Thanks for that suggestion, but I already tried that first step. I found that there was no 'system' file in c:\windows\repair, only a system.bak, and when I copied that over and renamed it to 'system', it made matters even worse (the computer reboots while loading windows, and if I try to go back to the recovery console, it wants an administrative password, which I don't have.) At least I was able to use Winternals console to put the original system file back so I can get back into the recovery console. I am really hoping for a solution that does not require a repair installation of Windows, I have had things mess up more that way.
I have heard suggestions of running chkdsk, or fixmbr or fixboot, and wonder if anyone has had success with trying that?
You're supposed to copy FIVE files from REPAIR==SAM, SYSTEM, SOFTWARE, SECURITY, and DEFAULT. [Funny...I didn't have SYSTEM either; so I copied SYSTEM.BAK to SYSTEM for future reference...hm]
You're supposed to backup CONFIG folder first, but if it's clobbered, not sure why. Or if you even could.
Windows is probably not gonna work even if you CAN get to recovery console [RC] again to copy the other 4 files, but all is still not necessarily lost.
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307545 has all the details, which include manually restoring to a restore point of your choice by a bunch of RC commands. It's not as bad as it looks, but there's no guarantee that ANYthing is gonna work.
I've given this all-too-common occurrence a lot of thought since my daughter's pc was so afflicted once and I wrote several text files that tell how to use several RC batch files that I created to make that procedure less painful, but her pc was too far gone, so this little system has NOT been tested, so I'm reluctant to say, "Here! This should work!"
Maybe I should post the stuff here for criticism and modification. When I get to my pc, maybe I will.
"I have heard suggestions of running chkdsk, or fixmbr or fixboot ..."
If you do fixmbr or fixboot, your Dell Recovery Partition is gone [not the end of the world, but it's GONE].
The problem is in the hive/registry, which must be fixed. Your only hope is to go back to a prior working registry via the process described in the KB article above.
Here's an outline of the process described at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307545. It's my own interpretation, which I hope someone can confirm or deny. The registry contains 5 keys called SAM, SOFTWARE, SECURITY, SYSTEM, and DEFAULT which are collectively called the "hive" as disk files.
c:\windows\system32\config\*. shows the 5 hive files. We back them up to c:\windows\tmp\*.bak so we can restore them later if things get worse.
c:\windows\repair contains hive files that once worked. We back them up to c:\windows\tmp\*1.bak in case they get overwritten later [?]. We copy them to c:\windows\system32\config so maybe Windows will start with this once-good hive.
In any case, we try to go back to an old restore point where Windows once worked. If Windows won’t start, here’s how to do it in recovery console, by copying the hive from a prior point in time.
Copy the 5 _REGISTRY_* files [that are named similarly to the 5 hive files] from c:\System~1\_resto~1\RP...\SNAPSHOT to c:\windows\tmp [why back them up?] and also to c:\windows\system32\config
We now have the hive for the chosen restore point. Try to get to Windows. If Windows doesn’t work, set a different restore point, and another, and another ... till it finally does [or till red states turn blue, whichever comes first].
If it just isn't in the cards, we can get back to where we started if we so desire. Copy c:\windows\tmp\*.bak to c:\windows\system32\config and copy c:\windows\tmp\*1
.bak
to
c:\windows\repair
to restore the original blammed hive.
Right about here, you reinstall Windows, I guess.
I have 4 RC batch files that print corresponding instructions if anybody's interested. They're just all the commands in the KB article but YOU don't have to type them. You DO have to pay attention to the outcome of each batch file in case something doesn't go right because something is missing [e.g., the SYSTEM hive file!] or the like.
Message Edited by Dave Slomer on 08-12-200503:09 AM
Message Edited by Dave Slomer on 08-12-2005 03:09 AM
Thank you all for your advice. Last know good configuration does not fix the problem, and the c:\windows\repair\system.bak file makes things even worse, so it looks as if I am going to have to bite the bullet and do a repair install.
type a:0-1instr.txt ===================
-----------------------End of 0BATCH.TXT
[This is a:0-1instr.txt. The previous batch file displays it.] We just backed up the current hive files, blammed though they be.
Check directories: c:\windows\repair\*. which will be used to replace the blammed files just copied to c:\windows\tmp which should be a subset of the currently-still-blammed c:\windows\system32\config\system\*.
The current directory should be _RESTO~1 in c:\system volume info. If not, could be bad. More importantly...
Give the SET command and hope for bunch of TRUEs.
IF so, can copy any file to floppy. *DO IT NOW!!!!!* If not, maybe can copy later.
