windows\system32\config\system corrupted and no option for Recovery Console

[grego]

Can't boot to safe mode, can't get to last known good configuration. A Win 98 setup disc can't recognize a FAT partition (NTFS?), and when I attempt to boot to the CD the setup charade never happens because it says there is not even enough room for a temp folder.

It's not my machine so I don't know any history. It is a Dell 8100, and the first message you get is "Primary Hard Disk Drive 1 Not Found". If you press F1 to get it to move on it sluggishly attempts to boot, and then you get the message that windows\system32\config\system is corrupted. Dead end after that.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.


Greg

[Big Booger]

It might mean your registry is corrupted... or it could be that you have some hard disk error. Try doing checkdsk /r via the recovery console.

[grego]

I would if I could, but I can't get to the RC at all. Is there something I have overlooked?

***

[egghead]

sounds like a drive failure

get into the bios to make sure the hard drive is being detected.

if it is in the bios use an xp cd to boot and get into recovery console to chkdsk

[Big Booger]

I would if I could, but I can't get to the RC at all. Is there something I have overlooked?

***

I am with egg, check to see if the drive is being recognized in the BIOS. Then try to procede with the check disk via recovery console.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;307545

YOur error I believe.

[beelzebub]

if all else fails open the computer and make sure the IDE and Molex cables are properly mounted (stuff happens after such a long life span).

[grego]

I will check the BIOS again, although I do believe the last time I looked the drive was recognized.

As for the Recovery Console...I can't even get there. I get a message that there is not enough space to create a temp folder for the setup files, and it then gives me no other option but to exit the setup. I don't even make it to the RC.

Any way around this?


***

[Big Booger]

Basically from what you are saying it sounds like your hard disk is hosed. Do you hear any clicking or anything from the hard disks?

I'd say try a new/spare hard disk, and see if you can start a fresh install of windows Xp. If that works, then you can try to RMA the Hard disk back or junk it if the warranty period has expired.

It could be a cable as beelzebub said above. Check the cables and power connectors first and rule that out. Also check the power supply, make sure all other hardware is seated correctly.

While in the BIOS you might want to set everything back to default.

Have you tried running the Dell Diagnostics tools:

http://tinyurl.com/ayebe

[grego]

Thank you for the Dell diagnostic tool. I checked the BIOS and it did recognize the Maxtor HD. I made sure everything was secure inside the case (it seemed to be), and then I ran the tests. Everything passed except for the HD. It failed at the very first test, the confidence test, with the message: "Uncorrectable data or media is write protected".

So my next stupid question is, can the user retrieve any data from the HD or is that a lost cause?


Thanks,
Greg

[egghead]

proffessional help would be needed.

you might try it in another computer as a slave to see if the drive is accessable and if you can see any info on it

if not the drive most likely has corrupted thte data and pro help is the only way to get anything off of it

[rik]

Yes the data can be recovered but it is very expensive to do. If I'm not mistaken that system also has a hdd diagnostic which can be accessed during boot by hitting CTRL-D.

If all else fails, download a diagnostic from Maxtor to run on it.

Now unless I've read this all wrong, You have Win 98 on it? But the error message is an NT\2K\XP error...or did you just mean that a Win 98 disk wouldn't see the NTFS?

[grego]

Yes, the OS is XP, but the floppy I happened to have on hand was a Win 98 startup disc. I don't recall exactly the message it gave me but I will copy it down and post it if you wanted to see it. I know it said basically that it did not recognize a FAT or FAT32 partition, and that I would have to FDISK and create a new partition.

So the next thing I'll do is as you suggested, try it as a slave in another machine and see if there is any access to it that way.

Thanks for helping me along guys.


***

[egghead]

this clears up lots
it is xp with ntfs file system

win98 or fat32 cannot read or see an ntfs partition.

neither will any old hard drive diagnostic software based off oof fat32

your best bet is to get the xp bootdiscs

www.bootdisk.com

boot to the recovery console using the floppy and start with big boogers suggestions

it sounds like the drive might be ok

[grego]

Okay, I was wondering about that. I'm going to check that out and see if it will work. Why do you think it is that I couldn't get to the RC with the XP disc in the first place?

***

[egghead]

oh.

check that the cd is the first boot device in the bios.

