The windows system32 config system file is missing. Windows can't start because the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\config\system file is corrupted or missing

If you are reading this article, then most likely you have the same problem and now we will solve it. If there are problems with the registry, the following errors may also appear:

— “XP cannot be started due to a corrupted or missing \\\32\\SOFTWARE file”
- "Stop: c0000218 (Registry file failure) The registry cannot load the partition family (file) \SystemRoot\\Config\SOFTWARE or its log or backup copy"

What does the error "Windows can't start because the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\config\system file is corrupted or missing" mean?

This error appears mainly in the following cases:

1. The computer does not turn off correctly. That is, not through “Start”, etc., but directly from the socket, some may find this funny, but believe me, many people do this.
2. The second option is a problem with the hard drive. It is possible that your hard drive has begun to crumble, that is, bad sectors have appeared on it.

How to fix the error “Windows can’t start because the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\config\system file is corrupted or missing”?

There are several ways you can get rid of this problem.

1. Radical way: reinstalling Windows, but it is not suitable for us as an option for system recovery.

2. Using any Live CD:

We will need a boot disk with some kind of file manager, I used a Live CD from Dr.Web good disc, you can check your PC for viruses, but that’s not about that now.

a) Boot from boot disk, if booting from disk does not work for you, then you need to set the priority for the CD/DVD drive in the BIOS.

b) Boot from the boot disk, and run any file manager, if you have the same Live CD from Dr.Web as I do, then there is a good file manager on your desktop.

c) After launching the file manager, open in it (if it allows you to work with two windows) in one window the file \windows\system32\config\system and in the other \windows\repair\system.

d) Now copy the \windows\repair\system file to \windows\system32\config\system and agree to replace the file.

A few words about what we did. We transferred the undamaged backup file from the \windows\repair\system folder and replaced it with a non-working file in the \windows\system32\config\system folder through which Windows did not boot.

Now we restart the computer and enjoy the working system. All these actions can be performed from command line with these commands:

copy c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\system32\config\system.old

delete c:\windows\system32\config\system

copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system

3. Check and fix bad sectors on the hard drive: Download the boot image of the Victoria or MHDD program, burn it to disk, boot from this disk and run a scan for bad sectors..
In 90% of cases, when such an error occurs, it helps to correct damaged sectors, if any.

If what is written above does not help, then you can also try “Last Known Good Configuration”.
If you had System Restore enabled, you can try a rollback.

File Windows\system32\config\system damaged or missing, you and I may receive such a message during the initial download phase operating system. The error occurs when the registry is seriously damaged. I’ll tell you right away there are few ways to fix this problem, but they exist. The main difficulty is that you cannot boot the operating system. I will give four ways to troubleshoot this problem, but you will need installation disk Windows XP or ERD Commander disk or, at worst, a simple Live CD.

1. First of all, this problem happens due to many errors on the hard drive, try using the CHKDSK C: / R command in the recovery console, the errors will be corrected and your system may boot. You can also remove your HDD and connect to another system unit, then from another Windows check yours system partition for errors, you can read the full article on using the utility
2. You can boot from the ERD Commander disk and try to apply a system restore. By the way, the ERD Commander system administrator disk can also help out in other difficult situations; read the full article about this tool.
3. Another way. If you had system recovery enabled, then you will need an ERD Commander disk or any Live CD. This is the point. We all know that Windows XP stores restore points in the folder
4. Last option. If system recovery was disabled for you, then you need to replace your damaged registry files with files from the C:\Windows\repair folder, this folder contains backup copies of your registry created by the operating system during its installation, this can be done using any Live CD .

Now about each method in detail.

File Windows\system32\config\system

To implement the first method, we need a Windows XP installation disk, so we boot into the recovery console. Those who don’t know how to do this can read our article. In the recovery console, let’s check our system disk(C:) for errors. At the beginning of the download from the installation Windows disk XP, the message “Press any key to boot from CD...” will appear on the screen, press any key at once, otherwise the message will disappear within 10 seconds and boot from installation Windows XP will not happen.

To restore Windows XP using the recovery console, press R

Enter the administrator password. Enter the administrator password. If there is no password, then press Enter on the keyboard.
When in the console Windows recovery XP programs use the Chkdsk program, they mainly use the /R parameter, which includes the functions of another /P parameter. Therefore, we will use the /R parameter
Enter the command Chkdsk /r
and press Enter, the hard drive is checked for errors.

Second way.

To implement the second method of eliminating the error The Windows\system32\config\system file is damaged or missing We need an ERD Commander disk, we boot from the disk.
Click start, then system tools System Tools->System Restore and select system restore. Select a system restore point and restore.

Third way.

We all know that Windows XP stores restore points in a folder

System Volume Information\restore(E9F1FFFA-7940-4ABA-BEC6- 8E56211F48E2)\RP\ snapshot , so, in the folder highlighted in red, intact registry files are stored. We need to copy these files and replace the damaged registry files with them from the C:\Windows\System32\Config folder
We boot from the ERD Commander disk or any Live CD; if you are working from the ERD Commander disk, we do not connect to the system, that is, at the beginning of loading the ERD Commander disk, select (None), otherwise you will not be able to replace the registry files.

go to the folder C:\Windows\System32\Config. Use the slider to open the full file name and delete (Delete) damaged registry files. Before deleting, you can copy them somewhere just in case, you never know.