When ready, we will replace the 5 blammed CONFIG "hive" files with those seen earlier in the REPAIR folder, via the command
BATCH a:1CARE!!.TXT ///////////////////////
This is the next batch file. To run, give the command
type a:1-2instr.txt
====================
--------------END OF 1CARE!!.TXT--- [This is
a:1-2instr.txt
, displayed by the previous batch file.] At this point, the blammed hive files have been copied to \
windows\tmp
and have been replaced by those in \
windows\repair
meaning that you have a new set of hive files in \
windows\system32\config
which will hopefully allow going into Windows later.
Check those 3 directories, especially
CONFIG
, the one that counts.
Try Windows SAFE mode and see what you can do about saving documents. Worth a shot.
You must be in the "_
RESTO
~1" folder mentioned earlier; otherwise, you won't be able to continue to try to restore to a previous restore point.
But if you ARE in the
_resto~1
folder, select an "RP…" folder, change to its
SNAPSHOT
folder, and continue with next command, backing up what the
REPAIR
folder to the
CONFIG
folder and TRYING to copy the _restore folder "RP SNAPSHOT" _
REGISTRY
_ files to
\windows\tmp
via the harmless command
BATCH a:2BATCH.TXT
/////////////////////////
Give the following command to run the next batch file.
type a:2-3instr.txt
===================
---END OF 2BATCH.TXT--- [This is
a:2-3instr.txt, just displayed.]
Check the directories
c:\windows\tmp\_registry*.
which should contain 5 new hive candidates and
c:\windows\system32\config\*.
which should contain the hive files from
c:\windows\repair.
If there are NO _REGISTRY_ files in the
TMP
folder, call it quits, which is to EMPHATICALLY SAY: ***************** *DO NOT PROCEED!!* *****************
However if there ARE *FIVE* _REGISTRY_ files in
TMP
, proceed to final step, in which those files replace the hive files copied from
REPAIR
AND set the newly-chosen system restore point via the command:
BATCH a:3CARE!!.TXT
/////////////////////
This is a:3CARE!!.TXT:---------------------- =================== del c:\windows\system32\config\sam del c:\windows\system32\config\security del c:\windows\system32\config\software del c:\windows\system32\config\default del c:\windows\system32\config\system
cd c:\windows\system32\config copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_software software copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_system system copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_sam sam copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_security security copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_user_.default default
type a:3-3instr.txt
=================== [This is
a:3-3instr.txt
, just displayed.] The object now is to copy files to floppies, if not CDs.
Try to get into Windows via SAFE mode WITH COMMAND prompt [F12 boot option]. Failing that, try Windows SAFE mode. If copying doesn't work, RESTORE to a previous point. Try copying. If it fails, try NORMAL Windows mode. That, too, could fail to happen--in which case, get a beer--no, a CASE!
Or, blammed or not, restore the original 5 hive files from the c:\windows\tmp folder.
Give the command
BATCH A:!RESTORE.txt
to run the batch file below:
================ copy c:\windows\tmp\system.bak c:\windows\system32\config\system copy c:\windows\tmp\software.bak c:\windows\system32\config\software copy c:\windows\tmp\sam.bak c:\windows\system32\config\sam copy c:\windows\tmp\security.bak c:\windows\system32\config\security copy c:\windows\tmp\default.bak c:\windows\system32\config\default dir c:\windows\tmp\*.bak
Thanks for the last 2 posts - that sounds like a potential solution - finding the restore points in the recovery console.
I will not be back to that computer until next week, so I will let you know if your suggestions work. In the meantime, I want to back up the data (in case I mess things up worse!), but it is a SATA drive, so I am rushing to build my next computer, which just so happens to be on a SATA motherboard with a SATA drive.
The Dell CD did not give me the option to do a repair of the operating system, but it was just as well...I found the restore in system volume information as you suggested and copied the 5 files from the snapshot folder.
dunedin
2.7K Posts
0
August 11th, 2005 23:00
delageek
5 Posts
0
August 11th, 2005 23:00
Dave Slomer
78 Posts
0
August 11th, 2005 23:00
You're supposed to copy FIVE files from REPAIR==SAM, SYSTEM, SOFTWARE, SECURITY, and DEFAULT. [Funny...I didn't have SYSTEM either; so I copied SYSTEM.BAK to SYSTEM for future reference...hm]
You're supposed to backup CONFIG folder first, but if it's clobbered, not sure why. Or if you even could.
Windows is probably not gonna work even if you CAN get to recovery console [RC] again to copy the other 4 files, but all is still not necessarily lost.
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307545 has all the details, which include manually restoring to a restore point of your choice by a bunch of RC commands. It's not as bad as it looks, but there's no guarantee that ANYthing is gonna work.
