How to Repair Lost Registry Files With a Windows XP CD

Problems with the Windows registry are a common cause of error messages, slow performance and Windows crashes. Luckily, you can manually fix most Windows XP registry errors with nothing but a Windows XP CD. The following registry error is given as an example to what the error message will look like:
"Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: WINDOWSSYSTEM32CONFIGSYSTEM."

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Windows XP CD

1. Place your Windows XP CD in your CD-ROM drive. Restart your computer and press "F2," "DEL," or any other key that lets you boot to the BIOS menu. Set the first boot device to the CD-ROM that contains your Windows XP CD. Save all changes and restart the computer.

2. Press "R" at the "Welcome to Windows Setup" blue screen to start the recovery console.

3. Choose the Windows installation that is receiving the error and type in the password for your Administrator account.

4. Copy the missing windows registry file using the DOS "Copy" command, for example: "copy c:\windows\somefile c:\windows\somefile."

5. Reboot your computer to safe mode and you should have successfully fixed the Windows XP registry error.

Tips & Warnings

• Modifying the wrong registry setting can cause your computer to be unstable, or even crash. Make sure you research the error message to make sure the registry entry can be changed.