Windows XP Pro Will Not Boot

I get the following error on startup...

[quote]STOP: c0000218 {Reigstry File Failure}
The registry cannot load the hive (file):
/System Root/System32/Config/SOFTWARE
or its log or alternate.
It is corrupt, absent, or not writable.<hr></blockquote>

It does go through its disk check procedure first, and I do get the startup options screen, but no matter what startup option I choose, whether safe mode, safe with command, last good configuration, whatever...it still gives me this error when it tries to load.

I tried to put the XP installation cd in and tell the BIOS to boot from the CD, but it doesn't do it. The CD spins, but the boot process just continues on to the hard drive.

I've had XP Pro on this laptop for about three months now with no problems at all. I haven't used it for the past two weeks, and when I start it up for the first time today, it just does this right off. I asked my husband if he'd been using it, and sure enough...he downloaded and installed a Nero demo to burn some CD's, which he did successfully. However, he said he had not had the above problem at all, that this was the first time he had seen it.

I couldn't find a thing in the MS Knowledge Base that was helpful. I'm downloading a boot disk from <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/release.asp?releaseid=33291" target="_blank">here</a> to try with my USB floppy drive, but I don't really know much about XP and don't want to do anything that will really screw me up here.

If it helps, I'm using a Fujitsu Lifebook E Series with a factory built-in CD-RW drive (if that's even significant).

Advice, please! Anybody else seen this? Any ideas? I desperately need this laptop for classes tomorrow, but I'm not going to do anything until I hear from you guys...

When you boot from CD, it should have a statement after the BIOS does its thing that says "Press any key to boot from cd". If you don't press a key, it will continue to boot from the HD. If you don't have that option, then set your first boot device to boot from floppy(if you can...may be USB since that is what you are using) and make floppys from <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q310994" target="_blank">here</a>. You may also want to read up on the recovery console <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q307654" target="_blank">here</a>.

Sorry the reply is so late but I'm working from 8pm to 8am the next week or so. ;)

You are not kidding when you say the the KB is little help. First try, this was all that I found: <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q104203" target="_blank">Err Msg: STOP: C0000218 ...Registry Cannot Load the Hive (Q104203)</a> , it is for a slightly older version of NT than XP. :rolleyes:

After banging around I located this article:<a href="http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q156640" target="_blank">How to Troubleshoot a STOP 0xC0000218 Error Message (Q156640)</a> . Does anything here, or previously posted help out? Give us a progress update when you can...If you are not comfortable with the repair process of XP, look over the KB for more information. There are plenty of How To:'s

I forgot to comment on this, both articles refer to hardware issues. The first is about HCL, the second stated that bad sectors on a HDD could cause this same problem. If that is the case, you may want to do your best to get the data off of the drive, and LLF, or just replace the drive. (Again, that is only if it turns out to be a bad drive). A simple Laptop HDD to IDE converter can be had for less then $10 and can be used to copy data from the drive to a conventional desktop.

[quote]Originally posted by Ya_know:
<strong>You are not kidding when you say the the KB is little help. First try, this was all that I found: <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q104203" target="_blank">Err Msg: STOP: C0000218 ...Registry Cannot Load the Hive (Q104203)</a> , it is for a slightly older version of NT than XP. :rolleyes:

After banging around I located this article:<a href="http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q156640" target="_blank">How to Troubleshoot a STOP 0xC0000218 Error Message (Q156640)</a> . Does anything here, or previously posted help out? Give us a progress update when you can...If you are not comfortable with the repair process of XP, look over the KB for more information. There are plenty of How To:'s</strong><hr></blockquote>

Wow, I didn't even come up with those articles when I searched...probably because I only searched in XP topics. Shoulda known not to do that.

Is there any reason to think Nero would have caused such a tragedy? Just curious.

I'm gonna read some more right now...will come back before I do anything...thanks for the references, both of you....

I can't get it to boot from the CD-RW to save my life. I set it as the priority drive in the BIOS, and it spins as if it wants to be read, but then the boot process just goes around it every time.

If I try to load from last known good configuration, the same error happens again. If I try to load into Safe Mode or Safe Mode with Command Prompt, a slightly different thing happens every time...the system starts loading in SYS files and halts on the following one:

Windows/System32/Drivers/agp440.sys

It just sits there for about two minutes with the HDD grinding here and there. Then it loops back around to do the disk check, and once that's done (always finds no errors), it just produces the same STOP error and we're back to square one.