I've given this all-too-common occurrence a lot of thought since my daughter's pc was so afflicted once and I wrote several text files that tell how to use several RC batch files that I created to make that procedure less painful, but her pc was too far gone, so this little system has NOT been tested, so I'm reluctant to say, "Here! This should work!"
Maybe I should post the stuff here for criticism and modification. When I get to my pc, maybe I will.
Dave Slomer
Dave Slomer
78 Posts
0
August 12th, 2005 07:00
"I have heard suggestions of running chkdsk, or fixmbr or fixboot ..."
If you do fixmbr or fixboot, your Dell Recovery Partition is gone [not the end of the world, but it's GONE].
The problem is in the hive/registry, which must be fixed. Your only hope is to go back to a prior working registry via the process described in the KB article above.
Dave Slomer
Dave Slomer
78 Posts
0
August 12th, 2005 07:00
Here's an outline of the process described at http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307545. It's my own interpretation, which I hope someone can confirm or deny. The registry contains 5 keys called SAM, SOFTWARE, SECURITY, SYSTEM, and DEFAULT which are collectively called the "hive" as disk files.
c:\windows\system32\config\*. shows the 5 hive files. We back them up to c:\windows\tmp\*.bak so we can restore them later if things get worse.
c:\windows\repair contains hive files that once worked. We back them up to c:\windows\tmp\*1.bak in case they get overwritten later [?]. We copy them to c:\windows\system32\config so maybe Windows will start with this once-good hive.
In any case, we try to go back to an old restore point where Windows once worked. If Windows won’t start, here’s how to do it in recovery console, by copying the hive from a prior point in time.
Copy the 5 _REGISTRY_* files [that are named similarly to the 5 hive files] from
c:\System~1\_resto~1\RP...\SNAPSHOT to
c:\windows\tmp [why back them up?] and also to
c:\windows\system32\config
We now have the hive for the chosen restore point. Try to get to Windows.
If Windows doesn’t work, set a different restore point, and another, and another ... till it finally does [or till red states turn blue, whichever comes first].
If it just isn't in the cards, we can get back to where we started if we so desire. Copy
c:\windows\tmp\*.bak to c:\windows\system32\config and copy
c:\windows\tmp\*1 .bak to c:\windows\repair to restore the original blammed hive.
Right about here, you reinstall Windows, I guess.
I have 4 RC batch files that print corresponding instructions if anybody's interested. They're just all the commands in the KB article but YOU don't have to type them. You DO have to pay attention to the outcome of each batch file in case something doesn't go right because something is missing [e.g., the SYSTEM hive file!] or the like.
Message Edited by Dave Slomer on 08-12-200503:09 AM
Message Edited by Dave Slomer on 08-12-2005 03:09 AM
dunedin
2.7K Posts
0
August 12th, 2005 15:00
delageek
5 Posts
0
August 12th, 2005 15:00
Dave Slomer
78 Posts
0
August 12th, 2005 17:00
THIS IS a:0batch.txt. To run it, give the following Recovery Console [RC] command:
BATCH A:0batch.txt====================
set AllowWildCards = TRUE
set AllowAllPaths = TRUE
set AllowRemovableMedia = TRUE
set NoCopyPrompt = FALSE
set
md c:\windows\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
dir c:\windows\tmp\*.bak
attrib "c:\System Volume Information" -s -h
attrib "c:\System Volume Information"
cd "c:\System Volume Information"
cd _resto~1
type a:0-1instr.txt
===================
-----------------------End of 0BATCH.TXT
[This is a:0-1instr.txt. The previous batch file displays it.]
We just backed up the current hive files, blammed though they be.
Check directories:
c:\windows\repair\*. which will be used to replace the blammed files just copied to
c:\windows\tmp which should be a subset of the currently-still-blammed
c:\windows\system32\config\system\*.
The current directory should be
_RESTO~1 in c:\system volume info. If not, could be bad. More importantly...
Give the SET command and hope for bunch of TRUEs.
IF so, can copy any file to floppy. *DO IT NOW!!!!!*
If not, maybe can copy later.
When ready, we will replace the 5 blammed CONFIG "hive" files
with those seen earlier in the REPAIR folder, via the command
BATCH a:1CARE!!.TXT
///////////////////////
This is the next batch file. To run, give the command
BATCH A:1CARE!!.TXT :--------------====================
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
cd "c:\System Volume Information"
cd _resto~1
type a:1-2instr.txt
====================
--------------END OF 1CARE!!.TXT---
[This is a:1-2instr.txt , displayed by the previous batch file.]
At this point, the blammed hive files have been copied to
\ windows\tmp and have been replaced by those in
\ windows\repair meaning that you have a new set of hive files in
\ windows\system32\config which will hopefully allow going into Windows later.
Check those 3 directories, especially CONFIG , the one that counts.
