HELP-PLEASE...Windows question Help!! My daughter's computer (on which she does her homeschool work) is suddenly giving this message at startup: Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \windows\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. Problem is...the computer was given to me and I do not have the original setup CD-ROM. Is there any other way for me to fix this? I don't know what caused it to happen. Her computer is not linked to the internet so I know it's not a virus. Any advice would be much appreciated as she is missing schoolwork until I get this fixed.
Thanks Ken. I didn't know that. You know, I do have an older computer (mine) which we bought from Best Buy about 7 years ago. It has windows on it. Shouldn't it have come with a windows startup CD? I can't seem to find one in the packet. Could I even use it? My computer has Windows98 second edition and my daughter's has windows xp.
Uggh! I found the recovery cd for my computer but you are correct, it will not help because I need xp. I've gone to ebay and see a disc that looks like what I need and it's under $10 too. Yeah! I guess I will go on and get that and hope they ship really fast (daughter is not so upset about this but she will be when it's time to make the work up). Another question. When I get her xp computer fixed, is there a way for me to copy her xp and install it on my computer since I only have windows98SE? Or, do I have to go out and buy new xp software? She got an mp3 for Christmas and it came with 50 free downloads. However, you must have online ability on a computer with xp or higher to get the songs so I need to make some changes.
Right after her machine goes through the CMOS check...Hit F8. Select Last known Good Configuration. If that doesn't work. Repeat the step and go into safe mode. If you are able to go into safe mode clean the machine thoroughly.
If it is giving you an error message about windows not loading, that means it is indeed getting past the initial tests at bootup, so you just have to hit F8 while booting until you get the boot list.
:hurray:Thank you Thank you Thank you!! You are indeed correct. Thank you for taking the time totell me this. When SS told me before, I was not hitting F8 fast enough I think. I even bought the repair cd Ken suggested and it STILL has not arrived. I gotta get my kids schoolwork back up and runing. Okay, last known good configuration did not work. I am now going to go try Safe Mode and as SS said "clean it thoroughly". Ummm...can anyone maybe expand on just what "cleaning" I should do??:?
Hmmmmppph!:cuss: It won't even go into safe mode. It tries, gives about 6 lines and then pops that same message up there again. I tried debug mode and all the other options I could. :banghead:
Is it a name brand PC? List the "model #" or "Service Tag #" or all the info you can get off it here. I'll see if I can find you a disk to use.
Thank you ddrdan!! How kind of you to offer!! Actually, the disk I bought off ebay finally arrived. I'm getting ready to try it now....I'll let ya know if it works or not (need a praying smilie here). Again, Thanks so much!!!
Sooooo...I go to get the numbers for ddrdan because the stupid disk I bought from ebay turned out to be useless since it only "fixes" win98 but their auction listed that it would "fix" winXP :cuss::cuss::cuss: (I'm not finished with them yet:boxing and what do I have to move in order to see the numbers? Nothing less than a small round magnet which has been stuck back there for Lord knows how long. Now it is only about the size of a dime and about 1/4" thick, but do you think that could have wiped out the file I need? I mean, it was stuck to the metal back plate of the tower.:banghead: :evil: Hmmmmphf...teenagers. She is usually pretty responsible so I guess I'll cut her a little slack. But still:evil: I'm sending some numbers to you in a pm DDRDAN. Is your offer still available. I'm going nuts here. My daughter has already lost nearly 2 weeks of summer because we will have to extend her school year for however long it takes to get this fixed.:-( I thought of borrowing a neighbors startup disk but I'm told the disks only work on the computer they come with and they all have "key" codes you need for them.:banghead:
Thanks Grammie...as you can probably tell...I think I know what I have to do now...just a matter of getting the disk...I HOPE!!!:? I'll let ya know if it works or not.
Now that I have bought WIN XP..... Okay, so now that I bought the xp disk, I hit another glitch. I am able to get windows setup to run and I am able to get to the recovery console. It asks me which windows installation do I want to work on. Since I only have the one on the c drive, I choose 1 and hit enter. The next thig that comes up is "enter administrative password" Well, I don't have an adm. password.:banghead: I'm not sure one was ever set up anyway?? So, I figure maybe I can skip that step by hitting enter. I hit enter and the prompt c:\windows comes up. Do I need the password? Should there be a password? Who would have the password? OR....can I fix the problem from the c:\windows prompt. I know how to type help in and get a list of the commands but I don't know what to do next. The guy who installed a new hard drive and cleaned up my sister's computer (the one I'm trying to fix here) before she gave it to me lives near Sis in TN. I did call him tonight and ask him about the password. He says that he has never been able to do a recovery, says he's surfed the net and found instructions but they never work so he always just reinstalls it. He is a whiz with computers, but kind-of a "rain man" type so I'm hoping that you guys can maybe fill in the blanks and help me to figure out a recovery instead of wiping out all the info to reinstall XP. AND...could this all be for naught. After I got setup to run, I took the disk out and rebooted. It appeared that windows DID load but when it got to what seemed to be the desktop page, it was all skewed and squished looking. Is this another problem? COuld it be that setup already fixed windows and I am just having a different problem here? The other guy told me I might need a new video driver too. Says I can get one off the internet. Great, DD's computer is not hooked to the internet. She only usues it for school. Hoping some of you computer pros can give me some advice here. Thanks
Might sound stupid, but the most popular password is "password", try it! That is about as deep as I can go here, and I didn't stay at a holiday Inn last night.
WOO HOO!! Well, I got it into safe mode finally. I think just starting it up using the XP disk fixed that problem for me. I was able to go and select the Last known Good Configuration and when I did that, it started up and the graphics were fine and all. I had a little personal celebration while my daughter moaned in agony at her comp. being fixed. Then I tried to move the mouse. Won't move. It is frozen. I've checked the plug outlet and all is well, I unplugged and replugged & rebooted. Still, same thing. Any thoughts on that one?
What kind of plug on the mouse? Round (PS2) or flat (USB)? This link may help? :lol::lol::lol: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUnoQYmRe0U
