Corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
Hi,
My Windows Server 2003 x64 system can not boot in safe mode and is
displaying the following message. I started the recovery console and can see
the "system" file is there. I've a system state backup, but without being
able to boot in directory services restore mode, I can't see how to replace
it. Any thoughts?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
Bob
Re: Corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
Hello Bob,
Your computer does not start if the SYSTEM hive is too large
View products that this article applies to.
Article ID
: 306038
Last Review : May 25, 2004
Revision : 3.0
This article was previously published under Q306038
On This Page
SYMPTOMS
CAUSE
RESOLUTION
Method 1: Replace the SYSTEM Hive
Method 2: Restore the SYSTEM File from the SYSTEM.ALT Backup File
Method 3: Reduce the Size of the SYSTEM File
Method 4: Restore the SYSTEM Hive from Backup
MORE INFORMATION
SYMPTOMS
When you start your computer, you may receive the following error message:
In Windows NT 4.0
Windows NT could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
\WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
In Windows 2000:
Windows 2000 could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:
\WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEMced startup options for Windows 2000, press F8.
Back to the top
CAUSE
This issue may occur if Windows cannot allocate enough memory to the SYSTEM
hive. The SYSTEM hive is typically around 3 MB, but when it is highly fragmented
or damaged, its size may increase greatly. If a large number of programs
have been installed and removed on your computer, or if the computer shares
a large number of resources, the registry may become too large.
Back to the top
RESOLUTION
To resolve this issue, use the following methods in the order in which they
are presented.
Back to the top
Method 1: Replace the SYSTEM Hive
Important: The WINNT\Repair folder contains a copy of the SYSTEM hive in
the SYSTEM file. The SYSTEM hive is updated if you run the Rdisk.exe utility
(available only with Windows NT), and then select the Update repair information
option. If you have recently updated the SYSTEM hive by using the Rdisk.exe
utility, go directly to "Method 3".
Replace the SYSTEM hive in the Config folder with the SYSTEM hive from the
Repair folder. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Start the computer by using the Windows Setup floppy disks or the Windows
2000 CD-ROM. At the "Welcome to Setup" screen, press R to repair, and then
press C to start the Recovery Console.
2. Type the number for the appropriate Windows installation, and then type
the Administrator account password.
3. To copy the SYSTEM file from the WINNT\Repair folder to the WINNT\System32\Config
folder, type the following command, and then press ENTER:
copy c:\winnt\repair\system c:\winnt\system32\config\SYSTEM
.. If you receive a prompt to overwrite the file, press Y, and then press
ENTER.
4. Restart the computer.
Note: If you use the file allocation table (FAT) file system, use a Microsoft
Windows 98 startup disk to start the computer.
Back to the top
Method 2: Restore the SYSTEM File from the SYSTEM.ALT Backup File
Use this method if the WINNT\Repair\System file is old and the Rdisk utility
has not been run to update the repair information.
1. Start the computer by using the Windows Setup floppy disks or the Windows
2000 CD-ROM. At the "Welcome to Setup" screen, press R to repair, and then
press C to start the Recovery Console.
2. Type the number for the appropriate Windows installation, and then type
the Administrator account password.
3. Type the following command, and then press ENTER:
copy c:\winnt\system32\config\system.alt c:\winnt\system32\config\SYSTEM
.. When you are prompted to overwrite the file, press Y, and then press ENTER.
4. Restart the computer.
Back to the top
Method 3: Reduce the Size of the SYSTEM File
This method reduces the size of the SYSTEM file by copying it two times.
To reduce the size of the SYSTEM file, follow these steps:
1. Start the computer by using the Windows Setup floppy disks or the Windows
2000 CD-ROM. At the "Welcome to Setup" screen, press R to repair, and then
press C to start the Recovery Console.
2. Type the number for the appropriate Windows installation, and then type
the Administrator account password.
3. At the Recovery Console command prompt, type the following commands, pressing
ENTER after you type each command:
cd \winnt\system32\config
copy system system.bak
del system
copy system.bak SYSTEM
exit
4. Restart the computer.
Back to the top
Method 4: Restore the SYSTEM Hive from Backup
If the preceding methods do not resolve the issue, create a parallel installation
of Windows, and then restore the SYSTEM hive from a tape backup to the original
WINNT\System32\Config folder.
Back to the top
MORE INFORMATION
When Windows starts, its memory is limited to 16 MB. If the SYSTEM hive exceeds
the available memory, the computer cannot start and you receive one of the
error messages that listed in the "Symptoms" section of this article.
Best regards
Myweb
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
no rights.
> Hi,
> My Windows Server 2003 x64 system can not boot in safe mode and is
> displaying the following message. I started the recovery console and
> can see
> the "system" file is there. I've a system state backup, but without
> being
> able to boot in directory services restore mode, I can't see how to
> replace
> it. Any thoughts?
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> -------------------------
> 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.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> -------------------------
Re: Corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
Thanks MyWeb. You fixed it!
Actually, I think the size of my system hive is okay at 5.2MB. I followed
your suggested procedure and replaced it with my 5.1MB "repair" copy which I
guess is created as part of the ntbackup systemstate procedure?
I think I must have a hardware problem as my edb.log has been corrupted
three times and today it is my system registry.
I don't understand why these errors only show themselves upon bootup. If
the hardware is corrupting these various system databases, why doesn’t
Windows crash at the moment it happens? Why wait until bootup?
