Stop Error c0000218 (Registry File Failure)

[blue_wolf]

I'm running Windows XP.

And there are tons of important information I need to retrieve from my hard drive. The only problem is when I reboot, my computer runs a scan, then a period appears. Like this ".". Then for about a spit second I get this message.

Stop: c0000218 (registry File Failure)
The registry cannot load the hive file (file):
\systemroot\system32\config\SOFTWARE
or its log or alternate
It is corrupt, absrnt, or not writable.

Begining dumpof physical memory
Physical memeory dump complete.
Contact your system administartor or technical support group for further assiatance.

The only way I could actually read what that said was to take a picture with my cell phone. Can any of you tell me what this means. Also, is it possible for me to correct this, or restore file. I've tried reboot it in each mode they allow me to, and I always have to scan, then the period shows up. "." Then a few seconds later it show that message then reoboots.

I was wondering if this may be a virus.
Any help would greatly be appreciated.

Thanx in advance.
Wolf

[ByTeWrangler]

Greeting's

Here's the first link i found i'll edit this post once i read some of the links and figure out the best one.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/830084/en-us

Here is the good one :

http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how...air_a_stop.htm

[Deeboe]

Hello,

I did a quick search on Microsoft's Knowledge base and found the following information in the first returned result. Looks like what you need:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/830084/en-us

Good luck! Hope it works for you.

-Deeboe

[EDIT]
Yeah, what he said above! (He posted while I was posting... sneaky little)
[/EDIT]

[blue_wolf]

Lol. It seems like this problem is very common among Windows XP users. Do any of you Linux guys every experience a problem like this. I'm not even sure if some of you guys would even call this a problem.

[morganlefay]

Unsupported hardware...is unsupported hardware

No matter what OS

We have XP on several machines..and I havnt seen this error.....

So it not really a "common" issue...but a "known" issue

What are the hardware specs????

MLF

[blue_wolf]

Hardware? I really have no idea about the exact specs.

[morganlefay]

Then how do expect to install linux on it then....

You will need to know what type of NIC, video card, modem etc to configure it??

Is it a Pentium 1 2 3 4????

Or an AMD??

How much memory does it have....

What kind of video card does it have...

How old is the hardware??

Doesnt sound like an os problem to me

MLF

[nihil]

Hi Morgana~

Does the expression PEBCAK ring any bells?

[morganlefay]

ok....Mr Wolf

To help you out we will need way more info.

Have you tried safe mode???

Anything changed recently??



If you REALLY need the data off the drive...slave it into another machine and copy it over.

You also can try to repair your install...

So if the data is important...and you have to recover it...I would suggest getting some help.

Actually I am recovering data off a failed machine right now...harddrive is slaved into my machine...but windows cannot read it....although Ontrack Easy Recovery can

............very nice tool BTW

Not trying to fix the install...just grabbing the data

So Mr Wolf......

My point is....we need more info to help

This is not a windows\linux issue........

OSes\hardware\installs fail all the time.....and people like me fix\recover them

keeps me in a steady supply of wine

MLF

[ZT3000]

The microsoft links the guys gave you will only check if there is file damage.
It will not diagnose a bad harddrive and it will not repair the registry
Although, as a first step, you must follow the instructions given in the microsoft link they gave you.
In other words, it checks and corrects basic file structure problems.

Then to actually fix the problem of a corrupted registry, go here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/

If you have the applicable XP CD handy (not the OEM CD either), follow the instructions on that link which will fix your problem, unless your hard drive is physically defective.

It's a bit involved, but the fix works.
(print it out and read it 3 times before you follow it)

I'm assuming, of course, this error message is on a harddrive that is not freshly installed with Windows. (you didn't tell us)

As for your remark that it's a common problem among XP, that simply isn't true.
It's not common at all.