My Computer Wont Start

[Dan_872]

I have Windows xp Pro SP2..
When I try to start up, it comes to the screen sayin windows loading(with the green bar goin from left to right)
Then it comes to a blue screen and says missing registry file...
This is Exactaly what the screen says:

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

Beginning dump of physical memory.
Dumping Physical memory to disk: (then it goes from 0 to 100)

Can anyone tell me what i can do to make my computer start up?

 

[Elvandil]

What are the exact words?

Try pressing F8 on boot and choose "Last Good..." to see if an earlier registry hive works.

 

[Dan_872]

\systemroot\system32\config\sam..that is the key

 

[Elvandil]

Can you get any startup options with the F8 key? The timing is a little difficult, but if you keep pressing F8 just before Windows starts and after your system has finished it power on self-test, you should get some boot options. One of them will be to try to start your machine with the last good configuration that worked, and that includes a recent, working registry copy.

You may have to try restarting a few times until you manage to hit F8 at the right time.

This is the easiest way to get out of this if it works. If not, you can go through the process of replacing the damaged hive with a recent copy, but that is not much fun, to say the least, so try the "Last Good" method first to see what you can accomplish.

 

[natcom]

hi Elvandil nice to see you around DAN the only way you goin to fix this is on the recovery console or system repair i hope you have your windows xp cdrom some where if you do try this http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;307545

 

[Elvandil]

When you do try the solution in 307545, note that that article explains how to replace 5 of the registry hives. The only ones you need to do are the ones that involve the SAM hive and you do not need to do the other 4 in each section.

 

[natcom]

well he can try only replacing the sam hive and see if that works