Windows Cannot Start

[Jzee]

Hi all,

I'm going crazy here Can someone please help me???

I left my computer on for a few hours this morning, when I returned...the computer was frozen, so I restarted the machine.

ONLY to find the following error :

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:

\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

What can I do to get my machine to boot again?

Thank you in advance

[IcemanND]

see Microsoft Knowledge Base Article Q307545

Basically your one of your registry files is missing or corrupted and if you didn't turn System Restore off you can use a backup copy from there to repair it. Otherwise you would have to use the copy from the windows\repair folder.

[Jzee]

Thank you!

I'll try

[IcemanND]

I forgot to mention, if you have another machine you can use, hook the non functioning os drive to it as slave and then copy the files. much easier than using the command console.

[ChunkDog]

You'll want to test your hard drive for problems, try this site to get a utility to test your hard drive. Almost everytime I've seen the Software hive missing or corrup, it usually leeds to a bad or failing hard drive.

Get your data off that drive A.S.A.P.

[Jzee]

Thank you guys, it's a laptop that I had problems with. I did the procedures as listed in the microsoft article and it is working.

Thank you once again.