repair\system
to
%systemroot%\system32\config\system
You'll need to reinstall the device drivers for any hardware added since the original OS install.

To start the Recovery Console, start the computer from the Windows 2000 Setup CD or the Windows 2000 Setup floppy disks. If you do not have Setup floppy disks and your computer cannot start from the Windows 2000 Setup CD, use another Windows 2000-based computer to create the Setup floppy disks. At the "Welcome to Setup" screen. Press F10 or R to repair a Windows 2000 installation, and then press C to use the Recovery Console. The Recovery Console then prompts you for the administrator password. If you do not have the correct password, Recovery Console does not allow access to the computer. If an incorrect password is entered three times, the Recovery Console quits and restarts the computer. Note If the registry is corrupted or missing or no valid installations are found, the Recovery Console starts in the root of the startup volume without requiring a password. You cannot access any folders, but you can carry out commands such as chkdsk, fixboot, and fixmbr for limited disk repairs. Once the password has been validated, you have full access to the Recovery Console, but limited access to the hard disk. You can only access the following folders on your computer: drive root, %systemroot% or %windir%


I'd be inclined to blow it away and start a new installation.

To do a clean install, either boot the Windows 2000 install CD-Rom or setup disks. The set of four install disks can be created from your Windows 2000 CD-Rom; change to the \bootdisk directory on the CD-Rom and execute makeboot.exe (from dos) or makebt32.exe (from 32 bit) and follow the prompts.

(Note: If your drive controller is not natively supported then you'll want to boot the Windows 2000 install CD-Rom. Then *F6* very early and very important (at setup is inspecting your system) in the setup to prevent drive controller detection, and select S to specify additional drivers. Then later you'll be prompted to insert the manufacturer supplied Windows 2000 driver for your drive controller in drive "A")

Setup inspects your computer's hardware configuration and then begins to install the Setup and driver files. When the Windows 2000 Professional screen appears, press ENTER to set up Windows 2000 Professional.

Read the license agreement, and then press the F8 key to accept the terms of the license agreement and continue the installation.

When the Windows 2000 Professional Setup screen appears, all the existing partitions and the unpartitioned spaces are listed for each physical hard disk. Use the ARROW keys to select the partitions Press D to delete an existing partition, If you press D to delete an existing partition, you must then press L (or press ENTER, and then press L if it is the System partition) to confirm that you want to delete the partition. Repeat this step for each of the existing partitions When all the partitions are deleted press F3 to exit setup, (to avoid unexpected drive letter assignments with your new install) then restart the pc then when you get to this point in setup again select the unpartitioned space, and then press C to create a new partition and specify the size (if required). Windows will by default use all available space.

Be sure to apply SP4 and these two below to your new install before connecting to any network. Internet included. (sasser, msblast)
http://download.microsoft.com/download/E/6/A/E6A04295-D2A8-40D0-A0C5-241BFECD095E/W2KSP4_EN.EXE
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-043.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/MS03-049.mspx

Then

Rollup 1 for Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?amp;displaylang=en&familyid=B54730CF-8850-4531-B52B-BF28B324C662&displaylang=en



--

Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

"bptheini" wrote:
Bought this 2nd hand pc and when I boot up, I get this message
windows\system32\config\system" is corrupted........... You can try to
repair by choosing the first 'r' from win 2000 cd. (something to that effect)

Going through kb269075
cd system32\config - ok when I hit enter
ren system system.old - it says renamed operation fail.
ren system.alt systemalt.old

so what can I do or any idea where did I go wrong? Thanks

.

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