Windows XP Recovery

 

Windows XP professional: Repairing a Corrupted Registry Hive

When your computer displays a message about :

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupted :

\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM or \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE instead of booting normally,

it means that there are problems with your Windows registry.

The SYSTEM of the registry determines Windows XP system settings, installed service packs and updates, etc.

The SOFTWARE of the registry holds information about software and settings.

Also refer How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from starting from Microsoft.

Using the Windows XP Professional Recovery Console (copy registry hive)

1. Boot up from Windows XP CD.
   
   
   
   
2. press R
   
   

cd C:\Windows\System32\config

1. dir
   
   
2. Rename corrupted registry for backup.
   
   
   
   
   
   rename SYSTEM SYSTEM.bak
   rename SAM SAM.bak
   rename SECURITY SECURITY.bak
   
   
   
   The SAM and SECURITY hives pertain to user accounts and logging into the machine. Since they are linked to the SYSTEM file, they need to be replaced when SYSTEM is replaced.
3. cd C:\Windows\repair. which were created when Windows was first installed the directory which holded backup registry keys which were created.
   
4. Copy the backup.
   
   : copy SOFTWARE C:\Windows\System32\config.
   
   
   
   If your error listed the SYSTEM hive, copy the SYSTEM, SAM, and SECURITY registry files:
   
   copy SYSTEM C:\Windows\System32\config
   copy SAM C:\Windows\System32\config
   copy SECURITY C:\Windows\System32\config
   
   Sometimes the SYSTEM file may be named "SYSTEM.bak", in this case you will use the command: "copy SYSTEM.bak C:\Windows\System32\config\SYSTEM.bak" to copy the file instead. Use the "dir" command to ascertain the name of the file.
   
   
5. cd C:\Windows\System32\config
   
   
   
   Use "dir"
   
   DEFAULT
   SAM
   SECURITY
   SOFTWARE
   SYSTEM
6. ype exit reboot .