STOP : C 0000218 {Registry File Failure } The registry

Hi,

I would very much appreciate some help.

I have Dell Optiplex GX 270

with OS : XP professional ( Dell supplied )

I have got the following blue screen :

STOP: C0000218 {Registry 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.


Also I have used the Dell Diagnostics.

Getting errors on the Hard Drive :EDE Disk

Error Code 0F00 : 0244

Msg Block 6158289 , 289, 290, 293, 294, 295 , 296, 300, 302 : Unrecoverable data error or media is write protected

Couple of times I was able to press F8 and restore last registry.

Now it won't work. I just getting the same STOP notice.

Thanks

JM

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545

camieabz,

Thanks for the link.

I had seen it. The Operating software - XP is Dell.

There is a warning on that Microsoft link :

" Warning Do not use the procedure that is described in this article if your computer has an OEM-installed operating system. The system hive on OEM installations creates passwords and user accounts that did not exist previously. If you use the procedure that is described in this article, you may not be able to log back into the recovery console to restore the original registry hives. "

So I am not sure what to do.

Thanks

JM

Hmmm. Got any Dell warranty left?

Hi camieabz,

No warranty !

thanks

JM

Sounds like the drive is failing. You may want to buy a new one.

http://forums.techguy.org/windows-xp/395631-problems...

I would suggest that you try to get to the recovery console first. However, you would usually boot-up with the XP disk. I don't know if dell provide the recovery console on their disk, and whether or not it's accessible.

If you boot up the disk and get the option to use recovery console then you want to run:

chkdsk /r from the command line and leave it to scan and fix any probs. Might take a few hours in some cases.

If no recovery console, you can download a program to create six floppy disks for doing it. Not ideal, but it might be better than no access at all. See the following link:

http://commandwindows.com/recovery.htm

If you get this far and can boot up to safe more, you can use system restore to hopefully get back to a point before the problem. Failing that, there's always a registry rebuild, but that's another can of worms.

Hi,

Hard drive seems suspect.

I will have a go at running the Recovery Console.

Hope that sorts it for the time being.

Unfortunately there is no floppy drive on the PC.

So I will use the Dell XP CD.

Thanks

JM

Hi,

I first tried out Ubuntu 7.1 live CD and it worked.

I then restarted the computer from Ubuntu. Luckily it has restarted XP.

I have scheduled a Hard Drive check and repair.

I am concerned that it might not restart, so saving some of the important documents.

How can I be sure that the registry is not corrupt. That it is 100 % OK.

Just wondered any other precautions I should take or download any other useful softwares to help me with any other problems that may arise before I shut down PC.

Also in the Admins tool- Disk Management the Hard Disk shows as ' healthy system '.

Thanks

JM

Edited by deleted (Thu 22-Jul-10 07:37:41)

Hi,

Thank you all for the help.

The computer restarted and did the disk check and repair. It reported bad clusters replacement.

At the end stated ' Volume is clean '.

So hoping that has solved the problem.

Also used :

http://onecare.live.com/site/en-us/center/cleanup.htm

and

ccleaner to clean the registry.



Thanks

JM