RE: System 32 seems fatal error - help sought

From: rshedgehog (rshedgehog_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 11/12/04 

Date: Fri, 12 Nov 2004 15:21:01 -0800

Hi,

How exactly are you trying to load the XP setup? Forgive me if I'm wrong,
but from your message it sounds like you're starting from DOS and trying to
run setup from there. My interpretation of the error message is that you
should do the following:

1) Restart the computer and enter BIOS by pressing the "DEL" key on the
number pad when it prompts you

2) Navigate to the "BOOT" tab using left and right arrow keys

3) Change the boot settings such that the CD-Rom drive with the XP disk is
first on the list, e.g. by selecting and disabling the hard disk boot
instruction.

4) Exit and Save Changes.

5) The computer will restart, and a message will appear asking you if you
want to Boot from the CD. You want to hold down the Enter key when you get
this, not all other keys will work. If the computer receives no response at
this point it will try to boot normally. If it doesn't work the first time
around restart and try again.

This should get you into XP setup, and if I remember rightly there is an
option to attempt a repair, presumably the one referred to in the error
message.

I'm not really a techie so I don't know why System should have become
corrupted. If the worst comes to the worst I'm afraid all I can suggest is
that you go to the DOS prompt, copy what files you can onto floppy and
reinstall Windows from XP setup - hardly an ideal solution! Hopefully it
won't come to that though.

Whatever you do, I doubt that experimenting with a Win98 CD will help, and
could seriously mess up the computer making a hard disk reformat necessary.

Good luck!

Andy

"Mr & Mrs Williams" wrote:

> I am using a Dell Dimensions 4400 P4 machine. Its about 18 months old. My
> daughter has a dimension 4600 which is working otherwise I would be sobbing
> and unable to post this to try and get help!
>
> My system runs on XP and we have subscription based virus software -
> Norton - and also the most upto date firewall - I have the windows patches
> on auto settings - which I am concerned may be reason for this current
> nightmare!
>
> I was web browsing today - we are on dial up - when my machine froze. When I
> rebooted it - I simply get the blue Dell earth page and then the following
> on black page with white writing:
>
> windows cannot start because the following file is missing or corrupt.
> windows\system32\config\system
> you can attempt to repair this file by starting the windows set up using the
> original cd rom.
> Select R at the first screen to start the repair.
>
> I have used the XP disc provided by Dell but the machine simply does not
> recognise it - I have managed to get into a d:\ prompt and entered
> setup.exe but it stated it could not run the programme from dos. This CD is
> the original one - not a copy of any description.
>
> It seems it does not matter what Cd I put in either drive - nothing is
> happening. The drive whirs and humms - but that's it!
>
> The machine that is playing up has 2 cd drives - one is simply a reader the
> other is a reader/writer - and it does have a floppy. My working machine is
> a mere 2 weeks old - and outlet purchase - and does not have a floppy only a
> CDRW.
>
> An old Win 98 boot floppy disc did do something - and I got into DOS - but
> setup.exe would not work on the D drive - it merely tells me that the
> programme will not run from dos.
>
> I am climbing walls and the 35 minute holding for Dell tech support did not
> result in me speaking to anyone - thus my attempt to source help here.
>
> I am not a techy - so any help at all would be very much appreciated - I
> have read some of the other posts and followed the reboot from disc
> instructions - but my cd drives just don't seem to want to play ball.
>
> Debbie - balding as I tear out greying hair!
>
>
>
>

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