Put in your windows xp disc.

when the computer boots you will get a message "press any key to boot from the disc"

press the "any key" quick and yoiu will see the installer.

It should ask you a couple questions and choose the recover console (not the repair installation using a floppy question)

can't think of it off hand

the cd should boot to a dos like prompt asking you for admin password

[grego]

Okay, although the CD didn't get me into the RC, the XP bootdiscs did. The problem now is that I can't seem to get any further. I typed in the command md tmp as directed by the Microsoft site, but the response I get is "Access is Denied". I tried the next copy command too, and got the same response. I'm not sure what I did wrong now.


***

[grego]

Anyone?:confused:

[Big Booger]

mmm
If the disk is not allowing you to write to it when you tried the md tmp command, it means you don't have write access.

Were you prompted to enter the admin password:

When you are prompted to do so, type the Administrator password. If the administrator password is blank, just press ENTER.

[grego]

Actually, I was never prompted to enter an Admin passwd. I just followed through with the boot floppies until I was directed to press R to get into the Recovery Console. Then I got to the command prompt and started to type in those commands, but was denied access.

For the hell of it, I started it again went to start an install instead of RC. Usually at that point it asks for the CD, and then it displays the available partitions. On that screen, it doesn't even recognize that XP is there. I believe it said, "Partition 1 (Unrecognized)". It said something about partition one either being corrupted or that it is in an unrecognized format.

Is it possible that the HD was wiped out by a virus or something? I know they had Norton on this machine but I'm just wondering if that might be possible?

***

[rik]

How many partitions are on the drive?

[grego]

Just one.


***

[Big Booger]

I am going to go out on a limb and say that if you can spare the information that is stored on the PC, and you just want to get it up and running, format the drive.

I'd suggest getting the Hard Disk utilities disk that your drive manufacturer makes available. Maxtor, Seagate, WD etc... all make tools for diagnostics/formatting etc.

Once you have that, just format the hard disk. Once formatted then use the XP boot disks to install XP.

[grego]

Should I do an FDISK /MBR as well?


***

[Big Booger]

Should I do an FDISK /MBR as well?


***

That's an Idea. I have a post showing how to fix the MBR on windows XP machines.

http://www.techzonez.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3975

Note, that FDISK no longer works with windows XP. In fact I never use a DOS or windows 9X disks to do anything on a windows XP partition.

Instead I use a BARTPE disk that I made to fix errors and so on. I highly recommend you to make one if you have time and often have errors crop up with windows XP.

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

In fact you might be able to use that to get into your XP install, and fix it. :D

[El_KaBong]

If you have a disk that you can boot up to outside windows (I've used miniPE-XT) you could replace the damaged/corrupt system file in windows\system32\config\system with one that is located in WINDOWS\repair. That would get you into the computer.

[grego]

Just wanted to mention that the Maxtor HD in question failed the Powermax test when doing a full scan. Another dumb question: does anyone know if minipe.v2k5.06.06-xt.iso is bootable?

[El_KaBong]

Yep, sure is.;)

[driviere]

proffessional help would be needed.

you might try it in another computer as a slave to see if the drive is accessable and if you can see any info on it

if not the drive most likely has corrupted thte data and pro help is the only way to get anything off of it


My toshiba wont boot in safe mode... or at all... it just loops ...
At last lapse of operational consciousness, it made some light clicking sounds and gave a message that it had some problem with the ... win32...c1252.nls and suggested trying the original setup CDROM then never could regain its bootability. It doesn't allow me to access the CD or boot in safe mode...
I can get a screen giving me the option to boot in safe mode(s) but the options dont work
After boot attempts I get a screen that shows something like this ... multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1) windows\system32\ntoskrnl.exe
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1) windows\system32\hal.dll
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1) windows\system32\KDCOM.DLL
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1) windows\system32\BOOTVID.dll
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1) windows\system32\config\system
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1) windows\system32\c_1252.nls
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1) windows\system32\c_437.nls
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1) windows\system32\l_intl.nls

then after another long wait it displays a long list of driver files in similar format... I cannot write them down fast enough... then screen blanks and computer attempts to boot but just loops
:eek:

[Big Booger]

To make a drive a slave, you have to change the jumpers:

http://www.techzonez.com/hard disk connectors.jpg

Once you change the jumpers to slave, then the drive is slave. Your drive usually has the jumper settings printed on the label of the drive itself. You'll need to remove the hard disk from your toshiba to change it to a slave.

