Stop:c0000 {Registry File Failure}

[Rfarris39]

My wife got this today on her E-Machine, Windows XP. "Stop: c0000218 {Registry File Failure} The registry cannot load the hive (file): \SystemRoot\System32\config|Default or its log or alternative. It is corrupt, absent or not writable. Beginning dup of physical memory. I have the registry file backups in another location on her hard drive but it won't let me into safe mode with or without options. It just keeps rebooting.

Any ideas????