System Volume Information\restore(E9F1FFFA-7940-4ABA-BEC6- 8E56211F48E2)\RP\ snapshot , select the files, right-click and select Copy to…

Fourth method
You can also replace your damaged registry files with files from the C:\Windows\repair folder, this folder contains backup copies of your registry created by the operating system during its installation, this can be done using the ERD Commander disk or any Live CD. But be aware that some of your applications will refuse to work and will have to be reinstalled, since the system state will be shown at the time of installation.

Backup copies of the registry files created during the installation of Windows XP are located in the repair folder located at

C:\Windows\repair . We go into it, select and copy with the Copy to... command the registry files we need SAM, SECURITY, SOFTWARE, DEFAULT, SYSTEM,

Then go to the folder C:\Windows\System32\Config, select it and click OK.

Backup registry files replace damaged ones. Replace file?

We agree - Yes

The Windowssystem32configsystem file is damaged or missing; you and I may receive such a message during the initial phase of loading the operating system. The error occurs when the Windows XP registry is seriously damaged. I’ll tell you right away there are few ways to fix this problem, but they exist. First let's try the simplest thing on the menu additional parameters boot, select Load Last Known Good Configuration and Windows XP will apply the boot settings system registry and driver settings that were used during the last successful download

systems.
If nothing works out for you, you will have to edit the registry manually, this method is suitable if you have the System Restore service enabled.

To perform this method, you will have to remove your hard drive with a non-working system and connect it to a working computer with a second one. We removed the hard drive and connected the second one to a working system unit. Next, turn on the computer, wait for a working system to load, and create Text Document
with any name, but just so you remember it and with the extension .txt, we write there:
md tmp
copy c:windowssystem32configsystem c:windowstmpsystem.bak
copy c:windowssystem32configsoftware c:windowstmpsoftware.bak
copy c:windowssystem32configsam c:windowstmpsam.bak
copy c:windowssystem32configsecurity c:windowstmpsecurity.bak

delete c:windowssystem32configsystem
delete c:windowssystem32configsoftware
delete c:windowssystem32configsam
delete c:windowssystem32configsecurity
delete c:windowssystem32configdefault

copy c:windowsrepairsystem c:windowssystem32configsystem
copy c:windowsrepairsoftware c:windowssystem32configsoftware
copy c:windowsrepairsam c:windowssystem32configsam
copy c:windowsrepairsecurity c:windowssystem32configsecurity
copy c:windowsrepairdefault c:windowssystem32configdefault
Next, we place our text file in the folder: Windows of the hard drive with a non-working system and put it in place.

1.Insert the Windows XP installation CD and restart the problematic computer; you need to boot from the drive.
2.When the message “Welcome to the installation wizard” appears, press the R key to launch Recovery Console.

If you do not have experience working with the Recovery Console, read our article Windows XP Recovery Console.
3.If your computer has two or more operating systems installed, select the instance of Windows that you want to access from the Recovery Console.
4.When prompted, enter your administrator password. If the password is for account no administrator is assigned, just press ENTER.

In the console you need to run the batch command (which allows you to execute a sequence of commands saved in a text file) and then the name text file, which you had to remember or write down, with the extension .txt, by doing this we are overwriting damaged registry files backup copies from the repair folder.

5.After performing the registry restore, enter EXIT

There is another option, enter the command in the recovery console: CHKDSK C: /R/F, this command starts checking data on the disk, but by default, CHKDSK does not check the disk surface for bad sectors and does not correct errors.

To search for bad sectors, you must set the /R flag
To correct errors you need to set the /F flag.
Sometimes errors are found and corrected and the computer boots.

And the last option, you can try to put the operating system on top, that is, run the normal one Windows installation XP, but at the last moment I chose not to install, but to restore Recovery Windows systems XP through the installer.

Sometimes when you try to start or restart Windows XP, the above error may appear. This is due to the absence or damage necessary files Windows registry. Sometimes other directories may be missing, for example: /WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/CONFIG/SOFTWARE, /WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/CONFIG/SYSTEM or /SystemRoot/System32/Config/SOFTWARE. In this case, errors may look like this:

• "Windows XP cannot start because the /WINDOWS/SYSTEM32/CONFIG/SOFTWARE file is corrupted or missing"
• "Stop: c0000218 (Registry file failure) The registry cannot load the partition family (file) /SystemRoot/System32/Config/SOFTWARE or its log or backup copy"

How to restore Windows XP boot.

A file error may also occur Lsass.exe. The reasons for these errors may be as follows:

1. Incorrect or unexpected termination Windows operation.
2. Problems with hard drive computer or laptop, it may have failed or almost failed.
3. You yourself, accidentally or on purpose, deleted system files necessary for Windows XP to work.

