crobtex

My desktop crashed a couple of days ago. Although it's an inconvenience, I had a second drive that's stays pretty much up-to-date, so all is not lost.

The file that corrupted is the "Windows\system32\config\system". I have tried to delete it and copy the file from the good drive, but it won't let me. Any ideas on how to fix this?

TIA

good ole boy

yeah
Buy a Mac

SAVOY1964

If you have the original PC disk there should be a restore for your windows operating system.

crobtex

I didn't know they made one that didn't crash........

I tried booting with the system recovery disk, but it comes up with a system error of some kind on the screen. I tried it several times, but will try again.

GreyTD

Here is what microsoft says to do. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545 I have had to do this several times for customers computers. It takes time. Other way is a windows repair install, not fun either.

crobtex

Thanks, I'll try them.

crobtex

Hmmmmm........this should be fun.

wyododge

So basically right now what you have is an operating system that is primed for a serious crash. Basically what you need to do is back up your hard drive, format it, reinstall XP and then reinstall your programs and copy your files back over. Unfortunately, XP will not allow you two run to operating systems at the same time. SO you have to remove your hard drive and install it on another computer with a program that will just read the files and not execute anything. It is actually quite simple to do but you do need the reading program and a separate computer to do it.

If I were you I would leave the windows fix alone and not mess with anything. Right now you know that you have at least one corrupt file, but there is most likely a few behind it that are also corrupted and you may end up spiraling downward into total system corruption.

My suggestion, for what it is worth, is to back up your hard drive and then take it to a tech who can get a copy of your files, format your hard drive, reinstall XP, reload your programs and then copy all of your files back over. This will insure that you have a clean system, with no viruses, spam, trojans, or malware. You will have a nice clean machine, which may even run a bit faster.

Hope this helps, good luck!

BTW - If, and I do emphasize IF, a mac crashes all you have to do is start up with an operating disc, and it will fix itself. I run on a mac, and I can run every program you do in windows natively with the security (no viruses or any of that garbage), stability (crashes are very, very rare), and ease of use of the mac operating system.

crobtex

Thanks wyododge.

After reading all the MS stuff, I'll probably go with my first idea of just buying another hard drive and clone it to the good one in there now. Very much like you suggested. I'll reformat the old one and use it for a spare. I already have two other external drives with all of my pics and documents (am I paranoid?). This is the first HD crash I've had in over ten years, but you never know........

wyododge

If you have gone that long this one is probably a hardware malfunction. Most likely not your fault. You can never be too paranoid when you are in the windows operating system. Better safe than sorry, stitch in time..........

SoTexRattler

It will be! You will also learn alot about Windows XP that's for sure!

I'm sure Bill Gates' ears have 3rd deg burns on them from some of the thoughts and utterances I allowed this past month...

We had some friends over Xmas/NewYears and their 12yr old son got onto our PC and loaded a game from who knows where and it trashed the Master Boot Record on our old 250gig SATA disk.. "Operating System Not found! Run Repair to fix.."
The RECOVERY menu was no help. It ran once, then couldn't get past a BSOD (blue screen of death)even in "safe" mode. All info pointed to possible continuing virus problems..

At least you've got a 2nd disk with all your vital data backed... (I didn't!)
Rather than risk permanently trashing my precious pictures by "fixing" the disk with various available software programs, I opted to try to just read them to the new disk before I got heavy-handed with the MBR and the Partition table on the old drive. (look up the latest ver of the freeware program TESTDISK on the 'net... It ought to be able to do what you want.. It is powerful... more powerful than I was brave!)

WYODODGE has a point, but I went down to Office Depot and just bought a new 500gig Seagate SATA drive (cheap at $89) and reinstalled all the original XP Home OS and user program CD's in it. (made a virgin computer). Then I got my Anti-virus stuff operating safely BEFORE I connected the sick drive to the PC as a 2nd hard drive.. I could "see" the disk but couldn't take ownership of the needed user folders since they were password protected from it's previous life. It took me a while to figure that one out. I had e-mail support from an IT friend and I used downloaded procedures from MS's knowledge base websites to get that last hurdle.

Once I did, I simply dragged my precious folders over to the new drive..
I may not reformat the old drive JUST IN CASE there is something on it that I forgot to bring over. It had several years of runtime on it and the new disk has it's whole lifetime ahead of it.

GOOD LUCK!

K.