Try Windows SAFE mode and see what you can do about saving documents. Worth a shot.
You must be in the "_ RESTO ~1" folder mentioned earlier; otherwise,
you won't be able to continue to try to restore to a previous restore point.
But if you ARE in the
_resto~1 folder, select an "RP…" folder, change to its
SNAPSHOT folder, and continue with next command, backing up what the
REPAIR folder to the
CONFIG folder and TRYING to copy the _restore folder "RP SNAPSHOT" _ REGISTRY _ files to
\windows\tmp via the harmless command
BATCH a:2BATCH.TXT
/////////////////////////
Give the following command to run the next batch file.
BATCH A:2BATCH.TXT========================
copy c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\tmp\system1.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\software c:\windows\tmp\software1.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\sam c:\windows\tmp\sam1.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\security c:\windows\tmp\security1.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\default c:\windows\tmp\default1.bak
COPY _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SAM C:\Windows\Tmp
COPY _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SECURITY C:\Windows\Tmp
COPY _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE C:\Windows\Tmp
COPY _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SYSTEM C:\Windows\Tmp
COPY _REGISTRY_USER_.DEFAULT C:\Windows\Tmp
type a:2-3instr.txt
===================
---END OF 2BATCH.TXT---
[This is a:2-3instr.txt, just displayed.]
Check the directories c:\windows\tmp\_registry*.
which should contain 5 new hive candidates and c:\windows\system32\config\*.
which should contain the hive files from c:\windows\repair.
If there are NO _REGISTRY_ files in the TMP folder,
call it quits, which is to EMPHATICALLY SAY:
*****************
*DO NOT PROCEED!!*
*****************
However if there ARE *FIVE* _REGISTRY_ files in
TMP , proceed to final step, in which those files replace the hive files copied from REPAIR AND set the newly-chosen system restore point via the command:
BATCH a:3CARE!!.TXT
/////////////////////
This is a:3CARE!!.TXT:----------------------
======================================
del c:\windows\system32\config\sam
del c:\windows\system32\config\security
del c:\windows\system32\config\software
del c:\windows\system32\config\default
del c:\windows\system32\config\system
cd c:\windows\system32\config
copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_software software
copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_system system
copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_sam sam
copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_security security
copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_user_.default default
type a:3-3instr.txt
[This is a:3-3instr.txt , just displayed.]
The object now is to copy files to floppies, if not CDs.
Try to get into Windows via SAFE mode WITH COMMAND prompt [F12 boot option].
Failing that, try Windows SAFE mode.
If copying doesn't work, RESTORE to a previous point.
Try copying. If it fails, try NORMAL Windows mode.
That, too, could fail to happen--in which case, get a beer--no, a CASE!
Or, blammed or not, restore the original 5 hive files from the c:\windows\tmp folder.
Give the command BATCH A:!RESTORE.txt to run the batch file below:
================
copy c:\windows\tmp\system.bak c:\windows\system32\config\system
copy c:\windows\tmp\software.bak c:\windows\system32\config\software
copy c:\windows\tmp\sam.bak c:\windows\system32\config\sam
copy c:\windows\tmp\security.bak c:\windows\system32\config\security
copy c:\windows\tmp\default.bak c:\windows\system32\config\default
dir c:\windows\tmp\*.bak
copy c:\windows\tmp\system 1 .bak c:\windows\repair\system
copy c:\windows\tmp\software 1 .bak c:\windows\repair\software
copy c:\windows\tmp\sam 1 .bak c:\windows\repair\sam
copy c:\windows\tmp\security 1 .bak c:\windows\repair\security
copy c:\windows\tmp\default 1 .bak c:\windows\repair\default
dir c:\windows\repair
===================
Message Edited by Dave Slomer on 08-12-2005 01:13 PM
delageek
5 Posts
0
August 12th, 2005 23:00
Dunedin & Dave Slomer:
Thanks for the last 2 posts - that sounds like a potential solution - finding the restore points in the recovery console.
I will not be back to that computer until next week, so I will let you know if your suggestions work. In the meantime, I want to back up the data (in case I mess things up worse!), but it is a SATA drive, so I am rushing to build my next computer, which just so happens to be on a SATA motherboard with a SATA drive.
delageek
5 Posts
0
August 16th, 2005 22:00
Dave:
The Dell CD did not give me the option to do a repair of the operating system, but it was just as well...I found the restore in system volume information as you suggested and copied the 5 files from the snapshot folder.
Worked like a charm!
Thanks for your help
Dave Slomer
78 Posts
0
August 17th, 2005 08:00
MAN, am I happy for you!:smileyhappy:
Seriously! Congrats! :smileywink:
Back from the dead! :smileysurprised:
Dave Slomer :smileyvery-happy: