Windows cannot start because the WINDOWS SYSTEM32 config system file is corrupted or missing. Quick solution to “Windows can’t start because the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\config\system file is corrupted or missing” error in Windows XP

Hello! Help me please. When you turn on the computer, it gives the following error: “Windows could not start, perhaps this was due to a recent change in the hardware or software configuration” and the reboot begins. And so on in a circle. I never found any restore points. What to do?

Expert answer:

Hello, Nikita! This error, in its essence and difficulty of elimination, is in many ways similar to the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD).

Option 1

The error text also contains standard recommendations for troubleshooting, which unfortunately do not always help, but it’s worth a try. To do this, insert the installation disk or bootable USB flash drive with the Windows operating system into your computer. Next, you should simply follow the installer’s recommendations to install and fix damaged files and boot sectors.

Option 2

If unsuccessful, try pressing the “F8” button when booting the operating system to gain access to the “Advanced Boot Options” section. In this section, you should pay attention to two items “System Restore” and “Safe Mode.” “System Restore” is carried out by analogy with the steps described in “Option 1”. “Safe Mode” - the operating system will boot with minimal “baggage”, which allows you to bypass errors and load the OS (not always). If you managed to boot into Safe Mode, open “Start” - “Standard” - “Service” - “System Restore” and “roll back” the state of the operating system to the last successful configurations.

Option 3

The error text contains the line “Status”, opposite which the error code is indicated, the most common is “0xc000000f”. The elimination methods are the same as described above; in addition, try the following:

When you turn on the computer, depending on the model, hold down the “BIOS” key - this can be “F2”, “F10”, “DEL”.
Find the “Hard Disk Drivers” section, with two lines active, highlight the first one and press “Enter”.
The second line is called “SATA: 4S-WDC WD20EARX-00PASB0” and it is this line that should be moved to the first place using the “+/-” or “up/down arrow” function keys.

Save the changes you have made and wait until you reboot. Unfortunately, the general recommendations end here; as a final piece of advice, you can reinstall the Operating System. And in order to save the data on the media, you can temporarily move the media to another computer and transfer everything you need or not format it when installing the OS.

Today they brought me a system unit with an error:

Windows cannot start due to a corrupted or missing file: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

You can try to restore this file by running Windows Setup from the original installation CD-ROM. Select “r” in the first dialog screen to start the recovery procedure.

As we found out: The computer froze and was rebooted with the RESET button, the result of the reboot was this message.

A few words about the computer: A computer running Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition OEM. The system unit does not have a CD/DVD drive. The computer itself is already quite old. Windows was installed about a month ago. During this time, only a few programs were installed.

Let's try to follow the advice “You can try to restore this file by running Windows Setup from the original installation CD-ROM”

We connect the drive. Boot from the original installation CD-ROM. Go to the recovery console (press the R key). Select the version of Windows you want to log into. In our case, there is only one version, so no questions arise here.

If you have forgotten what commands are available, you can enter HELP in the command line and press . A list of available commands will open.

The first thing I did was run the command: chkdisk c: /p

This command found errors. Then I ran the same command, but with a different key: chkdisk c: /R

The system reported that it has corrected one or more errors.

The computer rebooted, but the problem remained unresolved.

I turn off the computer. I disconnect the hard drive and connect it to another computer. I copy a file on this hard drive system from the catalog \WINDOWS\repair to the catalog \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\ and reconnect this hard drive to the broken system unit

Windows boots without error, but now many drivers and settings have disappeared. I restore the drivers as follows:

Right mouse button on icon My computer. In the context menu I select the item Properties. A window opens Properties of the system. I go to the bookmark Equipment. I press the button device Manager. On each of the devices with a question mark, right-click and select the item from the context menu Update driver. After updating all drivers I reboot.

The computer is fully functional. It remains to restore (re-configure) some lost settings: Screen Resolution, Network connection settings, etc.

Hello friends, yesterday I encountered an error that Windows XP presented in this form:

It looks like this:

If you are reading this article, then most likely you have the same problem and now we will solve it. I understand that this will be extra text and it is better to immediately move on to solving the problem, but I will still make a few introductory words and tell you what this error means and why it most often appears. By the way, if there are problems with the registry, the following errors may also appear:

– “Windows XP cannot start due to a corrupted or missing file \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE”
– “Stop: c0000218 (Registry file failure) The registry cannot load the partition family (file) \SystemRoot\System32\Config\SOFTWARE or its log or backup copy.”

What does the error “Windows can’t start because the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\config\system file is corrupted or missing” mean?

This error appears mainly in the following cases:

The computer does not turn off correctly. That is, not through “Start”, etc., but directly from the outlet :) this may seem funny to some, but believe me, many people do this.
The second option is a problem with the hard drive. It is possible that your hard drive has begun to crumble, that is, bad sectors have appeared on it. This is a very unpleasant thing, since you will most likely have to replace the hard drive.

Now closer to the heart of the matter.

