19 replies to this topic

[Userpro]

Where to begin?

So hi guys, came home from work last night to find the family computer has gone balls up once again. I use my own laptop so the rest of the family use the desktop which has broken down.

Basically, upon trying to do a normal startup, I get a blue screen. I tried to jot down most of the info but it doesn't stay up there long (could take a picture if need be), But the key words I got are:

STOP: c0000128 {Registry file error}

I think it says 'registry file error' anyway. Already done a quick scan on google with the STOP code, and looks like it's missing some sort of software hive file? It says something like that on the blue screen too, but like I say, I couldn't get it all down quick enough.

Anyway, the PC will restart and it will bring me to a black screen, saying:

Windows Error Recovery

Windows failed to start. A recent hardware or software change might be the cause.
If Windows files have been damaged or configured incorrectly, Startup Repair can help diagnose and fix the problem. If power was interrupted during startup, choose Start Windows Normally.

- Launch Startup Repair (recommended)
- Start Windows Normally

From memory, I think the blue screen comes up after selecting Start Windows Normally.

Doing the Startup Repair eventually takes me to:

System Recovery Options

Choose a recovery tool.

- Startup Repair
- System Restore
- Windows Complete PC Restore
- Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool
- Command Prompt
- Recovery Manager

Doing Startup Repair does not work. I get:

Startup Repair cannot repair this computer automatically. Sending more information can help Microsoft create solutions.

- Send information (recommended)
- Don't send

Choosing either seems to not get me anywhere.

I could view the problem details afterwards though, which I wrote down:

Problem Event Name: StartupRepairV2
Problem Signature 01: AutoFailover
Problem Signature 02: 6.0.6001.18000.6.0.6001.18000
Problem Signature 03: 6
Problem Signature 04: 589833
Problem Signature 05: Corrupt Registry
Problem Signature 06: Corrupt Registry
Problem Signature 07: 999
Problem Signature 08: 3
Problem Signature 09: RollbackRegistry
Problem Signature 10: 0
OS Version: 6.0.6001.2.1.0.256.1
Locale ID: 1033

Upon trying a system restore, I got the following:

System Restore did not complete successfully.
System Restore failed due to an unspecified error. The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error (0x8007045D).

Whether that code is of any help, I don't know, but bolded it anyway.

Tried the diagnostic tool, which did two tests which took a little while, but PC restarted and same thing is happening.

Haven't tried completely restoring the PC as I would more than likely be losing all data on the PC, which I don't want to happen. I would love to be able to fix it without resorting to wiping the PC completely.

Anyway, I think that's all the info I had got out of this. Just no idea what to do now, so if anyone can help me, I'd be so grateful. Would love to get it fixed ASAP, to keep the rest of the family happy and stop bugging me to use my laptop!

Also, any ideas as to what might have caused this to happen, so as not to do it again in the future?

Thank you very much if anybody can help me here!

[Lee]

Hi there Azzy221,
Welcome to WTT

The Blue screen of death is a very unsettling problem!


Return to:

System Recovery Options

Choose a recovery tool.

- Startup Repair
- System Restore
- Windows Complete PC Restore
- Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool
* Command Prompt
- Recovery Manager

Choose Command prompt:
In the window that opens, type in chkdsk /r and press enter (note the space between k and /)

This may or may not fix the problem, but it's the first option to try.

If that doesn't work, we have other options in the Repair Console without an OS re-install. So don't fret it (yet)

Cheers,
Lee

Edited by Lee, 24 November 2010 - 12:06 AM.

[Userpro]

Thanks for the reply Lee.

Tried the command, but not sure if it's of any help to you. Not sure if I should write the whole thing out for you, but I'll type down some of the stuff it came out with:

The type of the file system is NTFS.
The volume is in use by another process. Chkdsk
might report errors when no corruption is present.
Volume label is Boot.

WARNING! F parameter not specified.
Running CHKDSK in read-only mode.

CHKDSK is verifying files (stage 1 of 3)...
29 file records processed.
File verification completed.
0 large file records processed.
0 bad file records processed.
0 EA records processed.
0 reparse records processed.

Stages 2 and 3 (verification of indexes and security descriptors) also completed.

Windows has checked the file system and found no problems.

Hope this is of some help.

[Lee]

I notice that your 1st post is a copy and paste from another Tech. site where you presented this PC problem.
A very good site too and I'm surprised you received no response there (so I'm not going to name the site).

Basically I believe your Registry hives need replacing as they are corrupted.

I cannot find a Vista or W7 equivalent to this method that works with XP.

"How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from starting"
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

This is the best and probably the most accurate response I have found:
[attachment=9355:ScreenClip000004.jpg]

See here for the replies:
http://forums.cnet.c...102-358567.html

The one there that might be plausible:
[attachment=9356:ScreenClip000005.jpg]

Please note this post, especially for the future:
[attachment=9358:Back_ups.jpg]


Unless another Tech. here has a solution to your problem, I think that the best thing would be an OS re-install back to new condition and to completely avoid any software program that contains a Registry 'cleaner' or 'restorer' or 'fixer' or 'Optimizer'. These utilities are often responsible for the very problem you now have.

Cheers,
Lee

Edited by Lee, 24 November 2010 - 05:46 PM.

[Ztruker]

Hi Azzy221 (and Lee of course ),

the first thing I would try is a System Restore to a date before the problem occurred. Not sure it will work but worth a try.

Doing the Startup Repair eventually takes me to:

• System Recovery Options
• Choose a recovery tool.
• System Restore

If it works, it will restore the registry to the state it was in when the restore point was created.

[Lee]

Ztrucker,

Azzy221 has already tried a system restore option.