I'm going to try and round up six floppies now to make that set of boot disks and boot from the floppy drive. *sigh*

In the meantime, I'm checking back here for any additional ideas if the new info I posted gave you any...

OMG...apparently a bunch of other people are having this same problem...

<a href="http://www.computing.net/windows2000/wwwboard/forum/21602.html" target="_blank">http://www.computing.net/windows2000/wwwboard/forum/21602.html</a>

<a href="http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/win2000/n1007924225" target="_blank">http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/win2000/n1007924225</a>

<a href="http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0x94d09200caded5118ff40090279cd0f9,00.html" target="_blank">http://forums.itrc.hp.com/cm/QuestionAnswer/1,,0x94d09200caded5118ff40090279cd0f9,00. html</a>

<a href="http://www.quickbase.com/db/6v74ue7a?a=dr&r=bk9&z=hmin&rl=guh3&rx=b9" target="_blank">http://www.quickbase.com/db/6v74ue7a?a=dr&r=bk9&z=hmin&rl=guh3&rx=b9</a>

<a href="http://www.bp6.com/discus/messages/124/997.html" target="_blank">http://www.bp6.com/discus/messages/124/997.html</a>

Great. And none of them have solutions, either. HEEEELLLLLLPPPPP MEEEEEEE!!! :(

Don't panic. It seems as though you are going to have to run the repair from the boot floppies as you stated. That is all right, it will just take longer to boot from them then one CD, but it is the same process. Once there, look over the options from the articles, and give them a try. I think you just hit a speed bump with the booting from the CDRom...you will get through this.

Okay, now that I've actually had time to get back to this lovely project...

I made the XP boot disks, but when I insert disk 1 and turn on the computer, it accesses the floppy drive like it should, a message comes up saying "setup is now checking your computer's hardware configuration" and it sits there on the screen for about a minute. Then the system resets itself (as in, a power flicker), and the process starts again. This is all it will do with the floppies -- just endless iterations of "checking the hardware configuration" and resetting itself. I let it go for a good half hour just to be reeeeeeeeeeal sure.

Now, if I try to boot into safe mode through the HDD instead of the floppy, I get the same hang when agp440.sys tries to load, but then I get a new "UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME" error screen. Restarting gets me the same thing repeatedly.

Any new ideas?

Sorry, I didn't notice if your drive is formatted in NTFS of FAT32. For FAT32, you can get your system back up and running by booting to a floppy and then copying the contents of c:\windows\repair to c:\windows\system32\config.

If NTFS you will need to boot to the XP CD and run "repair using recovery console" and then do the copying I already described.

This should get you back into a bootable Windows. At this point your apps won't work as this only restores your original registry and such. However, you may now be able to use the system saver function and find a recent restore point that will restore the registry to a more recent state and therefore save yourself having to reinstall your apps too....PM me if you need more help with my descriptions....

Curt

I should have said I upgraded to XP from ME. I didn't switch to NTFS during the upgrade and never got around to it before this happened, so I still have FAT32. I haven't had this laptop very long. If it requires booting from the XP floppy, I can't do it!

[quote]Originally posted by Renée:
<strong>I should have said I upgraded to XP from ME. I didn't switch to NTFS during the upgrade and never got around to it before this happened, so I still have FAT32. I haven't had this laptop very long. If it requires booting from the XP floppy, I can't do it!</strong><hr></blockquote>

As long as it's FAT32 you can boot to any bootable floppy (a WIN98 floppy is what I use) and then follow the instructions I gave in my last post. The FAT32 recovery is sooo much easier and I've seen this problem sooo many times that I no longer even consider NTFS for my clients. (I do use it on my own though)

Well, I was able to boot with the Win98 floppy. Copied all files from c:\windows\repair to c:\windows\system32\config with no problem at all.

BUT...when I try to reboot normally in XP (I tried "last known good configuration" first), I still get the damnable UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME error.

:confused:

(BTW...thanks so much for helping me with this!)

k. Now you may need to boot to the XP CD and select the "repair using recovery console". Once at a c: prompt I would try the fixboot command. Type Help at the C: prompt to get a complete list of commands available.

Gonna try it tomorrow or Monday, as soon as I have time. I'll let you know how it goes...

Okay, when I try to boot again with the XP floppy, I still get the endless iterations of "Setup is inspecting your system's hardware configuration" for 30 seconds, then *blip*, system resets itself and starts over again.

