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windows\system32\config\system error

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by philbush1

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My PC (running XP home) won't boot up and gives the error message that the
following file is missing or corrupt c:\windows\system32
\config\system I followed instructions to fix this from the MS article 307545.
This reccommends copying the config\system file and 4 other config files. The cofig\system and config\software files cannot be copied. I receive an error message telling me they cannot be copied.
So I am unclear of where to proceed.
I would be grateful if anybody could help

4 replies

by wcp

The procedure is to make Windows bootable and then do System Restore manually. If the System Restore feature had been turned off, this procedure does not work.

You have to be very careful of not making any typo or you have to do it all over.
You have to follow the steps exactly.

All deleting and copying files are done in Recovery Console and so you should not have gotten the error message that you indicated.

On a few occasions, I did ?Chkdsk /r? from Recovery Console and it worked.

If all else fails, you may try to reinstall Windows on top of the current one (sometimes called in-place upgrade or repair installation). However, if your Registry is severely damaged, your Windows may not be recognized. If this is the case, do not reinstall Windows as it may wipe out your HD.

by wcp

The way to tell, whether Windows is being recognized or not, is to proceed installing Windows. After MS License Agreement, the installation process will look for any previous Windows and give you choice of Repair, Set up, or Quit. If you do not see Repair option, you should quit the installation.

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