[NoiretBlanch]

When I tried to boot my computer I got this instead:

STOP: c0000218 {Registry File Failure}
The registry cannot load the hive (file):
\SystemRoot\System32\Config\SOFTWARE
or its log or alternative.
It is corrupt, absent, or not writable.

I've seen a recovery guide that requires Window XP startup disk which I don't have because I ordered my computer straight from Dell. Is there a recovery guide that doesn't need the CD?

Note: Before I had this problem my computer wasn't booting up properly. It would load all the way to the blue welcome screen and show my wallpaper but it wouldn't load any further. I could access Task Manager but that was it.

[TekTime]

Sounds as if your registry is trashed...usually an installation disk for your version of XP fixes that problem. Can you borrow a disk from someone to perform a "repair install?"
("Repair install" is a different process than using the "Recovery Console")

Also, do you know if you have a recovery partition on your computer that you can use to diagnose/repair your computer? (Many times this will be a "small" drive labeled "D", in "my computer," which contains utilities and an image of your computer when XP was installed by the manufacturer. There are certain key combinations (depending on your PC), that you push when booting to access the recovery options.

[NoiretBlanch]

I'll try looking around to see if anyone has a disc and then I can hopefully find one.

I know that my computer has a D drive but I haven't the slightest idea to what the key combination are. Do you have any idea as to how to find out what it is?

[Byteman]

I know you cannot start the computer normally.....


When you restart or start it up next time.....start tapping the F8 key and in the startup options list, move to

Last Known Good Configuration with your Up/Down keyboard arrow key and then click "Enter" key once and let it try that option


If you have done that, never mind.....


This program Belarc Advisor will give you the Windows Product Key for XP . This key is your license; keep it safe because you sometimes need it to install Windows (some branded computers don't use it but the key does exist)

You may have this same key on a small label on the side of the case of your tower type computer, or if you are using a notebook, on a lable underneath the notebook.....look for it.

The Key is 5 groups of 5 number and letter combinations to make up a 25-character Product key.

it looks like this> XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX....etc

Belarc Advisor will show you installed software, and hardware items...you absolutely should print out this document, to have to refer to about hardware that may need software drivers to install if you ever have to reinstall the entire operating system and all your programs fresh.

Do NOT post that log in your reply.

DO post the brand and exact Model ID of your computer and we can point you to the support site for downloads, etc in case you don't have that information yet.

If it's a branded computer, you may want to obtain the correct Recovery software disks for it and I can help you try and find some.

[TheOutcaste]

On Dells, the System Recovery is usually accessed using CTRL+F11. This has to be pressed when you see the blue bar at the top of the screen with www.dell.com written in it. You only have a 2 second window.
Some systems do not display the bar. You can check if yours has this by looking in the user guide, which you can find on the Dell Support Site.
The Factory Restore on most XP systems will delete everything on the hard drive, Dell did not provide a method that preserves user files.

The Recovery partition does not have a drive letter assigned as some other systems do, so never appears in Windows Explorer.

If you can connect the drive to another PC, you can follow this guide:
How to restore the registry from a System Restore point

Or you can use a Vista/Win 7 Recovery Environment CD you can download. I'll post the steps in the next post.

[TheOutcaste]

How to restore the registry from a System Restore point using a Vista/Win7 Disk

A Vista RE disk can be downloaded from one of these links:
Vista Recovery Environment CD
64 bit Vista
32 bit Vista
Windows 7 RE from here:
Recovery Environment CD

1. Boot with the Vista/Win7 DVD, or Vista/Win7 RE CD.
2. Select your Language, click Next
3. Click Repair your Computer
   It will search for Vista/Win7 installations, just wait for it to finish.
   If using Win7 Disk, select Use recovery tools that can help fix problems starting Windows. at the top.
4. Click Next
5. Click Command Prompt.
6. Type Notepad and press Enter.
7. Click File | Open
8. On the left, click Computer
   This will let you verify the drive letter, as they may be different when booted to the CD/DVD
9. Click Cancel and close Notepad.
   For the rest, I'll use C: for the drive letter, change it as needed.
   We will also use a little trick called Auto Completion so we don't have to type the full folder names for the next part.
10. Type the following, then press TAB:
    attrib -H -S c:\system
    This should change to this:
    attrib -H -S "c:\System Volume Information"
    Press Enter
11. Type the following, then press TAB:
    CD /D c:\system
    This should change to this:
    CD /D "c:\System Volume Information"
    Press Enter
12. Type Dir /oD then press Enter
    You should see one folder named like this:
    _restore{AAAAAAAA-BBBB-CCCC-DDDD-EEEEEEEEEEEE}"
    A, B, C, D, and E will be Hexadecimal numbers (0-9, A-F), different on each system.
    If there is more than one, we'll need to determine which to use, see the steps after the end of this procedure.
13. Type the following, then press TAB:
    attrib -H -S \_res
    The line should now read something like this:
    attrib -H -S _restore{AAAAAAAA-BBBB-CCCC-DDDD-EEEEEEEEEEEE}
    Press Enter
14. Type Notepad
    Notepad should open
15. Press Alt+Tab to switch back to the Command Prompt
16. Press the Up Arrow, then Enter. This will open a 2nd instance of Notepad.
17. Click File | Open
    Change the Files of type: box to All Files
18. Press Alt+Tab to switch to the other Notepad window
19. Click File | Open
    Change the Files of type: box to All Files
20. Position the two Open dialogs so you can easily switch between the two, and widen them if needed.
    Depending on your Screen Resolution, they may overlap.
    I position one top left, and one bottom right.
21. In one of the Open dialogs, let's call this the First one, double click Computer on the left
22. Double click the C: Drive.
23. Double click the System Volume Information folder.
24. Double click the _restore{AAAAAAAA-BBBB-CCCC-DDDD-EEEEEEEEEEEE} folder
25. Click on the View Menu (right most icon to the right of the Look in: box
    Select Details
    You should see a list of folders named RPX, where X is a number.
26. Click twice on the Date Modified column heading.
    This will sort the folders by date with the newest one at the top.
    Check the dates of the folders, and find one with a date BEFORE the problem occurred.
27. Double click on the RPX folder selected above
28. Double click on the snapshot folder.
29. Switch to the other Open dialog, let's call this the Second
30. Double click the C: Drive.
31. Double click the Windows folder.
32. Double click the System32 folder.
33. Double click the Config folder.
34. Copy the following files to the Config folder by dragging each one from the First open dialog window to the Second
    This has to be done one at a time.
    Hold the CTRL key down while doing this, and make sure a plus sign is displayed to indicate copying:
    • _REGISTRY_USER_.DEFAULT
    • _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SAM
    • _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SECURITY
    • _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE
    • _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SYSTEM
35. Now, switch back to the Second open dialog window.
36. Rename the following files (highlight each file and press F2, then edit the name, then press Enter):
    • Rename DEFAULT to DEFAULT.bak
    • Rename SAM to SAM.bak
    • Rename SECURITY to SECURITY.bak
    • Rename SOFTWARE to SOFTWARE.bak
    • Rename SYSTEM to SYSTEM.bak
      None of these will have extensions. If one is missing, just skip it.
    