<img src="confused.gif" border="0">

[quote]Originally posted by Renée:
<strong>Okay, when I try to boot again with the XP floppy, I still get the endless iterations of "Setup is inspecting your system's hardware configuration" for 30 seconds, then *blip*, system resets itself and starts over again.

:confused: </strong><hr></blockquote>

Damn, that sounds like a memory error at that point....so you never did get the CD to boot huh? If it was in my shop, the next thing I would do is to remove the HD from the laptop and use my 2.5 HD Adapter to mount it in a desktop box and see how far I can get with the other steps I've already suggested....and you probably don't have access to another HD to try a clean install....I guess if you have a memory upgrade installed you could remove that and see what happens just in case it is a RAM issue (now that I think of it, the last system I saw that had that initial error you reported failed three times before I discovered a marginal DIMM in the third bank). Also, I would make sure you don't have any PCMCIA cards plugged in while you're trying to resolve this....

No, never got the CD to boot. When I get to a DOS prompt with the W98 boot floppy, I can access the CD, but I could never get the computer to boot from it. And, of course, I can't run the XP setup from a DOS prompt.

Any other workaround ideas, or are you thinking it's definitely hardware?

[quote]Originally posted by Renée:
<strong>No, never got the CD to boot. When I get to a DOS prompt with the W98 boot floppy, I can access the CD, but I could never get the computer to boot from it. And, of course, I can't run the XP setup from a DOS prompt.

Any other workaround ideas, or are you thinking it's definitely hardware?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Along with the other things I've mentioned, the easiest way (with my resources) would be to use my aforementioned 2.5 adapter to connect that drive to another system and clone it to another drive, then I could do a clean install with the original drive on the laptop...if everything went well then your original problems could be assumed to be software....Laptops are such a pain. I'm still leaning toward bad RAM.....but as most of you understand, anything is possible. It's just a whole lot more challenging to reduce the variables on a laptop....

I ran into this exact same problem when I loaded a demo copy of Roxio Creative Writer 5. Their version 4 will not work with XP and they want you to buy 5, so I tried it. It immediately trashed my system. After two days of effort I pulled out the trusty Dos 6 disks and reformatted. If anyone has any ideas why XP has such a problem with this software I would like to know, after all the cd burner software inXp is licensed from Roxio. Peace.

[quote]Originally posted by jitBob:
<strong>I ran into this exact same problem when I loaded a demo copy of Roxio Creative Writer 5. Their version 4 will not work with XP and they want you to buy 5, so I tried it. It immediately trashed my system. After two days of effort I pulled out the trusty Dos 6 disks and reformatted. If anyone has any ideas why XP has such a problem with this software I would like to know, after all the cd burner software inXp is licensed from Roxio. Peace.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Search the forums for Roxio--this has already been covered several times...many of us are running Roxio 4.x and 5.x in XP without problems....

[quote]Originally posted by Sowulo:
<strong>

Along with the other things I've mentioned, the easiest way (with my resources) would be to use my aforementioned 2.5 adapter to connect that drive to another system and clone it to another drive, then I could do a clean install with the original drive on the laptop...if everything went well then your original problems could be assumed to be software....Laptops are such a pain. I'm still leaning toward bad RAM.....but as most of you understand, anything is possible. It's just a whole lot more challenging to reduce the variables on a laptop....</strong><hr></blockquote>

Well, since I do backups of all data files every other day, and since there's only one file I care about that missing day on (my latest database project), and I don't have the resources you do, and it's still under warranty so I don't want to have to mail it in for service unless I know I have to.... *deep breath*...then I guess I may just try to swipe off that one file and go the nice little low-level reformat way first. I didn't like the way they partitioned my drive from the factory anyway, and I never changed it. It'll be fun to do over a drink or two tonight. Woo hoo!

[quote]Originally posted by Renée:
<strong>

Well, since I do backups of all data files every other day, and since there's only one file I care about that missing day on (my latest database project), and I don't have the resources you do, and it's still under warranty so I don't want to have to mail it in for service unless I know I have to.... *deep breath*...then I guess I may just try to swipe off that one file and go the nice little low-level reformat way first. I didn't like the way they partitioned my drive from the factory anyway, and I never changed it. It'll be fun to do over a drink or two tonight. Woo hoo!</strong><hr></blockquote>

Don't forget, you can boot to that Win98 floppy and pull any data files off with DOS commands (as long as they'll fit on a floppy...).

Good Luck

reformat and throw away XP. use win 2000 i think u have to reboot after installing nero.

