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\WINDOWS\system32\config\SYSTEM

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9 replies

by fromadiva

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.
I NEED HELP TO FIX THIS. THIS FILE IS MISSING AND I CANNOT GET INTO MY PC.

9 replies

by cg it

if you can't get into the PC?

Do you have the Windows install CD? boot to it and do a repair. Repair will fix corrupt or missiong O/S files.

by willcomp

Boot from a Bart PE or UBCD4Win CD and use a43 file manager to manipulate files. Here are instructions:

1. rename c:\windows\system32\config\SYSTEM to c:\windows\system32\config\SYSTEM.bak

2. Navigate to the System Volume Information folder.
This folder contains one or more _restore {GUID} folders such as "_restore{87BD3667-3246-476B-923F-F86E30B3E7F8}".
There may be one or more folders starting with "RPx under this folder. These are restore points.

3. Open one of these folders to locate a Snapshot subfolder. The following path is an example of a folder path to the Snapshot folder: C:\System Volume Information\_restore{D86480E3-73EF-47BC-A0EB-A81BE6EE3ED8}\RP1\Snapshot

4. From the Snapshot folder, copy the following file to the c:\windows\system32\config folder
_REGISTRY_MACHINE_SYSTEM

5. Rename _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SYSTEM to SYSTEM

Reboot

Use a restore point from at least a day or two prior to problem occurring but one that is fairly recent.

UBCD4Win
http://www.ubcd4win.com/howto.htm

UBCD4Win is a valuable tool well worth having.

by fromadiva

thanks for the info but i have that sitting in front of me, i followed the instructions & when i entered the 4th line, it was not in the files......

by tig2

Is in your future. If that save won't save you, I don't know that anything will.

If you have a missing or corrupt system32 file, a clean load may be your best option anyway.

Yeah, I know. NOT what you wanted for Christmas! Wish there was a better way.

by willcomp

Which set of instructions are you referring to?

by rob miners

hope that the referral is to your instructions and not mine. I feel that the M$ instructions are a one way street. Step 4. Maybe there are no restore points. I suppose that we will have to wait and see.

I hope you don't mind but I have taken a copy of your steps to solve this for future reference.

Rob

by willcomp

Obviously, any or all of the hives can be susbstited for the System hive.

I've answered the same or similar question so many times on another site (has something in common with an Electrical Engineer) that I have a canned response saved on my hard drive.

I started out with MS instructions, then used ERD Commander for file manipulation and/or System Restore. Now that Bart PE and UBCD4Win are available, everyone has access to an easier method.

If there are no rsetore points - time to try a repair install of XP which usually writes a new System hive.

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