I've run memtest86 and the Dell diags, but nothing is catching these
intermittent errors (assuming this is hardware related).
Are there any utilities I can run that might catch the problem when it
occures?
--
Bob
Re: Corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
Hello Bob,
Thank you for using newsgroup!
I'd like to thanks the other peer who has provided you with more detailed
resolutions and the root cause. I agree with your assuming and I suspect
this issue may be related to hardware.
Thanks & Regards,
Ken Zhao
Microsoft Online Support
Microsoft Global Technical Support Center
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security <http://www.microsoft.com/security>
====================================================
When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
====================================================
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
--------------------
| Thread-Topic: Corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
| thread-index: AceTFtFKRVCUI1viSFCgNU4zSMMNcw==
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<ff16fb662926b8c9612b9060db20@msnews.microsoft.com>
| Subject: Re: Corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
| Date: Thu, 10 May 2007 08:21:01 -0700
| Lines: 21
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| X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.windows.server.general
|
| Thanks MyWeb. You fixed it!
|
| Actually, I think the size of my system hive is okay at 5.2MB. I
followed
| your suggested procedure and replaced it with my 5.1MB "repair" copy
which I
| guess is created as part of the ntbackup systemstate procedure?
|
| I think I must have a hardware problem as my edb.log has been corrupted
| three times and today it is my system registry.
|
| I don't understand why these errors only show themselves upon bootup. If
| the hardware is corrupting these various system databases, why doesn’t
| Windows crash at the moment it happens? Why wait until bootup?
|
| I've run memtest86 and the Dell diags, but nothing is catching these
| intermittent errors (assuming this is hardware related).
|
| Are there any utilities I can run that might catch the problem when it
| occures?
|
| --
| Bob
|
Re: Corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
Hi,
I am just writing to see how everything is going. If you have any updates
or need any further assistance on this issue, please feel free to let me
know.
Thanks & Regards,
Ken Zhao
Microsoft Online Support
Microsoft Global Technical Support Center
Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security <http://www.microsoft.com/security>
====================================================
When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
====================================================
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
--------------------
| X-Tomcat-ID: 45816003
| References: <8A5356D6-081E-4104-9ED3-EA2347A0725F@microsoft.com>
<ff16fb662926b8c9612b9060db20@msnews.microsoft.com>
<D3CF79F6-A45C-40E9-BA01-FB3FBBE24A85@microsoft.com>
| MIME-Version: 1.0
| Content-Type: text/plain
| Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
| From: v-kzhao@online.microsoft.com ("Ken Zhao [MSFT]")
| Organization: Microsoft
| Date: Fri, 11 May 2007 03:01:04 GMT
| Subject: Re: Corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
| X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.windows.server.general
| Message-ID: <4fhWni3kHHA.1144@TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl>
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| NNTP-Posting-Host: TOMCATIMPORT1 10.201.218.122
|
| Hello Bob,
|
| Thank you for using newsgroup!
|
| I'd like to thanks the other peer who has provided you with more detailed
| resolutions and the root cause. I agree with your assuming and I suspect
| this issue may be related to hardware.
|
| Thanks & Regards,
|
| Ken Zhao
|
| Microsoft Online Support
| Microsoft Global Technical Support Center
|
| Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security
<http://www.microsoft.com/security>
| ====================================================
| When responding to posts, please "Reply to Group" via your newsreader so
| that others may learn and benefit from your issue.
| ====================================================
| This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.
|
|
|
|
| --------------------
| | Thread-Topic: Corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
| | thread-index: AceTFtFKRVCUI1viSFCgNU4zSMMNcw==
| | X-WBNR-Posting-Host: 207.46.19.168
| | From: =?Utf-8?B?Qm9i?= <86c6c2e6-2146512712@news.postalias>
| | References: <8A5356D6-081E-4104-9ED3-EA2347A0725F@microsoft.com>
| <ff16fb662926b8c9612b9060db20@msnews.microsoft.com>
| | Subject: Re: Corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM
| | Date: Thu, 10 May 2007 08:21:01 -0700
| | Lines: 21
| | Message-ID: <D3CF79F6-A45C-40E9-BA01-FB3FBBE24A85@microsoft.com>
| | MIME-Version: 1.0
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| | Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
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| | Content-Class: urn:content-classes:message
| | Importance: normal
| | Priority: normal
| | X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.3790.2826
| | Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windows.server.general
| | Path: TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl
| | Xref: TK2MSFTNGHUB02.phx.gbl
microsoft.public.windows.server.general:12651
| | NNTP-Posting-Host: tk2msftibfm01.phx.gbl 10.40.244.149
| | X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.windows.server.general
| |
| | Thanks MyWeb. You fixed it!
| |
| | Actually, I think the size of my system hive is okay at 5.2MB. I
| followed
| | your suggested procedure and replaced it with my 5.1MB "repair" copy
| which I
| | guess is created as part of the ntbackup systemstate procedure?
| |
| | I think I must have a hardware problem as my edb.log has been corrupted
| | three times and today it is my system registry.
| |
| | I don't understand why these errors only show themselves upon bootup.
If
| | the hardware is corrupting these various system databases, why doesn’
t
| | Windows crash at the moment it happens? Why wait until bootup?
| |
| | I've run memtest86 and the Dell diags, but nothing is catching these
| | intermittent errors (assuming this is hardware related).
| |
| | Are there any utilities I can run that might catch the problem when it
| | occures?
| |
| | --
| | Bob
| |
|
|
