System won't boot - missing file C:\Windows\System32\System

[aileen]

I am occasionally getting some kind of problem like 'System won't boot, missing file' and "C:\Windows\System32\System." Is there anyone who can tell me what the file it is referring to? Thanks.

[Coolestman]

Are you actually getting the below message:

Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
Note the path has the folder 'Config" in it.

If yes, then it could be a corrupted registry, and you would want to system restore to a time before the issue happened, or check the below article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

[Hockson]

The error means that the system portion of your Windows registry is damaged or missing. So follow the below articles to solve the issue:

How to Recover from a Corrupted Registry that Prevents Windows XP from
Starting
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;307545

How to Troubleshoot Registry Corruption Issues
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;822705

[aileen]

Thanks for the solution, I will read it as soon as I reach home.