XP won't Boot...

My fiancee just called to tell me that the Aspire One that I loaned her now says that there is a corrupt windows file. It prompts her to boot into safe mode, but when she selects that option it starts to load windows and then goes back to the safe mode prompt screen. Any ideas??? I will search the forum further to see if any one else has had this problem. The Aspire is the 120gb running xp. Thanks.

PS: I have barely used the computer and already I have had a premature dead battery and now this. The only thing currently installed on the computer is music, a couple of video programs and rocketdock.

 

If you know anyone with a retail XP install disc, you can use it to run the recovery console. When prompted for an admin password, just hit enter...then run "chkdsk /r".

If that doesn't work, you may have to recover using the eRecovery (Alt+F10 at BIOS screen). Which sucks, but not that bad if you have a recent backup...

For future reference, the recovery console can be installed from our HD's which will give you the option at boot-time, without need for an external disc...

Open the Start menu, select "Run"...type "C:\I386\WINNT32.exe /cmdcons" into the run box, and it will (should) open an installer to install the recovery console...very handy, though I do realize that you need to get into Windows first.

Good luck, and hopefully someone you know has a copy of XP available...(you may have to buy an external drive to do this, if you don't have one available...) Again, Good luck...

 

I am with my computer now. Unfortunately I don't have a retail XP cd to work with. When started up you get the XP loading screen. After a couple of seconds it says that the apology screen pops up asking you to make a choice...safe mode, etc... Networking and command prompt brings up a laundry list of xp drivers. After a few seconds you get a blue error stating:


Stop: c0000218 [Registry File Failure]
The registry cannot load the hive (file):
\SystemrootSystem32\Config\SOFTWARE
or its log or its alternate.
It is corrupt, absent, or not writable

Beginning dump of physical memory
Physical memory dump complete
Contact your system administrator or technical support group for further assistance





Does anyone have the missing file that I need so that I can possibly load it on a thumb drive? What are my other options? Is it possible to access Ecovery from where I can get to? F2 and F12 still works, but I am not that well versed in computers to take advantage. Thanks again for any and all help. Herb

 

Ok, I was finally able to fix my computer. At start up press ALT + F10 and that will put you in Ecovery mode. This will restore the computer back to the factory settings. You lose all your data, but at least the computer is functional again. I hope that helps people with the same dilemma.