I've been running winXP corporate edition for over a year without any
problems. I hear it's like XP Pro, but with no need to register.
Last night, I had some problems with software (mail and acrobat writer from
ms word).
This morning, I can't even boot up.
I have had help here from XP Pro users and it hasn't helped b/c Corporate is
a little different.
I get this message:
__________________________________________________ ____
windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
\winnt\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

You can attempt to repair this file by starting Windows Setup using the
original Setup CD-ROM.
Select 'r' at the first screen to start repair.
__________________________________________________ ____
I tried following the directions, but still can't get it to boot properly.
There is no 'press F8' to get into setup like XP Pro.
For some reason, I can't change the boot sequence in my BIOS to have it look
at the CDROM first.
THe system keeps cycling through a boot up, but gets to the above message
before loading windows and then starts again no matter what I do.
I went to bootdisk.com to find an XP boot disk, and got a XP Pro repair
file...
(6 frickin' floppies later!) and it failed on the 4th floppy. said it was
missing a file.
**Probably b/c the Corporate edition I am using is not the same as Pro.
Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

The only thing I have changed with this system lately is:
1. A week ago I plugged a USB device - Mini Cruzer by SanDisk which crashed
the system despite the device's proported 'backwards compatibility to USB
1.' I then picked up a USB2 card and plugged it in a couple of days ago and
the device seems to work... I think.
2. I use EZ Firewall and I have a firewall on my router - connected to a
high speed telephone modem. This firewall setup was causing issues with me
transferring files to/from other computers on the network, so I shut down EZ
Firewall to see how things changed. Not much better.
3. Ok, I admit it... I have been doing a little P2P downloading of late!
But, I am hopeful that EZ Antivirus would pick up viruses coming at me as it
has in the past.
Any idea what is going on?
Any idea how I can fix it?
Your help is greatly appreciated.
THanks!
A.O.

"ann ominus" <post@newsgroups.pls> wrote in
news:LTaic.37431$CO3.1307540@news20.bellglobal.com :

You might want to ask at this group also.

microsoft.public.windowsxp.setup_deployment

Sounds like a virus to Me, to be honest... To be honest, I'd always
recommend using a 'main-stream' virus checker.. Norton, or some such.
Something that has a big reputation.

- Seijaku.
"ann ominus" <post@newsgroups.pls> wrote in message
news:LTaic.37431$CO3.1307540@news20.bellglobal.com ...

Thanks for the advice Seijaku.
I have used Norton and McAfee in the past and have been very unimpressed
with how they affected system performance. BLOATware would be an
understatement for Norton/Symantec.
EZAntivirus is 'main stream,' but cheaper and less of a resource hog. It is
managed by Computer Associates, which is one of the larges global software
companies, whether that's good or bad.
thanks,
ao

--
Seijaku <Seijaku@Hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:c6bicl$ooq$1@hercules.btinternet.com...

"ann ominus" <post@newsgroups.pls> wrote in message
news:LTaic.37431$CO3.1307540@news20.bellglobal.com ...
You tried to "follow the directions" but you haven't booted from the cdrom
yet? Then you're still at step 1, you have evn begun to follow the
directions. Set the cdrom as first boot device, disable the HDD as boot
device entirely. Then you can boot from the cdrom. Not enough to just set
the cdrom as first boot device on some systems.

"ann ominus" <post@newsgroups.pls> wrote:

Starting
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 307545
http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=307545


Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."

Re: Problem Booting with WinXP (*Corporate Edition)
By: "ann ominus" <post@newsgroups.pls> to 24hoursupport.helpdesk on Fri Apr 23 2004 12:46 pm

files, and your best bet is to re-install Windows/XP. If you have
the option, upgrade, most likely you'll have to re-install Windows/XP
new, re-install all software, etc. You don't need to re-format the
hard drive, but you will need to re-install all software, including
Windows/XP.

