Can knoppix help me with a system32/config/software problem?

[kasparhauser]

Hi everyone, I really hope someone can help me with this:

On starting my laptop (XPpro - SP2) I was welcomed by the dreaded bsod, saying
c0000218 {Registry File failure} The registry Cannot Load The Hive (File): \SystemRoot\System32\Config\Software Error
My computer just restarts over and over, and I cannot boot Windows in the Last Known Good Configuration or any of the other boot options. The same bsod pops up, and the computer restarts.

The problem seems to lie in the registry files, and I have tried to use the solutions given
here : http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how...air_a_stop.htm
and here: http://www.digitalwebcast.com/articl....jsp?id=8658-0

The main problem is, that I cannot even access the Recovery Console, since it asks for an admin password which doesn't exist (meaning: I never created one). I tried typing a blank and typing "admin" and other things like that, but it doesn't work. If I could access the Recovery Console, I think I should be able to fix it.

A friend of mine recommended that I tried Knoppix, and lo and behold: I was able to transfer all of the vital stuff to my usb-storage. This is good. Windows still doesn't boot, of course, which is bad. So here is the question:

Can i access the relevant registry hives via Knoppix, allowing me to replace the faulty ones with the backup from Windows System Restore? If this is possible, it would save my day! (and my thesis by the way)

thank you

-hauser

[kasparhauser]

Might as well answer the above question myself.

I decided that since a reinstall of xp might be necessary anyway, I should try to solve the abovementioned problem from Knoppix. Reading the Forum, it seems that everyone recommends against doing what follows on a ntfs partitioned hd, but look what happened:
I found my windows drive, located an earlier System Restore Point and copied the backup files to the Knoppix desktop. Then I renamed them to SYSTEM, SOFTWARE, DEFAULT, SAM, and SECURITY (the same operation that one would normally do from the Recovery Console, according to http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how...air_a_stop.htm. Then I changed the read/write option for my Windows drive and copied the files to the c:\windows\system32\config\ folder replacing the faulty files already there.
Then: Restarted, rebooted and... it worked.
My XP is back in business (still thinking of switching to linux permanently, though) and I am as happy as ever.

I hope this can be of help to others in the same situation. I am aware that I took quite a risk, but apparently You can manipulate some files on a ntfs partitioned hd without damaging everything..

- hauser

[rcook]

Congratulations! You got by with it. It has generally been possiblt to replace files on NTFS with files approximately the same size for some time. It has been problematic to create or append to NTFS files. The new drivers are supposed to take care of this.

I would ensure I am fully backed up and run every consistencey check possible on the file system. I never fully trust a system which has been through a recovery.

Enjoy your defense!

Dick