system32\config folder missing

[chrbb]

Just repairing a dell inspiron laptop, error message windows\system32\config\system missing or corrupt. Not able to repair using a xp disk, so have booted it up and copied data off using an ubuntu live disk. Though I'd just have a quick look to see if I could restore the missing file, but the entire config folder is missing, can I just copy one from another xp machine then restore the laptops own files form system restore or is there a simpler way?

[mac_shinobi]

How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from starting

 

you can put some of that into a batch file and run that from the recovery console from what I can gather

[chrbb]

There is no system32\config folder it doesn't exist anymore!

[DrPerceptron]

have you tried creating it and skipping the the first copy/delete commands?

 

just copy in the c:\windows\repair\* files and carry on from there?

 

There's not a lot of stuff in that folder anyway (he says) or possibly copy it off another "identical" PC?

Edited February 12, 2010 by DrPerceptron

[mac_shinobi]

have you tried creating it and skipping the the first copy/delete commands?

 

just copy in the c:\windows\repair\* files and carry on from there?

 

There's not a lot of stuff in that folder anyway (he says) or possibly copy it off another "identical" PC?

 

I re called there was a repair directory but couldnt re call where it was but yeah as per that

[m25man]

Apart from the obvious possibility of disk corruption being a cause this is a classic of one the many conficker variant scripts.

 

By all means do chkdsk /r and a rebuild but do not under estimate the possibilities of a conficker attack.

 

Remember that conficker only has the intelligence and code to spread and reinfect.

Once it has a grip and has a compromised admin level account to use one of the many scripts it can download and execute does exactly this and normally deletes large chunks of registry items as well.

 

It was on a couple of weeks past that Greater Manchester Police were shutdown for 3 days due to an outbreak and we had a school wiped out for a few days after a machine was reimaged with an infected WDS image file!

 

It's still very much out there and still infecting people!

[Arthur]

the entire config folder is missing, can I just copy one from another xp machine

Unless you have another computer which truly is identical, copying over the entire "Config" folder is not advisable.