Upon trying a system restore, I got the following:

System Restore did not complete successfully.
System Restore failed due to an unspecified error. The request could not be performed because of an I/O device error (0x8007045D).

Cheers,
Lee

[Ztruker]

Thanks Lee, I missed that. Rats, would have been the perfect solution.

I did find this: http://forums.techar...htm#post3992364

Sounds like it might work.

You could boot to WinRE and copy back the automatic backed copies however.
By default Windows Vista maintains two copies of the registry however in
the c:\windows\system32\config\
c:\windows\system32\config\regback folder.
System is a newer backup than system.old in that folder for example.
about 12 hours apart, usually only a day old or so.
You can copy those over to the c:\windows\system32\config folder.
Backup the bad copies first just to be safe.
Replace SAM, Security, Software,Components, and System as one unit,
Do not just replace one hive.
If they do not work then try replacing them with sam.old,
security.old.software.old, components.old, and system.old
Thanks,
Darrell Gorter[MSFT]

You would have to boot something that would allow you to access the C: drive, save files (alwasy do this before replacing them) and copying others over them. Puppy Linux would work, UBCD4WIN or UBCD, all of which I've used to do things like this.

[Lee]

Sounds plausible Ztrucker, but If Azzy221 would like to have a go at all that, I'll give you the honor of supplying the step by step instruction Cheers, Lee

[Userpro]

Heh, yeah, this looks like I'd need to sit down and really read it over before doing it. Not sure where to start exactly. Do appreciate the help though guys. Family is pestering me to fix it, when I'm simply relying on you lot to help me! So it's a slow process. And yes, I did post this elsewhere, but when I got no reply I decided to come here too, to broaden my options a little. Proved to be a good decision. Just hope I can get this under my head and sort it now :/

Edited by Azzy221, 25 November 2010 - 01:28 PM.

[Lee]

Azzy221,

This would be my personal plan of action if I was in your situation.

1. Download this Puppy Linux ISO to your Desktop (about a 100MB),
http://puppylinux.or...est Release.htm
Puppy Linux does not need to be installed on a HDD to work as it's only about 100MB and will load into RAM.

2. Read: Burning Linux ISO Basics
http://pupweb.org/wi...gLinuxIsoBasics

3.. Go to: http://help.artaro.e...disk-vista.html
and follow the simple instructions on this link to 'Recover files from Windows Vista hard disk using Puppy Linux' (it's a good idea to print these instuctions out).
Please Ignore their Puppy Linux download link and stick with mine in step one for the latest version 5.1.1.

4. With Puppy up and running you will be able to access and save all important personal data from your Vista to removable storage by following the directions given in the above link.

5. Restore your PC to original factory state with the PC rescue disk.

6. Always regularly back up personal Data to removable media from now on.
http://lifehacker.co...m-restore-tools

Cheers,
Lee

PS Edit:
I have completely revised this post (I'm a revision obsessive ) due to research that has brought a clearer (and simpler) understanding of what is needed and involved.

Not something we celebrate here in OZ, but I hope everyone in the good old US of A had a very pleasant and happy Thanksgiving (I'd hate to be reincarnated as a Turkey)

Edited by Lee, 26 November 2010 - 04:18 AM.

[Ztruker]

Definitely backup your data before doing anything else. Once that's done, why not give the steps I pointed you to a try. They really are straight forward.

You can use the same Puppy Linux bootable CD, or create a UBCD4WIN XP based bootable CD (if you have an XP install CD - this is easier to use as it's really XP so you have Windows Explorer).

The registry files are in c:\windows\system32\config
They are called Components, SAM, Security, Software and System (just those names, no file extension)
There is another copy in c:\windows\system32\config\regback
Rename the existing ones in c:\windows\system32\config by adding .old to each one.
Copy the same files from c:\windows\system32\config\regback to c:\windows\system32
Make sure you do all 5 of them.

Then boot and see what happens. If it doesn't work you've lost nothing as you can still do the reinstall Lee has suggested.

[Lee]

Ztrucker.
The registry files are in c:\windows\system32\config
They are called Components, SAM, Security, Software and System (just those names, no file extension)
There is another copy in c:\windows\system32\config\regback
Rename the existing ones in c:\windows\system32\config by adding .old to each one.
Copy the same files from c:\windows\system32\config\regback to c:\windows\system32
Make sure you do all 5 of them.

Which is basically the XP registry recovery solution isn't it (or a version there of)?
http://support.micro....com/kb/307545:

Which does not work in Vista because:
[attachment=9366:ScreenClip000004.jpg]

I don't see how UBCD4WIN XP (basically a variation of UBD) can work to recover Vista files without a full Vista retail disk, or am I missing something?


Please explain thanks as I'm not getting it ?.

Cheers,
Lee

[Lee]

I have removed the content of this post. It was my response to a spamer promoting a 'System Optimizer' His posts have now been deleted by a moderator.

Edited by Lee, 26 November 2010 - 03:33 PM.

[Userpro]

Well in the end I went down the route of using Puppy Linux to backup all of my data, and then used my recovery discs to restore the PC back to its factory state. It seemed like the simpler option to just wipe it all clean and start afresh. Massive thanks to Lee for bringing the Puppy Linux to my attention, it was a big help in getting to the files on my computer and saving them. Thanks to Ztruker for your input too, even if I didn't go down your route. Just glad to get the help I needed from you guys to fix my PC Thank you once again!

[Lee]

Sounds like your good to go Actually it was Ztruker's mention of Puppy Linux in his earlier post about various options to restore the Registry, that inspired my Puppy Linux method of saving your files. I have the OS on disk but had forgotten all about it Cheers, Lee