You'd think that if you paid the kind of money for Windows/XP Corp. Edition
, you'd be able to get tech. support from Microsoft, unless your pirating a
copy of it....

just tell you what to do when the camels come flying back in upside down.

settings like you thought, could be you didn't save the changes, or
you might not have hit the any key when it told you "Press any key to boot
from cd-rom"

are the same amoung versions....

or a similiar program, downloaded all the crap that you had on your
system, perhaps even your passwords you used for your ISP, e-mail,
and any online web sites (including your bank account), then trashed
off your config directory such that your computer doesn't re-boot.

The good news is, now that your computer isn't booting up, you don't
have to worry about it sending information to all kinds of companies,
including Microsoft, telling them all the software your using, including
the pirated copy of Windows/XP and probably Office/XP....

install it, and then go online with all the known virus scanners online,
and scan your hard drive on each one. I did this once after re-installing
XP, and it once took about 2 weeks of virus scanning to get my system
clean againe.... Afterwards, I'll be damn if I'm going to re-intall
any P2P software.... I had viruses that without re-installing any
software, just the OS, re-appeared after installing XP! They
disabled my virus scanner and updating, dropped the firewall without
me knowing it...
--- Synchronet 3.11b-Win32 NewsLink 1.73
* MLC Group - Westlake, LA - telnet://mlc-group.dyndns.org

A problems like this is why I copy my OS CD to my hard drive so I can easily
reinstall if the need arises.

And how could you access that if your computer wasn't booting?

"Ava Keech" <AvaK@flashmail.com> wrote in message
news:actk80hvdo0ta21osb5om87maciv61fgb5@4ax.com...

On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 11:46:49 -0400, ann ominus wrote:

It's not that different, the msg you get has been there since NT 4
(can't recall ever getting that error on NT3.x but I didn't use it more
than a few months)

It a broken system registry hive.

It helps to have a backup of the registry files. Without this it's
really a lost cause. If there is a backup in the repair folder it may be
very old.

If you could boot from CD, IIRC pressing F2 for Automated System
Recovery may be more in the line of what you are looking for.

You can't change it or it doesn't have that option?

It will always keep doing the same thing.

The usual fix for this is a reformat and reinstall.

What you could try is , installing another hardisk as the master, making
the old one a slave (leave it (old one) disconnected for now) install XP
on new disk. Get that up and running. Put the old disk back in, run a
chkdsk on it (maybe if possible before that, copy any data files you
need to the new disk first). If you have a CD/DVD writable drive, use
something like Symantec Gost to backup the old disk first.

<snip>


http://support.microsoft.com/ select the search by KB article.

Knowledge Base
Error Message: Windows Could Not Start Because the
C:\windows\system32\config\system File is Missing or Corrupt
PSS ID Number: 823614
Article Last Modified on 11/12/2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Professional



Knowledge Base
How to Recover from a Corrupted Registry That Prevents Windows XP from
Starting
PSS ID Number: 307545
Article Last Modified on 12/15/2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition



Knowledge Base
How to Troubleshoot a Stop 0xC0000218 Error
PSS ID Number: 314874
Article Last Modified on 11/4/2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Microsoft Windows XP 64-Bit Edition


Me

Ron Martell <ron@onlinehelp.bc.ca> wrote in
newsmpi805fgg3907fin14vb17vt8b856815e@4ax.com:

This procedure will restore your system but if you read the KB article,
it will not work if you have an OEM-installed operating system. If
this is your case (and even if it isn't), the best way to get back up
is to boot your computer from a BartPE CD and simply copy the files
from their backup location in "c:\system volume information" to your
config directory as described in the above KB article (essentially
combining Parts 1 thru 3). BartPE is free and may be found at:
<http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/>

HTH,
John

why? <fgrirp*sgc@VAINY!Qznq.fpvragvfg.pbz> wrote in
news:a75l80ld32aalic9mf22ou9ttpg9ul509s@4ax.com:

In Windows XP, there are usually lots of recent registry backups stored
as restore points in the hidden directory c:\System Volume Information
(as is described in KB article #307545). The trick is accessing them
with a non-booting system. BartPE can do this handily, but you must be
able to boot from a CD...
<http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/>

Good Luck,
John

On Sat, 24 Apr 2004 11:59:34 -0700, John Wunderlich wrote:


Why tell me, I don't have the problem.

Me