Guided Help to recover a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from starting

Guided Help to recover a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from starting

When you try to start or restart your Windows XP-based computer, you may receive one of the following error messages:

Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE

Stop: c0000218 {Registry File Failure} The registry cannot load the hive (file): \SystemRoot\System32\Config\SOFTWARE or its log or alternate

System error: Lsass.exe
When trying to update a password the return status indicates that the value provided as the current password is not correct.

To complete part one, follow these steps:

1.	Insert the Windows XP startup disk into the floppy disk drive, or insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer. Click to select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted to do so.
2.	When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.
3.	If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, select the installation that you want to access from the Recovery Console.
4.	When you are prompted to do so, type the Administrator password. If the administrator password is blank, just press ENTER.
5.	At the Recovery Console command prompt, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after you type each line: md tmp copy c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\tmp\system.bak copy c:\windows\system32\config\software c:\windows\tmp\software.bak copy c:\windows\system32\config\sam c:\windows\tmp\sam.bak copy c:\windows\system32\config\security c:\windows\tmp\security.bak copy c:\windows\system32\config\default c:\windows\tmp\default.bak delete c:\windows\system32\config\system delete c:\windows\system32\config\software delete c:\windows\system32\config\sam delete c:\windows\system32\config\security delete c:\windows\system32\config\default copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system copy c:\windows\repair\software c:\windows\system32\config\software copy c:\windows\repair\sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam copy c:\windows\repair\security c:\windows\system32\config\security copy c:\windows\repair\default c:\windows\system32\config\default
6.	Type exit to quit Recovery Console. Your computer will restart.

Note This procedure assumes that Windows XP is installed to the C:\Windows folder. Make sure to change C:\Windows to the appropriate windows_folder if it is a different location.

If you have access to another computer, to save time, you can copy the text in step five, and then create a text file called "Regcopy1.txt" (for example). To use this file, run the following command when you start in Recovery Console:

batch regcopy1.txt

With the batch command in Recovery Console, you can process all the commands in a text file sequentially. When you use the batch command, you do not have to manually type as many commands.

Part Three

In part three, you delete the existing registry files, and then copy the System Restore Registry files to the C:\Windows\System32\Config folder:

1.	Start Recovery Console.
2.	At the command prompt, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after you type each line: del c:\windows\system32\config\sam del c:\windows\system32\config\security del c:\windows\system32\config\software del c:\windows\system32\config\default del c:\windows\system32\config\system copy c:\windows\tmp\software c:\windows\system32\config\software copy c:\windows\tmp\system c:\windows\system32\config\system copy c:\windows\tmp\sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam copy c:\windows\tmp\security c:\windows\system32\config\security copy c:\windows\tmp\default c:\windows\system32\config\default Note Some of these command lines may be wrapped for readability.
3.	Type exit to quit Recovery Console. Your computer restarts.

Note This procedure assumes that Windows XP is installed to the C:\Windows folder. Make sure to change C:\Windows to the appropriate windows_folder if it is a different location.

If you have access to another computer, to save time, you can copy the text in step two, and then create a text file called "Regcopy2.txt" (for example). To use this file, run the following command when you start in Recovery Console:

batch regcopy2.txt

Part Four

1.	Click Start, and then click All Programs.
2.	Click Accessories, and then click System Tools.
3.	Click System Restore, and then click Restore to a previous RestorePoint.