Sounds to me like Nero has replaced the miniport or IDE driver with it's own. I have seen it do this.

Okay, the file isn't big enough to fit on a floppy, and...get this...the backup has been scratched by the cat. Yes, really. I have an older backup (about a third of the size), but I don't wanna lose all that work.

I'm gonna copy the file to logical drive D: and then format c:. Bracius gave me that idea. Gonna try it later tonight and see if it works.

Sound like a plan?

Wait!

To do the Underground route...

Click this: <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q310994" target="_blank">http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q310994</a>

And boot from the disks then hit r for repair...
Goto the Repair Console and then you can disable the nero driver...

OR you can just do an automatic repair and then reapply any patches...

[quote]Originally posted by Ben:
<strong>Wait!

To do the Underground route...

Click this: <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q310994" target="_blank">http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q310994</a>

And boot from the disks then hit r for repair...
Goto the Repair Console and then you can disable the nero driver...

OR you can just do an automatic repair and then reapply any patches...</strong><hr></blockquote>

Already tried that <a href="http://forums.windrivers.com/cgi-bin/forum3/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=38&t=000539&p=1#000 008" target="_blank">earlier in the thread</a>.

[quote]Originally posted by Renée:
<strong>Okay, the file isn't big enough to fit on a floppy, and...get this...the backup has been scratched by the cat. Yes, really. I have an older backup (about a third of the size), but I don't wanna lose all that work.

I'm gonna copy the file to logical drive D: and then format c:. Bracius gave me that idea. Gonna try it later tonight and see if it works.

Sound like a plan?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Logical Drive? Is this another partition on the same HD? If you're going to start over, I'd consider connecting a second physical drive and then doing the boot floppy thing to get to the DOS copy from c: to that second HD. Now you can safely wipe that flaked out install and redo the partitions at the same time (remove second HD before doing the full wipe just to be extra safe) just to be 100% certain there aren't any boot sector viruses, damaged partition tables, or any other nasty remnant of this little mess....

Renee,

Don't know if you have solved your problem yet, but thought this link might help you after you clone/copy/backup your HD. Might even get you to the repair prompt.

<a href="http://www.tweakxp.com/tweakxp/display.asp?id=697" target="_blank">http://www.tweakxp.com/tweakxp/display.asp?id=697</a>

Good Luck!

Wesley :p

[quote]Originally posted by Sowulo:
<strong>

Logical Drive? Is this another partition on the same HD? If you're going to start over, I'd consider connecting a second physical drive and then doing the boot floppy thing to get to the DOS copy from c: to that second HD. Now you can safely wipe that flaked out install and redo the partitions at the same time (remove second HD before doing the full wipe just to be extra safe) just to be 100% certain there aren't any boot sector viruses, damaged partition tables, or any other nasty remnant of this little mess....</strong><hr></blockquote>

Yep, C: is the main partition on the disk. It was just a last ditch effort that didn't work. "Invalid media or Track 0 bad - disk unusable. Format terminated." I can still access everything on the disk. Just can't boot from it or format it.

Your idea requires cracking the case, right? I can't afford to nullify the warranty. :( With the luck I seem to be having, if I did that, every single component would commit hari-kari within a week, and I'd be stuck with a $2000 paperweight.

Thanks a million jillion quazillion for your help. Unless you have other ideas (and I'll worship you if you do!), I've resigned myself to mailing it in for service.

[quote]Originally posted by Renée:
<strong>


Your idea requires cracking the case, right?
Thanks a million jillion quazillion for your help. Unless you have other ideas (and I'll worship you if you do!), I've resigned myself to mailing it in for service.</strong><hr></blockquote>

I don't remember you ever telling us that the system was under warranty. I wish you did. We started this whole thing with the possibility that there is a hardware problem. Have you got on the phone with their tech support? They will help you diagnose the system, and when (of course, if), they determine a hardware problem is to blame, they would want to look at it. Unless this is a Gateway, then they will want you to get your screw drivers handy. :D

Anyway, good luck. I hope they can get it back to you in less time then we did!

[quote]Originally posted by Ya_know:
<strong>I don't remember you ever telling us that the system was under warranty. I wish you did. We started this whole thing with the possibility that there is a hardware problem.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Yes, I did. <a href="http://forums.windrivers.com/cgi-bin/forum3/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=38&t=000539&p=2#000 021" target="_blank">Right here.</a> About the time we decided it had to be hardware.


