Windows 2k won't start after installing wrong memory

[AerC]

I bought a memory stick, and being a novice at selecting them I bought the wrong one. I put the memory stick in the slot, and when I started up the computer it had already added up the new memory. I thought all was well, until it came to the part where the OS started. After the blue bar finished loading, the whole screen turned blue and this message came up:

"The registry cannot load the hive (file)
\SystemRoot\System32\Config\SOFTWARE
or its log or alternate.
It is corrupt, absent, or not writable."

After this message showed up the screen turned black and my computer automatically rebooted.

I asked someone from the store i bought it from and he said it was a problem with windows 2k and all I had to do was press F10. Apparently that didn't work. I quicky took out the wrong memory stick, but the error kept coming up.

The first time I tried safe mode it worked for about 5 minutes, then it rebooted itself again. A few reboots later the blue message no longer popped up and all I got was a black screen and a reboot.

I was wondering if I could start the OS anymore without wiping my HD clean.
If any of you can help me, please do so. Thanks in advance.

[blue60007]

Don't think the memory caused that. If Windows 2000 has a repair install like XP, I'd try that. What memory type did you have, and what did you get?

[AerC]

It was a pc3200 sdram memory stick and I forgot what brand it was (returned it after it didn't work). I think it was Corsair. Anyway later I found out my mobo, a Shuttle av49n doesn't support the memory stick.

I forgot to add, it was a 1 GB stick