Tech support needed: XP broken

[Tahnok]

So I wake up on this wonderful autumn Saturday morning, no parents home so I turn on my computer, preparing for this wonderful day of slacking around, playing TF2 and rocking out loud on my guitar.

However, my visions for spending this day were quickly ruined when I saw the screen: Windows hadn't booted and instead complained something about a missing system file. It was something under system32/system/whatever. You get the idea.
It suggested to use the install disc and press the R key in the first screen to repair this.

No problemo - I've had the same problem earlier and fixed it the same way so I dug up my Windows install disc, inserted it in the drive and rebooted my computer. And this is where the real problems began - all the computer does when booting from the CD is briefly show a text where it says something about examining the system configuration - nothing special, that is - and then show a blank screen for the rest of the time. I also tried an another identical disc, same thing.

I'm currently posting this from my Ubuntu installation. I can't access the NTFS partitions because they're unable to mount. I could force it by editing the fstab, but apparently it might have some bad effects on my Windows installation. And I'd really like to keep it all intact, since that's where my games, only usable Zune software and my parents' and my really important files are.

TL;DR: My Windows is fucked and the repair disc isn't working, can't nuke, WWTFD?

[BFK]

search for the missing file on google or tell me what it is and I'll send it

[LordZeebmork]

Before you try to fix it, back everything on that partition up if you haven't already.

[Digital-Terror]

I guess you could put in a black hard drive and install windows on that, and mayb you could access you files from there. If not, then your hard drive failed, and you need to use your backups to restore your files (you DO make backups, do you?).

[Tahnok]

At 10/4/08 11:22 AM, BigFuzzyKitten wrote: search for the missing file on google or tell me what it is and I'll send it

Yeah, I would've done that but I can't get my hands on the partitions. Unless force-mounting them doesn't harm them.

[rednec0]

did you listen to some fool telling you to delete system32?

anyhow you're pretty much fucked. back-up all of your crap and do a clean install. if you have another system with windows xp then you should hopefully be fine.

[BFK]

At 10/4/08 11:26 AM, Tahnok wrote:

At 10/4/08 11:22 AM, BigFuzzyKitten wrote: search for the missing file on google or tell me what it is and I'll send it

Yeah, I would've done that but I can't get my hands on the partitions. Unless force-mounting them doesn't harm them.

If you install windows again on yet another partition, you can defragment the other installation and access the files.

There is probably defragging programs available that you can boot into, if you use that you should be able to access it from linux again.

I'm not sure about force-mounting.

[Maltloaf]

First up, if you've had the problem before then you've either got a buggy program that's corrupting your filesystem, OR your hard drive is defective. Either way, making backups is good.

Mount the disk from Ubuntu - the reason it's complaining is that the NTFS file system hasa flag that says whether a disk is in use or not, and that flag is set to 'yes' - meaning windows didn't shut down properly last time. As nothing else is using the disk, it is safe to mount anyway.
Once you've mounted it, burn all the files you'll need to keep to DVD. Don't bother copying the programs themselves across, it's less hassle to re-install them from scratch later.

Before proceeding, check you have installation media for both Ubuntu and Windows.

Once you've got your data safe, enter your BIOS configuration and activate SMART. This will give you a warning on startup if the hard drive is dying. If you're good, you can reinstall windows from here. Use the Custom/Expert install option and get it to do a complete format and disk check before the install. This will take a long time, but will mark any bad areas of the disk so that windows will not use them, which may prevent a repeat.

Last but not least, use the Ubuntu install media to reinstall GRUB (the dual-booting menu).

[Tahnok]

Thanks, Maltloaf. I'm not sure whether a complete wipe would be good, since it's just a single file that's apparently missing. If I can replace the file in Ubuntu, Windows should boot and everything works again. I could also run chkdisk after to see any errors.

[Tahnok]

Huh. I was trying to access the D drive all the time, C should work without a hitch.

My bad, I'll look into the file now.

[Shadowii2]

Fellow Finn in trouble?

I would sugegst that you back up everything you can from the Linux, then remove Windows completely and install it again, that should fix the broken XP of yours, but if you could tell what part of System32 is missing, it would be easier to get the idea what was the cause for this matter in the first place.

If checking the missing part fails and you cannot get it to work otherwise, Maltloaf's suggestion is the best.

[Tahnok]

Um, yeah.

The missing file is \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM.

