Help with windows system file restore

**kaptan** · 08-02-2007, 04:38 PM

Hello, sorry if this has been discussed before, but I'm a noob when it comes to Linux. My PC will no longer boot to windows and I'm trying to copy my system_restore files to windows\system32\config folder using Knoppix ver 5.1 When trying to boot to Windows XP, I get an error WIndows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \windows\system32\config\system. When I boot into Knoppix, my hard disk is listed as "Hard disk [SDA1]" I mounted the drive and when I change read\write status, I get an error stating THe remount command failed. Maybe there is another process accessing the filesystem currently. Can someone PLEASE help?

**kaptan** · 08-02-2007, 06:02 PM

Anyone?

**rusty** · 08-02-2007, 06:18 PM

I mounted the drive and when I change read\write status,

Try booting the cd, right clicking on the drive icon, switching the r/w status and THEN mounting the drive. Not sure it will help but worth a try.

**Harry Kuhman** · 08-02-2007, 06:55 PM

Rusty usually gives good advice, but if this is a NTFS file system (I don't think you said and I suspect it is, xp usually is unless there is reason for it to not be), then I would advise against doing the above. Writing to NTFS can completely corrupt it and cause you to lose all of your data, which sounds to be currently available. I would use the standard recovery techniques listed in the recovery faq, then do a fresh install and reload important data rather than take the risk.

**kaptan** · 08-03-2007, 03:24 PM

Ok, I resolved the problem. I was not able to restore the files using Knoppix, but instead I installed the HD into a working XP machine, booted into XP, ran Chkdsk on the non-bootable xp drive, and copied the sam, system, default, security, and software files from the system restore folder to system32\config. I rebooted the drive and voila XP! I was hoping to do this without taking the hard drive out. Thanks for all the replies! Has anyone successfully changed files on a NTFS partition???

**cbagger01** · 08-08-2007, 12:23 AM

Originally Posted by kaptan

Ok, I resolved the problem. I was not able to restore the files using Knoppix, but instead I installed the HD into a working XP machine, booted into XP, ran Chkdsk on the non-bootable xp drive, and copied the sam, system, default, security, and software files from the system restore folder to system32\config. I rebooted the drive and voila XP! I was hoping to do this without taking the hard drive out. Thanks for all the replies! Has anyone successfully changed files on a NTFS partition???

I've written files on an NTFS partition with Knoppix version 5.1.x

Like said above, you boot the CD, then Right-Click on the desktop icon, then uncheck the Read-Only checkbox on the context menu, and finally you Left-Click on the desktop icon and mount the drive.