How to fix the error

There are two ways that I know of that can get rid of this problem. No, there are even three methods, including reinstalling Windows (), but it is not suitable for us as an option for restoring the system. Today I will tell you only about one method that helped me. I’ll write about another one later in a separate article.

We will need a boot disk with some kind of file manager, I used a good disk, you can check your PC for viruses, but that’s not about that now.

1. Boot from the boot disk; if booting from the disk does not work for you, then you need to go to the drive BIOS ().

2. Boot from the boot disk, and launch any file manager, if yours is the same as mine, then there is a good file manager on your desktop.

3. After launching the file manager, open the file in it (if it allows you to work with two windows) in one window and in the other \windows\repair\system.

4. Now the file \windows\repair\system copy to \windows\system32\config\systemand agree to replace the file.

A few words about what we did. We have transferred the undamaged backup file from the folder \windows\repair\systemand replaced it with a non-working file in the folder \windows\system32\config\systemactually through which Windows did not boot.

Now we restart the computer and enjoy the working system. All these actions can be performed from the command line with the following commands:

Copy c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\system32\config\system.old

delete c:\windows\system32\config\system

copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system

Other solutions to the problem:

If what is written above does not help, then you can also try “Last Known Good Configuration”. Read more in the article
If you had System Restore enabled, you can try a rollback. More details here

After these steps, we get a working system, with all programs installed. There is another way, which, as promised, I will write in the following articles. I hope my advice helped you. Good luck!

Also on the site:

Updated: February 17, 2013 by: admin

File Windows\system32\config\system damaged or missing, you and I may receive such a message during the initial phase of loading the operating system. The error occurs when the registry is seriously damaged. I’ll tell you right away there are few ways to fix this problem, but they exist. The main difficulty is that you cannot boot the operating system. I'll give you four ways to fix this problem, but you'll need a Windows XP installation disk or an ERD Commander disk, or at worst a simple Live CD.

First of all, this problem happens due to many errors on the hard drive, try using the CHKDSK C: / R command in the recovery console, the errors will be corrected and your system may boot. You can also remove your hard drive and connect it to another system unit, then from another Windows you can check your system partition for errors, you can read the full article on using the utility
You can boot from the ERD Commander disk and try to apply a system restore. By the way, the ERD Commander system administrator disk can help out in other difficult situations, read the full article about this tool.
Another way. If you had system recovery enabled, then you will need an ERD Commander disk or any Live CD. This is the point. We all know that Windows XP stores restore points in the folder
Last option. If system recovery was disabled for you, then you need to replace your damaged registry files with files from the C:\Windows\repair folder, this folder contains backup copies of your registry created by the operating system during its installation, this can be done using any Live CD .

Now about each method in detail.

File Windows\system32\config\system

To implement the first method, we need a Windows XP installation disk, so we boot into the recovery console. Those who don’t know how to do this can read our article In the recovery console, let’s check our system drive (C:) for errors. When you start booting from the Windows XP installation disk, the message “Press any key to boot from CD...” will appear on the screen, press any key at once, otherwise the message will disappear within 10 seconds and booting from the Windows XP installation disk will not occur.

To restore Windows XP using the recovery console, press R

Enter the administrator password. Enter the administrator password. If there is no password, then press Enter on the keyboard.
When using the Chkdsk program in the Windows XP Recovery Console, they mainly use the /R parameter, which includes the functions of another /P parameter. Therefore, we will use the /R parameter
Enter the command Chkdsk /r
and press Enter, the hard drive is checked for errors.

Second way.

To implement the second method of eliminating the error The Windows\system32\config\system file is damaged or missing We need an ERD Commander disk, boot from the disk.
Click start, then system tools System Tools->System Restore and select system restore. Select a system restore point and restore.

Third way.

We all know that Windows XP stores restore points in a folder

System Volume Information\restore(E9F1FFFA-7940-4ABA-BEC6- 8E56211F48E2)\RP\ snapshot , so, in the folder highlighted in red, intact registry files are stored. We need to copy these files and replace the damaged registry files with them from the C:\Windows\System32\Config folder
We boot from the ERD Commander disk or any Live CD; if you are working from the ERD Commander disk, we do not connect to the system, that is, at the beginning of loading the ERD Commander disk, select (None), otherwise you will not be able to replace the registry files.

go to the folder C:\Windows\System32\Config. Use the slider to open the full file name and delete (Delete) damaged registry files. Before deleting, you can copy them somewhere just in case, you never know.

System Volume Information\restore(E9F1FFFA-7940-4ABA-BEC6- 8E56211F48E2)\RP\ snapshot , select the files, right-click and select Copy to…

REGISTRY_MACHINE_SAM
REGISTRY_MACHINE_SECURITY
REGISTRY_MACHINE\SOFTWARE
REGISTRY_MACHINE\DEFAULT
REGISTRY_MACHINE\SYSTEM

Now we paste these files in place of the deleted ones in the C:\Windows\System32\Config folder.
Select the folder C:\Windows\System32\Config and click OK. Backup registry files are copied to replace damaged ones. Then we go to the Config folder and rename them, deleting the unnecessary ones - REGISTRY_MACHINE \, thereby leaving new registry files SAM, SECURITY, SOFTWARE, DEFAULT, SYSTEM.

