Re: Windows won't start!
- From: "Patrick Keenan" <test@xxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 18:38:04 -0400
"loco2579" <loco2579@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:AE3C091F-702F-4A1B-937B-0D0945B03339@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
When I turn on my computer, I get a black screen with the following
message:
"Windows could not start because the following file is missing
or corrupt:
\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
You can attempt to repair this file by starting Windows setup using the
original setup CD-ROM.
Select 'r' at the first screen to start repair"
I have a sony vaio that came w/ windows xp media center edition 2005, but
there were no setup cd's that came with it. The manual it came with says
that no cd's are supplied w/ the computer and that I should use the VAIO
recovery wizard utility to recover the operating system and preinstalled
software. I accessed the recovery wizard, but the only option there is to
totally wipe out everything on the hard drive and start from scratch. Is
there anyway to fix this problem without losing everything I have saved on
the computer?
Yes, one of the startup options should be the recovery console.
If that's not there, aside from fixing it, I would suggest that you write a
letter to Sony objecting to this no-disk arrangement. Even better, get
your attorney to write it. You might also copy Microsoft on that; while
they will distance themselves from OEMs, their OEM license policies permit
this mistreatment of consumers.
The real issue is that this system apparently uses a hard-disk-based
recovery system. The problem with that is that drives fail, rendering the
recovery partition inaccessible. And this *is going to happen*, it's only
a question of when.
You are then stuck having to buy both a new hard disk *and* a new XP
license. This arrangement probably saved Sony a dollar in direct costs and
sticks you with a much larger charge later for an eminently forseeable, in
fact expected, failure.
The directions at this page will tell you in detail how to fix this.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545
If you don't have the recovery console option, you can use *any* bootable
XP CD to boot and get to the console. You can borrow one, it doesn't
matter if it's Home or Pro, OEM or retail - unless it's a Dell CD, which may
check for a Dell signature in the BIOS.
You can also fix this without the XP CD by using various other boot CDs from
Linux systems. You cannot use DOS or Win9x/ME boot disks, as they can't
read NTFS disks.
The file managers will let you get to the folders and copy the files as
needed. In the worst case you can take the drive out of your computer,
attach it to another system, and make the various file copies and renames
there. Finally, put the drive back in and complete the task with System
Restore as detailed.
Once you're back in, I would also suggest that you investigate backup
software. As well, consider a disk imaging system - this will let you
create an image of the full disk, so that when your drive fails, you can
just get a new one and be back up and running quickly. Examples of this
are Acronis TrueImage and Norton Ghost.
HTH
-pk
.
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