corrupted windows files / can't start windows

[havi]

I'm working on a friend's laptop which cannot start windows xp anymore. It says that the c:\windows\sys32\config\system file is missing or corrupted (probly corrupted), but before that it was telling me that a .dll file (don't remember which one) was also corrupted.

What I need to do is get this guys files off the hd before I reformat the thing and start over. I've tried starting it in safe mode, diagnostic mode, and several other modes to no avail. Do you have any ideas on how I can get windows to run long enough for me to pull his files off of the hd?

[sgtspector]

Have you tried a repair installation? If you boot to the windows xp cd and do a repair install (not a recovery) you can restore all the system files without affecting the data files and installed apps. Is it xp home or pro? Is the file system fat32 or ntfs?

[havi]

I've tried to do a repair installation (xp home on an NTFS partition) and I can only get up to the screen where it asks you which installation I want to repair. I only lists a single installation, so I hit "1" and nothing happens. It says to hit enter to cancel, so I've got no idea if I'm supposed to hit something else too.

[lil Jimmie]

Originally Posted by havi I've tried to do a repair installation (xp home on an NTFS partition) and I can only get up to the screen where it asks you which installation I want to repair. I only lists a single installation, so I hit "1" and nothing happens. It says to hit enter to cancel, so I've got no idea if I'm supposed to hit something else too.

That is the Recovery console, you'll need to skip that and continue on through the setup and then you will get the option to do a Repair Install.

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

[kingoftowns]

that error you are getting is a corrupted registry hive, if you had system restore enabled on the pc it is a five minute fix, you just need to replace the current registry hives with previous working ones

i think the other error message might have been hal.dll does that sound right?

if you cant get into windows you can hook up an external drive and copy all the files over using bart pe

[glc]

Remove the hard drive and put it in a desktop computer as a slave using a 2.5" to 3.5" adapter. Another option is a USB housing.

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=HD-108&cat=HDD