    If there already are files with the .bak extension, just add a number to the end, .bakX
37. Now rename these files:
    • Rename _REGISTRY_USER_.DEFAULT to DEFAULT
    • Rename _REGISTRY_USER_SAM to SAM
    • Rename _REGISTRY_USER_SECURITY to SECURITY
    • Rename _REGISTRY_USER_SOFTWARE to SOFTWARE
    • Rename _REGISTRY_USER_SYSTEM to SYSTEM
38. Click Cancel on both Notepad Open dialogs to close them, then close both Notepad windows.
39. Last step is to restore the hidden and system properties on the two folders. Easier to do it now, as you won't have permission to do so in XP.
40. Switch to the Command Prompt
41. Press the up arrow until this command is displayed:
42. attrib -H -S _restore{AAAAAAAA-BBBB-CCCC-DDDD-EEEEEEEEEEEE}
43. Press HOME, then arrow right to change the - signs to +
    (Place the cursor on the -, press Delete, type +)
    The line should now read:
    attrib +H +S _restore{AAAAAAAA-BBBB-CCCC-DDDD-EEEEEEEEEEEE}
    Press Enter.
44. Press the up arrow to select this line:
    ]attrib -H -S "c:\System Volume Information"
    and repeat the above steps so it reads
    attrib +H +S "c:\System Volume Information"
    Press Enter.
45. Close the Command Prompt, and click Restart.

Hopefully the system will boot successfully.
Try to do a System Restore to the same date you picked above for the RPXXX folder.
This procedure only replaces the registry hives, not any system files, so there is a chance that previous restore points will no longer work, as System Restore may detect inconsistencies if there were any major changes.
If System Restore fails, try booting to Safe Mode, then running restore

Once you are satisfied that the system is working correctly, you can delete the *.bak files from C:\Windows\system32\config

Determine the folder to use on a Dual boot system

If you have a dual boot system you may have more than one _restore{AAAAAAAA-BBBB-CCCC-DDDD-EEEEEEEEEEEE} folder, here's how to find the one you need to use.
In the Command Prompt type regedit and press Enter:
In the left pane, click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE to highlight it
Click File | Load Hive...
Browse to C:\Windows\system32\config
Double click on SOFTWARE (the one with no extension)
In the Key Name: box type @Software
navigate to here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\@SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore\Cfg

Note the value of the item named MachineGuid
If you can't load the SOFTWARE hive, load the SYSTEM hive, name it @SYSTEM, and look for the System Restore item here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\@SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\BackupRestore\FilesNotToBackup

If you can't load either hive, you'll have to load the _REGISTRY_USER_SOFTWARE hive from one of the Restore Points snapshot folders, and we'll have to find something else to look for. (name it @SOFTWARE)
If a dual boot with different versions of Windows check the ProductName here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\@SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion

This won't differentiate between Home or Pro though.
If the Computer Name is different, you can check that in a _REGISTRY_USER_SYSTEM hive(name it @SYSTEM):

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\@SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\ComputerName\ComputerName

If no ControlSet001, use ControlSet00X, what ever is present.
You'll have to use the attrib -H -S command on each of the _restore{AAAAAAAA-BBBB-CCCC-DDDD-EEEEEEEEEEEE} folders so you can browse to them in the Registry Editor

If System Restore has been disabled, there won't be a _restore{AAAAAAAA-BBBB-CCCC-DDDD-EEEEEEEEEEEE}" folder under the System Volume Information folder.
In that case, check the C:\Windows\Repair folder.
This should have the following files:

• DEFAULT
• SAM
• SECURITY
• SOFTWARE
• SYSTEM

You'll have to first rename the files in C:\Windows\System32\Config, then copy these over.
These files are created when the system is first installed, so any software or hardware installed since then will have to be re-installed. You may have only the Built-in Administrator account as well, which usually has a blank password, but could be anything, hence the warning from MS.
It may be worth trying to move just the damaged hive, the one listed in the error message. I would first make copies of the originals, as they do get modified. To copy them, right click the file, click Copy, then right click in the window on a blank spot and click Paste.

HTH

Jerry