XP-Pro corrupt or missing file...cannot boot.?

Despotes · Oct 12, 2005

This is the 2nd time this week this has happened. The os is saying the windows/system32/config/system file is corrupt or missing and the computer won't start windows. Cannot access safemode either.
I did a "system repair", but now I get a really fast blue screen(rebooting after the repair process completed) after the Windows logo and it restarts--fast blue screen--restarts on and on. Safemode is now accessible though.
The first time this happened(last Wednesday)was when I was oc'ing to 300 so I assumed that is what corrupted the file. The only thing that worked was to reformat. :shrug:

Today it happened again, :bang head

but I'm only running at 250X10 with loose timings. At the moment I'm scanning for bad sectors.
Any ideas what may be causing the problem(s)? The hard drive sounds fine--temps are good--memory is not stressed... :shrug:

Also--How do you access system restore if you can't boot into Windows???

System specs below---V

Thanks IA

fordman · Oct 12, 2005

Hello
I had this happen to my 2nd rig so I pulled both hds out and indtslled them into my main rig and ran scandisk, antivirus and spyware killers and it seems to have worked for me.
Just an idea for you.

Fordman

Despotes · Oct 12, 2005

It just passed Windows scan. I'm now running WD Data Lifeguard utility. It passed the quick test and it's doing the Extended Test right now.
I ran the Freedom spyware program a few days ago--it discovered over 100 files. I wonder if it deleted some files that weren't really spyware related.
Maybe my mobo is crappin' out along the SATA connections somewhere. I'll try using a different connection when I reformat.

Thanks

mils128 · Oct 12, 2005

that file is basiclly your registry (from what i have heard) when you OC, it sometimes gets corropted (happened to me many times when you push it too far) best option is to install in another drive as slave and copy the system file over and see if that works.

Despotes · Oct 12, 2005

I took a pic of the blue screen message I mentioned---it's a Stop error code.
l'll post it tomorrow to give you an idea what it exactly says.
The only new piece of hardware I got recently(few weeks ago) is the X-Fi soundcard. It's sharing an IRQ with the Marvell LAN. ??

Neuromancer · Oct 12, 2005

Try setting them to different IRQs

Beginner · Oct 13, 2005

try booting into safe mode?

this must be my vcore for every answer day

this happens to me aswell with i have to high of an oc(lower your oc to default) and try booting into safe mode.

hope this helps and BUMP

Despotes · Oct 13, 2005

It boots into safe mode, but
I've already tried optimal defaults in the bios and flashing to a different one and enabling configuration data.
How do you assign IRQ's? In the BIOS when I select manual it only reserves an IRQ, but there's no option to reserve for a particular device.??
I removed my soundcard and placed the SATA connector in a different port, but still no go. :bang head

I know I'm gonna have to reformat again

but I want to figure out why this is happening.
I'll post a pic of the error in a few

Thanks for the replies.

mils128 · Oct 13, 2005

i don't knw about the error code that your getting, i do knw that that file has to do with your registry, you probally will have to reformat.. have you tried resetting your cmos??

Despotes · Oct 13, 2005

I haven't tried resetting cmos---I'm in the process of reformatting right now.
I found some info here: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=46980
I still don't know why my mild oc corrupted the registry. (250X10)
I was running 270X10 for a few months without a single problem.
This all started after installing my X-Fi. Maybe the new soundcard made the registry a bit more fragile. ? Creative bloatware??

I'm trying out an Opteron 148 (hopefully CABNE) and 2 Gigs of Crucial Ballistix in a few days. Maybe I won't have any problems after the upgrade. :shrug:

Thanks

Despotes · Oct 24, 2005

Just great. The same exact thing happened again today. The same, "windows/system32/config/system file is corrupt or missing..." message.
This time tried clearing CMOS. Didn't work so I tried using "Back up My PC" back up software to recover, but at the beginning of the formatting process I got an error message saying my hard drive couldn't be formatted due to possible hard drive damage...select blah blah blah to quit and restart.
I exited the failed program, restarted and this time was able to boot into Safemode.
System Restore actually worked too! I'm back in business, but still wondering why this keeps happening.
My system was oc'd at 163X11 and using a different cpu and memory this time. ??
The hard drive passes all diagnostic tests. The Sandra File System test took over 20 minutes to finish(Which is unusually long) and sounded louder than usual.
As I said earlier, this all started after installing the X-Fi.
Could the HDD be failing and creating the same error message every time or is the X-Fi causing the problem?
Frustrated----

Thanks

Xoligy · Oct 24, 2005

could be the hd like you say try defragmenting it or getting a program to test your hd life but it's unusual to be the same file but woth ago i defrag 1/2a month for speed also try chkdisk that sorted a problem for me once lol (was amazed!)

klingens · Oct 24, 2005

Either you hdd subsystem is borked, or your ram is not up to the speed you run it at (more likely)
I had the same problems with that registry file, a hdd which sometimes couldn't be formatted when I reinstalled, etc. I then ran memtest86 on the (OCed) speeds and it errored out after some time. I went 10MHz lower on the mem and since then it runs happily for days.

Run memtest86 overnight and see what happens

adnonimape · Oct 24, 2005

could this be Hal.dll?

Same thing happened to me, all i did was reset the bios (remove the cmos battery) and it fixed it.

Try that?

Despotes · Oct 24, 2005

My HDD is recently defragged and I used WD Data Lifeguard and scan disk with no errors and I got this same error with my OCZ 4800 Platinum running at a paltry 260X10.
After doing some Yahoo'ing it seems the "windows/system32/config/system file is corrupt or missing..." message is fairly common and the exact cause(s) has yet to be discovered.
I'm messing with Registry Mechanic right now. It found over 47 problems and they've been corrected and the registry has been optimized.
Let's see how long until more of the same rears up.

Thanks for the replies.

Captain Newbie · Oct 24, 2005

On a hunch...what's your PCI Bus Frequency?

Despotes · Oct 26, 2005

Repeat performance today. Same exact missing or corrupt file. I used "Back UP MY PC again and this time it formatted completely and restored my system from Oct 17th. I lost F.E.A.R.(almost finished)

OH well--I'll start all over again.
Ran Memtest a few days ago and it's good.
PCI bus frequency? Do you mean the typical 66mhz which it normally runs, my oc or the PCI latency?
-The PCI bus is locked at 66mhz. -This happened at various LOW overclocks. -I'm not sure what the PCI Latency is.
Again, the "windows/system32/config/system file is corrupt or missing..." message seems to be fairly common in which Microsoft does not know the exact cause.
I'm still suspecting the X-Fi...

Despotes · Oct 26, 2005

I'm attributing this problem to a known issue with the X-Fi Platinum cards and the NF4 chipset.
I requested an RMA.
You can read about it at the Creative forums website.

HERE

koss20100 · Oct 26, 2005

the system restore there talking about is when you put in the windows xp cd boot with it and write over your windows folder (you save alot of data) ..

Anywayz have u tried not installing the x-fi and then testing it .. imo it could be a reaction windows is given you to a hardware problem or so ..

Wierd i remeber getting tht error too a while back but i fixed it with a format ..

hmm ..

Wiggles · Oct 26, 2005

Despotes said:
My HDD is recently defragged and I used WD Data Lifeguard and scan disk with no errors and I got this same error with my OCZ 4800 Platinum running at a paltry 260X10.
After doing some Yahoo'ing it seems the "windows/system32/config/system file is corrupt or missing..." message is fairly common and the exact cause(s) has yet to be discovered.
I'm messing with Registry Mechanic right now. It found over 47 problems and they've been corrected and the registry has been optimized.
Let's see how long until more of the same rears up.
Thanks for the replies.

We have this same thing happen at work all the time. Only we run Windows 2000 Pro SP4. We have a windows and registry repair disk that didn't help. The only thing we could do to fix was to re-image the PC.

XP-Pro corrupt or missing file...cannot boot.?

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