[driviere]

Can you offer any more insight to my afore-mentioned problem? I've never gutted a PC and transplanted elsewhere... Is there another way to access my files in my Toshiba ... or is the slave method seemingly the best way?

[Curio]

The file that is missing is the hardware information part of the registry. If you try to use the Last Known Good boot option it may boot but they usually don't. All that it should require is that you do an 'in place install' but it may be that all the registry files are corrupted and the in place install won't be able to find your installation. I have seen this many times and it must be some kind of undocumented feature of Xp and W2k that occasionally the the registry gets hosed or becomes unreadable.

Good news is that your data is just about always OK and if you have a copy of the system state data you can re-install Windows and import the system state data and woohoo! you are back in business.

Curios tip number 2 - back up your system state data
(number 1 was just back up your data using True Image)

[driviere]

THank you for the info. :) I'd like to get more info on the restoring windows.... but for now I need to get my files out for immediate use. I'm accessing the HD as a slave on another computer running the same OS (XP home edition) but I can't get some files due to "access denied". How do I get a screen that allows me to say " Hey HD... it's me... here's proof.... Now LET ME IN!!!!"

[egghead]

I can't get some files due to "access denied". How do I get a screen that allows me to say " Hey HD... it's me... here's proof.... Now LET ME IN!!!!"

http://www.techzonez.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15147&highlight=ownership

:)

[driviere]

Oh what evil lurks in yon HD...
After unsuccessfully trying to get ownership of the evil HD... the bugger started clicking and not letting me access the drive again...
HELP ME... I'M melting....

[Big Booger]

Oh what evil lurks in yon HD...
After unsuccessfully trying to get ownership of the evil HD... the bugger started clicking and not letting me access the drive again...
HELP ME... I'M melting....

If it is clicking it might be a major issue related to hard drive failure.

If so check this thread:
http://www.techzonez.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16429&highlight=freezer

[driviere]

HD failure ... with brief moments of operation... yet I not long enough to take ownership to get my files... any other desperate measures?

[Big Booger]

You could shake your dong at it... who knows... :assshake:

[Curio]

It sounds silly but it's not - stick it in the fridge for an hour or two then re-connect it. At this point it is usually best to use an imaging program like Drive Image, True Image or Norton Ghost to try to copy all the data off as obviously your hard drive mechanics are failing.

The cold tightens up the mechanism and although it will soon warm itself up once running you can often get 20-40 minutes of trouble free time from the drive which is enough to copy the data.

[driviere]

Thank you for your help!
I was actually working on Boog's suggestion... (but I only got an innie... not an outie...) so I'd have to borrow one to shake at it ... LOL :p )
I did try the freezer approach... but the hd only responded to the "cold shoulder"...
I'm going to try Drive Image... I'll keep ya posted thx again :)

[grego]

I'm a big fan of "innies" and IMO they shake a LOT better.

Better go put my hard drive in the freezer. ;)


***

[Big Booger]

I'm a big fan of "innies" and IMO they shake a LOT better.

Better go put my hard drive in the freezer. ;)


***
Did you shake your dong at it first? :D

[grego]

I screamed "Beetlejuice" three times at the top of lungs, I clacked my heels together on the yellow brick road, and shook my dong so hard it almost fell off, but the damn thing still didn't come back to life!

Off to the landfill it goes. Newegg is Fedexing a new Seagate as we speak.:)


***

[driviere]

Got True Image... I now need to overcome the access denied aspect... I've logged in with same login & PW but on different computer. any suggestions for breaking in???

[driviere]

True Image + HD enclosure + a new HD + an ice cold one = success!!!
I was able to get the HD working enough for True Image to work its magic.
To overcome the access issue, I had to load the image onto a new HD and put back into the laptop. I now have access to the "denied" files and it appears that ALL files are intact.
Thank you once again for all your help!:D :D :D
-Dawn

[Curio]

Glad to help you and I bet you feel a whole lot better now!:)