Fourth method
You can also replace your damaged registry files with files from the C:\Windows\repair folder; this folder contains backup copies of your registry created by the operating system during its installation; this can be done using the ERD Commander disk or any Live CD. But be aware that some of your applications will refuse to work and will have to be reinstalled, since the system state will be shown at the time of installation.

Backup copies of the registry files created during the installation of Windows XP are located in the repair folder located at

C:\Windows\repair . We go into it, select and copy with the Copy to... command the registry files we need SAM, SECURITY, SOFTWARE, DEFAULT, SYSTEM,

Then go to the folder C:\Windows\System32\Config, select it and click OK.

Backup registry files replace damaged ones. Replace file? We agree - Yes

There can be many reasons why the Windows operating system does not load. At least three: hardware failure, software failure and cold.

In my case, the laptop turned on, blinked the lights, loaded the BIOS, but that was all. At the same time, no one changed the BIOS settings and they were correct.
The hard drive was removed from the laptop and passed all tests perfectly. From which we conclude that the error is software. And since the BIOS does not issue any more messages, then most likely the partition table known as MBR (Master Boot Records) has failed.
Windows XP Home was installed on the laptop when it was alive. Therefore, we take the Windows XP installation disk and use the recovery console. To do this, during boot (immediately after the BIOS prompt), press F12 and select boot from CD-ROM. Or if this is not possible, then go into the BIOS settings and change the boot order so that the CD-ROM comes first.
Don't forget to press any key in response to the invitation to boot from the CD-ROM.
After the installer loads all the necessary files into memory, you will be prompted with the Install Windows menu or launch recovery console(R).
Select R.
In most cases, computers have one operating system installed, so I will further consider this option. Moreover, this is the option on the “dead” laptop.
After loading the recovery console, the following message appears:

1: C:\WINDOWS Which copy of Windows should I sign in to?

Type 1 , press Enter.
A message will appear:

Enter the administrator password:

Enter your password, press Enter (if there is no password, just press Enter). As a rule, no one remembers the administrator password. But I was lucky, it simply wasn’t there, that is, we stupidly press Enter :)
A system prompt appears:

C:\WINDOWS>

enter fixmbr (don’t forget to press Enter) Actually, this is the command to restore a damaged partition table.
A message will appear:

**WARNING** This computer has a non-standard or invalid master boot record. Using FIXMBR may damage your existing partition table. This will result in loss of access to all partitions of the current hard drive. If there are no disk access problems, it is recommended that you abort the FIXMBR command. Are you confirming the new MBR entry?

Type y (which means yes).
A message will appear:

A new master boot record is created on the physical disk DeviceHarddisk0Partition0. The new master boot record has been successfully created.

When the system prompt appears:

C:\WINDOWS>

Type fixboot
A message will appear:

End section: C:. Do you want to write a new boot sector to the C: partition?

Type y (which means yes).
A message will appear:

File system on boot partition: NTFS (or FAT32). The FIXBOOT command writes a new boot sector. The new boot sector was successfully written.

At the system invitation

C:\WINDOWS>

enter exit, the PC will reboot. Press Del, enter BIOS Setup and set to boot from the hard drive (if you changed the boot order).
I did all this with the ill-fated laptop. But Windows never booted. But instead of a black screen there was now the inscription

"Windows cannot start due to hardware disk configuration errors. The selected startup disk cannot be read from. Please check the path specified and the disk hardware is OK. For more information about hard disk settings requirements, see your Windows system documentation and your hardware documentation ".

However, this “threatening” inscription only tells us that BOOT.INI is corrupted. That is, the MBR partition table is correct and the bootloader is working. And the reason could be the following:

The Default value in the boot section of the Boot.ini file is missing or corrupted.
There is no copy of Windows XP installed in the location specified in the Boot.ini file.
The path to the partition in the Boot.ini file is incorrect.

To fix the Boot.ini file, use the Bootcfg recovery agent program.
To do this, let's start the computer again using the Windows XP CD.
Next, launch the Windows recovery system by pressing the R key when prompted.
Then select the required copy of Windows and, when prompted, enter the administrator password.
Type bootcfg /rebuild and press ENTER.
Once a copy of Windows is detected, the following commands appear:

Add system to boot list? .[Type Y (yes) in response to this message.] Enter your download ID:[Operating system name. Enter Windows XP Professional or Windows XP Home Edition.] Enter the operating system boot parameters:[Leave the field blank and press ENTER].

After completing the above steps, restart your computer and select the first option from the boot menu. After this, Windows XP should boot normally.
After Windows XP successfully boots, you can delete the incorrect entry in the Boot.ini file.
These manipulations helped me. The laptop started working, Windows booted, everyone was happy.