Let me preface this by saying that I'm kind of a n00b with this sort of stuff.


So I'm getting this message when I boot up my old desktop. When I google it, it's saying I need to boot from the disc or use the recovery console and do a chkdsk command. I have the old disc that came from Dell when I got the computer, but I'm not sure what to do with it. When I try to start it up with the cd in the drive, I don't know if I'm supposed to do something different to boot from the disc.
Can someone tell me the easiest way to get this working in layman's terms?
I don't need a long term fix, just want to get it booted up long enough to recover some old files.

12/22/2009 6:27:11 PM

Quote :

" Can someone tell me the easiest way to get this working in layman's terms?"

Pay one of us some money to fix

Really though, screw google, what is the exact error message? Its sounding like windows is corrupt. Your best bet is get another computer, pull the HD out of yours, and put it in an external HD connected to the other computer and pull files that way.

Also, which version of XP is this since its dell, im betting you have OEM disks.

12/22/2009 6:33:51 PM

Yeah, I don't live in Raleigh so that's kind of out. I know someone around here that can do it probably but there's a lot of personal financial information on there so I don't really trust anyone to just hand over my computer and not have them go through my stuff.

Exact error message is:

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

I was figuring that would be the easiest way. I guess I can put it into my mom's desktop and get the files that way. For that, do I need to do anything special other than just hook it up?

12/22/2009 6:56:48 PM

Sounds like the Windows is corrupted. You can't just copy that file back in.

Easiest solution is to get someone to take the hard drive out and plug it into a good machine.

Then do a restore with the original CD's.

12/22/2009 8:15:22 PM

If its an OEM disc you can boot the computer using the disc and run the repair windows option. That should take care of the missing file without losing any personal information. However you may have to reinstall some programs/update drivers/update windows after you are finished.

12/22/2009 8:17:52 PM

Find a windows disk and the follow step 1 at the link below.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

[Edited on December 22, 2009 at 9:06 PM. Reason : ]

12/22/2009 9:01:46 PM