[quote]Originally posted by Ya_know:
<strong> Have you got on the phone with their tech support? They will help you diagnose the system, and when (of course, if), they determine a hardware problem is to blame, they would want to look at it. Unless this is a Gateway, then they will want you to get your screw drivers handy. :D </strong><hr></blockquote>

Not yet. That's up right now. Fujitsu has a rep for slow service, so I wanted to see if it was something I could fix myself first. Nothing like sending off your baby for repair, getting it back in three weeks, and then finding out all they did was replace a driver or reinstall the OS. And, if it's something related to software the user installed (which was thought to be possible in the beginning), it's not under warranty, so I didn't want to get a $900 service bill, either.

[quote]Originally posted by Ya_know:
<strong> Anyway, good luck. I hope they can get it back to you in less time then we did!</strong><hr></blockquote>

Hey, there was nothing slow about the help here. The only slowness was me working on it. :) Thanks, and if it's anything interesting, I'll update when I find out what the problem was.

[quote]Originally posted by Renée:
<strong>

Yep, C: is the main partition on the disk. It was just a last ditch effort that didn't work. "Invalid media or Track 0 bad - disk unusable. Format terminated." I can still access everything on the disk. Just can't boot from it or format it.

Your idea requires cracking the case, right? I can't afford to nullify the warranty. :( With the luck I seem to be having, if I did that, every single component would commit hari-kari within a week, and I'd be stuck with a $2000 paperweight.

Thanks a million jillion quazillion for your help. Unless you have other ideas (and I'll worship you if you do!), I've resigned myself to mailing it in for service.</strong><hr></blockquote>

One more idea.....

I use an old DOS copy of LL5 (laplink5) in this circumstance....boot this busted laptop with your boot floppy and a desktop computer with the same floppy. Connect the two with a cross-over parallel cable attached to their respective lpt ports. Now run LL5 on each and use that to copy off all your goodies to the desktop (or other notebook--whatever you have). You should be able to buy the laplink cable somewhere close to home (search pricewatch for laplink and you'll find them--$2) and if you need LL5 let me know....

Sowulo, my worship has gone to an even deeper level.

I'm gonna find out from Fujitsu what they want me to do and how long my lappy will be in the shop. If it's gonna be too long, I'll try this to get the file I need so I can WORK. If I do, I'll need that copy of LL5 from you. Okay if I harass you later?

When you call them, ask them about their policy involving OS upgrades. They may not want to support you if the Laptop origionally came with ME and now has Xp on it. Either that, or you'll get your laptop back with ME on it.

Don't you have any restore disks that came with the laptop?

[quote]Originally posted by Renée:
<strong>Sowulo, my worship has gone to an even deeper level.

I'm gonna find out from Fujitsu what they want me to do and how long my lappy will be in the shop. If it's gonna be too long, I'll try this to get the file I need so I can WORK. If I do, I'll need that copy of LL5 from you. Okay if I harass you later?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Anytime!!! :D ;) :D

[quote]Originally posted by Renée:
[QB]

Yep, C: is the main partition on the disk. It was just a last ditch effort that didn't work. "Invalid media or Track 0 bad - disk unusable. Format terminated." I can still access everything on the disk. Just can't boot from it or format it.

QB]<hr></blockquote>

I've seen this error before, try fdisk /mbr or even fdisk option 4 and see if you can see the partition table. I fixed my problem using zap utility, but you want to save your files. A virus ate the mbr on the system I seen this on. If it's too late to try, sorry.

Argh. Well, no surprise, but Fujitsu will NOT take it as a hardware issue until their own proprietary recovery program is run and won't work. But their recovery program will wipe out everything on my HDD, of course, just like an fdisk would.

This is precisely why I preach backup, backup, backup to my clients. And from now on, I guess I'll have to preach "and don't leave the backup lying face up on a countertop, even if the cats aren't supposed to be up there." I suppose this is my little bad luck streak for the year. Glad to get it out of the way.

I'm going to ask cc_penguin if he works on laptops, and if he does, I'm just going to go visit him since he lives right down the road. If not, then Curt...I'll probably be hitting you up for that old version of LapLink to try my hand.

Thanks, everyone, for your help. :)

Oh Im definatly game for helping ya out, sorry I havent replied earlier. I dont have too much knowledge with XP (well not enough in which I feal to be offering advice) so I have stayed away from these XP threads. I cant promise I can retrieve the data for ya, but Ill give it my best shot :)