How can I remove this error and start Windows XP, the solution to the problem?

Besides reinstalling the operating system, there are several ways to solve this problem. The meaning of these methods comes down to restoring damaged or deleted files and registry directories.

First option.

You need to start the computer from a bootable CD/DVD disk or flash drive. Products such as Live CD from Dr.Web are suitable for this; it has a built-in convenient file manager and a program for checking your PC for viruses and Trojans. In order to boot a computer or laptop from a disk or flash drive, you need to press F1, F2 or Del when loading normally, and set the boot priority from the disk.

We boot, launch the file manager, select the /windows/system32/config/system directory on the left, /windows/repair/system on the right. We copy everything on the right into the left window. After this, we reboot the computer or laptop, not forgetting to set it back to boot from the hard drive. If the steps described above did not help, and the system does not start as before, then do not despair, since there is a second way to solve the problem.

Second option.

If you have a Windows XP installation disc, you can use the Recovery Console to recover missing files. To do this, set the BIOS to boot from disk. When starting from a disk, press +R to launch the Windows Recovery Console. After starting, enter the commands sequentially, after entering each one, press +Enter:

MD tmp copy c:/windows/system32/config/system c:/windows/tmp/system.bak copy c:/windows/system32/config/software c:/windows/tmp/software.bak copy c:/windows/ system32/config/sam c:/windows/tmp/sam.bak copy c:/windows/system32/config/security c:/windows/tmp/security.bak copy c:/windows/system32/config/default c:/ windows/tmp/default.bak

delete c:/windows/system32/config/system delete c:/windows/system32/config/software delete c:/windows/system32/config/sam delete c:/windows/system32/config/security delete c:/windows/ system32/config/default

copy c:/windows/repair/system c:/windows/system32/config/system copy c:/windows/repair/software c:/windows/system32/config/software copy c:/windows/repair/sam c:/ windows/system32/config/sam copy c:/windows/repair/security c:/windows/system32/config/security copy c:/windows/repair/default c:/windows/system32/config/default

You can use standard features systems: try to boot with the "last known known configuration". This is done when the computer starts. Also, if you have previously activated automatic recovery system, you can roll it back.

If you solved the problem, but the error repeats again and again, most likely there are serious problems with your hard drive and it does not have much life left, so consider replacing it and backup important data.

We all now cannot imagine life without computers. They have long replaced televisions, in them we store all our important information: photos, documents. They have infested businesses and homes. But breakdowns can occur with anything, not excluding laptops and computers. However, what should we do if our operating system generated an error such as: the Windows\system32\config\system file is damaged or missing.

This occurs when Windows registry received serious injuries. These damages can occur under various circumstances when the power to the computer is suddenly turned off, when the computer is turned off incorrectly, and the possibility cannot be excluded malfunction himself hard drive. The problem with this error is that it appears when the operating system starts. Therefore, we cannot start the computer, and therefore even try to use special programs to restore the registry and fix errors. But there are ways (although there are not many of them) by which you can fix this Windows error.

1. Recovering a Windows error using the installation disk. In order to repair errors, you will need an installation disk with our operating system. Having inserted the disk into the drive, we will see the inscription Press any key to boot from CD." You need to quickly press any key, because after ten seconds, the download will not occur.

Then a sign will appear with three actions that we can perform:

1) We can start installing Windows XP.

2) We can restore the system using the recovery console.

3) We can leave the program.

Select the second item using the (R) key. Afterwards, in the console that appears, enter the command Chkdsk /r. Press Enter. Begins hard check disk. Once everything is complete, restart the computer, after which it should turn on normally.

2. Error recovery using ERD Commander.

For this method we will need a program like ERDC. This program is used to restore operating systems, even when Windows is very damaged and does not start. If you learn to use it, then restoration of any Windows errors, will not be difficult. Recovery using this program can be performed in two ways:

1) When you start the disc, a menu will appear. The Start button will appear in the lower left corner. Click on it. In the panel that appears, click on System Tools and then System Restore. There we need to select an item with which we can restore the system. Then we set a restore point for the operating system and restore it.

2) Everyone knows that an operating system such as Windows XP has the ability to save restore points. If you haven't disabled this function, then restoration can be done precisely using these points. And they are located in the folder System Volume Information\restore(E9F1FFFA-7940-4ABA-BEC6-8E56211F48E2)\RP\snapshot. In order to restore damaged or missing files, you need to copy them from this folder to the C:\Windows\System32\Config folder.

To do this, go to the second one and initially delete from it the files named SAM, SOFTWARE, DEFAULT, SECURITY, SYSTEM. After completing the file deletion operation, you need to enter the folder where our recovery points are located. Here we select files with the same name, only with the REGISTRY_MACHINE\ prefix. Then we return to the folder where we copied the files and delete the console. After following these procedures correctly, the computer should turn on without any problems.

All these methods should help solve this problem. You should not immediately contact the services, because most problems can be solved yourself. The main thing is just a little effort and a little time spent.