Registry File Failure Preventing Boot Up

[quiksilva]

I have an HP Pavillion with Pentium 4 3.2ghz, ati x800, 2 gb ddr ram, it came with just 512 ram I chnaged the ram and added an extra internal hdd of 300GB about 4 years ago taking the total storage to 460 gb + a 250 external hdd that I just added last week that seemed to be working fine.

The PC was store bought and came with a genuine version of xp home edition already installed, but I wa never given a disk. I am told that seeing as I am in Thailand they always do that here due to piracy fears. Anyway the hdd had a seperate partition with the HP system recovery disk installed on it.

I added a few programs recently and I suspect that one of these has caused a registry value to become corrupted.

What happened was my wife shut the PC down normally and when we tried to start the PC it got to the black windows boot screen and it promptly restarted. I then hit F8 and tried to start in safe mode - sam problem. I then hit F10 to take me in the system recovery, whereupon I was greeted with this

Stop: c0000218 {Registry File Failure} The registry cannot load the hive (file): \SystemRoot\System32\Config\SECURITY or its log or alternate

A quick google took me to this site

http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?kbid=307545

So I got hold of a windows dvd, and followed the instruction on that site up until Part One, stage 3, but it never prompted me for an admin password it simply gave me an option to choose between two drives on the computer (neither of which was C:) and gave me a command prompt. I pressed ENTER and it went down a line

eg

J:Miida\

(actually I cant quite recall what the actual drive or file name was but it was something similar to that)

The thing is even if it did ask me for the admin password I dont have it because windows came preinstalled and now its out of warranty and has been modded so I doubt HP will help.

Also I tried the automatic recovery option too (F2) but that simply took me to a screen asking for the recovery disk to be inserted, which I dont have.

Any suggestions would be truly appreciated.

Also if anyone knows how to get hold of a legitimate recovery disk for windows, that would be useful, even if it is just to reinstall windows again.

[RKASA]

Try to recover by using a restore point that is dated at the time it last worked right.  Its in the menu list.

sorry missed part of that post someone was talking at me when reading. Have to read it again here

Edited January 2, 2008 by RKASA

[RKASA]

Thats not sounding to good.  Late to say it, but should have made a recover disk from the HHD when first got the PC. anyway may have to go back to the store  you got it at and ask for help they most like to have options.  

[mauiguy90]

Take a look and see if this microsoft link is useful:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=310994

Hope it helps! As for your microsoft XP code, check under your computer for a microsoft label. Hopefully, someone more knowledgeable can help you. Good luck!

Edited January 2, 2008 by mauiguy90

[mauiguy90]

Ok, can't promise anything but here's a link regarding compromised registry files with a manual solution that sounds very much like your description above. Anyhow, take a look and see if this hp link is useful:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/documen...ocname=bph08097

Hope it helps! Above suggestion to go to the dealer is a good one altho' I'm sure money will have to pass hands. Good luck!

Edited January 2, 2008 by mauiguy90

[Guest Reimar]

If you've the original Windows CD for the OS you running, you should ru a repair.

To do that, boot from the Windows CD, ignore the first screen with option to repair and hit enter. After te EULA screnn while hit F8 for to accept the License Agreement, an other option for to Repair should show up. If so hit R for repair!

Windows will reinstalled but keep all Drivers, Programs, Settings and Data. So you don't loose anything.

If the 2. Repair screen didn't appears, then you really have a problem because importand system files are damaged as well. And that means a clean new Installation.

[JetsetBkk]

Can't help with fixing the problem that you have, but here's a thought for the future once all is working again:

Get a copy of Acronis True Image Home. I have version 11.

You can make a bootable "True Image CD" for copying an image of the C: drive to your USB drive.

The same bootable CD will allow you to restore from your USB drive back to your (original or new) C: drive if something goes very wrong.

Repeat the copy process weekly.

That reminds me - I haven't done a backup for while. I'll do it now!

[quiksilva]

Thank you everyone I'll give all of your suggestions a crack, actually come to think of I may well have made a recovery disk some time back I wonder if that will work?.... (fingers crossed)

[astral]

If you've the original Windows CD for the OS you running, you should ru a repair.

The problem there is that many manufacturers do NOT provide a Windows CD,

only an Image disk, and that will erase all your data as it rebuilds the OS.

Not much use to an owner like the OP.

[quiksilva]

Exactly and that is the main problem with the pre-built systems in Thailand. I for one will never buy an HP product again, not only do they an uncanny knack of breaking down a week or two after the warranty expires, but you also don't get a window's CD.

A long time ago the system asked me to make a recovery CD, which I dutifully did. I used it last night, the repair function would not work, so I had no choice but to format the drive and start over. Thankfully that worked, but I lost all my information on the C:\

I am so glad that had all my pictures and music backed up to an external hard drive, which I installed two weeks ago! (Phew)

Thanks again for everyones' help and insights, RKASA you really jogged my memory on the recovery disk, thank you!

[Plus]

Now that everything is working, get yourself Utlimate Boot CD for Windows, next time you can restore your system or repair your registry even if you Windows won't start.