If it's possible to be replaced, I'd appreciate it really much. I know I could reinstall Windows and back up my data, but how the hell am I supposed to install it if the disc does nothing?

[Maltloaf]

At 10/4/08 11:44 AM, Tahnok wrote: Thanks, Maltloaf. I'm not sure whether a complete wipe would be good, since it's just a single file that's apparently missing.

If it were just that, I'd agree. But to have the same issue twice means there's something else wrong beyond the missing file. It could just be a buggy program or an old driver - for example, and old version of the via motherboard drivers used to shut the hard drives off before windows had finished shutting down, or it could be something screwy with data integrity (ie, bad hard drive or sectors thereon.)

If you can get it up and running without the wipe, then great, but do the full disk check all the same. If it finds any errors, wipe and reinstall in the order I mentioned earlier. The problem is that if you have system files on an area of the disk with bad sectors, you cannot trust the integrity of those files, and therefore cannot trust the install.

[Maltloaf]

*headesk*

Just saw the new response. Sorry mate - that's the registry that's gone.

[adam2510]

At 10/4/08 11:45 AM, Tahnok wrote: Huh. I was trying to access the D drive all the time, C should work without a hitch.

My bad, I'll look into the file now.

windows only works with C i fucked up a computer because it installed windows to D :(

remember to unplug everything exept the hard drive and dvd drive before you install

...and the needed stuff of course

[Shadowii2]

At 10/4/08 11:56 AM, Tahnok wrote: Um, yeah.

The missing file is \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM.

If it's possible to be replaced, I'd appreciate it really much. I know I could reinstall Windows and back up my data, but how the hell am I supposed to install it if the disc does nothing?

I googled for that part of System32 you mentioned and this came up:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/f i
(The page is in Finnish, but it might default to computer's language)

[HotActionYiffFur]

The boot disk should work. Double check that your bootstrap has "load from disk" as it's first priority in the BIOS.

I know, but at least check. Better start at square one then try and locate missing files.

[Maltloaf]

It's not a file per se but the system registry.

To the OP : Check here

Look up option 3 - it's the most pertinent. Basically, it's possible to restore an old version of the registry *if* you have system restore turned on. If not, it's wipe time.

[Rohedin]

It sounds like you're filesystems been corrupted, 'losing' a lot of files. They're not really lost but because the filesystem corrupted it doesn't have any record of they're location. That's the only logical explanation for all the symptoms.

At this point I would suggest using the Windows recovery console but since the boot disc won't boot then this is a problem. You've been VERY unlucky and lost the few things that the boot disc needs to work. I've no idea how to repair a NTFS filesytem in Ubuntu, especially when it won't mount so I'm lsot for ideas.

[Rohedin]

Just found this. Best have a read through it.

[adam2510]

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/e n

isnt that much better

[ZiggyZack99]

I have to say, Ubuntu.

In any case, repair it again. Tried that?

[adam2510]

i have a copy of ubuntu you can use.. you just have to pay the P&H.

[rednec0]

At 10/4/08 11:56 AM, Tahnok wrote: The missing file is \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM.

oh yeah you're fucked. if the system restore doesn't help you're gonna have to reinstall windows big time. get one of those hard drive adapters that lets you plug it in via USB and use a blank hard drive to install windows on.

[Rohedin]

At 10/4/08 01:09 PM, adam2510 wrote: i have a copy of ubuntu you can use.. you just have to pay the P&H.

Read the original post first, he's running Ubuntu now, dipshit.

I just remembered that this happened to my friends PC, there's no other way to fix it than reinstalling Windows. I hope you backed up your important documents.

[Tahnok]

Um, yeah.

I know I can make everything good again: be it via fixing the registry or wiping everything. What the hell is obstructing the XP install disc from working, that's my problem right now.

[Devastus]

Something like that mostly happened with me having broken memory in my computer (not totally broken, but for example, if I left the computer on for like, half an hour or so, it would jam up and I would have to restart the computer, possibly screwing up Windows in the process, which it did in the end).

So, with all the other tips you've gotten, I recommend you to run a memtest, if you still can. Or if you have spare memory somewhere, try them and see what happens with the Windows boot.

[Tahnok]

I realized that all the Recovery Console does is move and delete some files around, so I had a look at the directories in Ubuntu.

It appears that the files that the Microsoft Knowledge Base told I was supposed to copy don't exist in the first place. I'm really, really fucked.

I'll probably have to install Windows again on a friend's machine to this HDD.