Help needed with win2k registry

Gerry · 22-07-2003 04:31PM #1

Ok, I'd appreciate help from anyone who has run into this before. Basically on boot, it says:

Registry File Failure-The Registry cannot load the( hive) file /System Root/ System 32/Config/Security or its log or alternate.It is corrupt, absent, or not writable.-

Is there a reasonably easy method of resetting the registry, or would the easiest method be to install over the existing installation? I don't have access to the machine, its 5000 miles away, and the users are non-technical. Thanks.

Capt'n Midnight · 22-07-2003 05:01PM

Apologies - just basic suggestions

If the partition is FAT and they have a win98 CD you could get them to run scandisk etc... (as if that would fix anything...)

Do you have repair disk or CMDCONS - ie option to boot to a command console - can they get in on last known good boot or any of the F8 options..

I take it they have the Win2K CD (or you could be off to a flying stop)

If they can get as far as the C: prompt then in there should be a foldr called repair in the \windows or \winnt folder - check the files there - I don't know if you could copy files from here to the one in \windows\system32\config or even if it is worth doing ...

ando · 23-07-2003 09:17PM

If you have a backup of the system state, boot into safe mode and do a system state recovery from the built in windows backup. I had a server with the exact same error, but since the system state holds a backup of the registry, it solved the problem

ando · 23-07-2003 09:19PM

oh, and make sure you boot partition is not full (ie, less than 10MB's of space left), as this was the cause of my problem which left the registry f*cked

Help needed with win2k registry

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