Laptop wont start.
Comes up with “\Windows\System32\Config\System is missing or corrupted.”
I gather my registry is corrupted.
Normally I’d just restore the OS.
(Its a Dell Inspiron, with the OS on a hidden partition I gather).
But this just wants to wipe the drive, no option to repair.
So I have a borrowed XP cd.
I’ve booted to the repair console.
But it just says “Acces is denied.” when I try to change directories to get to the Windows folder, (to try & copy the files across from the cd).

Any ideas ?

If you have a CD, boot from it, and continue past the Recovery option. It will ask you “Windows installation detected – repair, or wipe?”

Choose repair, and it should do a bit of housekeeping for you.

If you can get to the recovery console using the XP cd, try and run

chkdsk -r

This should run a system file checker and re-add/replace files it finds to be corrupt. Can take a while to run through, but what’ve you got to lose eh?

Also if you’re worried about losing data, you can get laptop hard-drive caddies for a few pounds online so you can copy info off to another PC before rebuilding.

If you do go down the re-install from disc option

have a look here

http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

The file it’s flagging as broken is your HKLM registry hive – it’s specific to your PC. Logistics aside, copying it from install media wouldn’t necessarily be a good idea.

chkdsk -p (IIRC) will check the drive for errors from the recovery console. If that doesn’t fix it, try the Last Known Good option from the boot menu (press F8 on boot). If that doesn’t work, you’re looking at restoring from a backup copy; this is painful but possible. Yell if you get to this point and I’ll give you some more info.

Thanks for replies all.
Borrowed a caddy & had a look on another pc.
All files etc, had been backed up by VirginMedia’s back-Up service. (Yes, it actually worked!) But just wanted to check the drive in case I’d missed something.
Entire \Windows\System32\Config\ folder was missing.
So copied the \Windows\Repair folder from the same dive, & re-named as \Config. Also had to rename System.bak as just System.
Re-booted & it came on eventually, after 20 mins of disk checking etc.
But no wi-fi?
Tried to re-install OS from the hidden partition with “CTRL” & “F11” but seems the OS partition has been corrupted.
So need to get a new copy of XP.
Might pop in a ne HDD to be on the safe side also. No idea why it threw a wobbly. Its about 5yrs old & has never skipped a beat.
Thanks again for your help.

Nicely.

From that point, can you then access System Restore? (Start / Progs / Accessories / System Tools) Restore the latest snapshot from there, that should hopefully sort it.

Sadly, System Restore has no logged restore points, despite me having done it a few weeks ago when I connected the new printer.
Need to get a new XP disc & rid the drive of these daft hidden partitions.

If you’re rebuilding it, either holding one of F5 or Ctrl-F11 on boot -should- throw you into Dell’s recovery partition, if that’s any use to you.