Borked Windows on a laptop - system repair not working

TheBigCheese · 15 May 2012 at 00:00

Hi everyone

I hope someone has an answer to this, it's a tricky one!

I'm trying to repair a family members laptop that has stopped booting, it says as it's trying to boot Windows:

"File: \windows\system32\config\system

Status: 0xc00000e9

Info: Windows failed to load because the system registry file is missing, or corrupt."

Ho ho I thought, no worries, I'll run the repair from the Windows disc...yeah that doesn't work...

Nor will it boot into safe mode...

Usually I'd got for wiping the drive but it has more then THREE YEARS of family photos, movies, home and work documents, school work....you name it.

Yes I told them to back it up often, I even got them some external HDDs for the process...and it didn't happen.

So this data *has* to be recovered. The install isn't as important, I can put Windows 7 on it, but the main thing is I can't lose the data.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Philtor · 15 May 2012 at 00:11

I would use a linux live CD such as Ubuntu or Knoppix to boot from and backup what you need, then do a clean install.

PhillyDee · 15 May 2012 at 00:12

Or pull the drive and plug it into a pc. the sata connectors are the same on laptops and pcs.

TheBigCheese · 15 May 2012 at 00:26

philtor said:
I would use a linux live CD such as Ubuntu or Knoppix to boot from and backup what you need, then do a clean install.

PhillyDee said:
Or pull the drive and plug it into a pc. the sata connectors are the same on laptops and pcs.

Thanks for the replies guys.

I'm not sure about the linux route, I've never done that before...don't really want to experiment with something so important.

I did consider taking the drive out but I wondered if I would be able to access the files or not.

As far as I'm aware (I'll have to ask and check) there are up to four user accounts on there, probably all password protected...if I'm accessing the folders from another machine will I be able to open the password protected folders?

I had a feeling I tried it with one of my drives some time ago and it wouldn't let me into them...?

Antar Bolaeisk · 15 May 2012 at 00:31

What version of Windows is it?

TheBigCheese · 15 May 2012 at 00:40

Vista 32, it's a Sony laptop so I think it's been modded slightly with all the usual Sony bells and whistles.

Antar Bolaeisk · 15 May 2012 at 08:20

Try disabling as many hardware items as you can in the BIOS, USB/firewire etc. Also, just try booting with one stick of RAM, alternate the stick/slot if it crashes.

Are you able to use system restore on the recovery disk?

Before doing anything too drastic I'd make sure to have a backup as well, just in case. Use something like acronis.

If you do go down the route of plugging it into another machine you will be able to access the files provided they're not encrypted (I'm fairly certain they won't). It'll pop up with a message looking for you to grant administrative rights when you try to access them.

Dano · 15 May 2012 at 09:04

The only time you will have issues accessing the user data is if they have told the machine to encrypt their files, which is not a default action.

nightmare99 · 15 May 2012 at 10:09

Being a notebook there is a high chance that you have hard errors on the disk. Download an ISO of seatools and run that on the drive first so you can work out what you are dealing with.

bledd · 15 May 2012 at 10:17

Ok

In a working PC, download Ubuntu and burn it to a CD using IMGBurn

Pop this CD into the drive of the laptop and boot from it (like you would a Windows disc)

You get the option of what you want to do, 'try ubuntu' or 'install ubuntu' pick try.

Now it will boot into a 'live' ubuntu session which has a fully working desktop, it won't write anything to the hard drive. From here you can plug in an external drive and copy the files off.

Just try it, it's much easier and less daunting that it sounds.

Really is that simple

Here's a video of it loading up, nothing to it!

TheBigCheese · 15 May 2012 at 12:34

Ah brilliant, thanks for those tips guys, I'll give them a go, starting with the Ubuntu idea as that is the least intrusive, thanks everyone!

If I do manage to get the data off using Ubuntu, is there an option with it to check the disk in case it is a mechanical error?

KIA · 15 May 2012 at 13:55

TheBigCheese said:
Ah brilliant, thanks for those tips guys, I'll give them a go, starting with the Ubuntu idea as that is the least intrusive, thanks everyone!

If I do manage to get the data off using Ubuntu, is there an option with it to check the disk in case it is a mechanical error?

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Smartmontools might help.

TheBigCheese · 24 May 2012 at 01:33

I just wanted to say thanks and pass on my thanks from the family member.

The Ubuntu idea was absolutely spot on and worked a treat!

I managed to recover all the lost data and I think it was quite lucky, I rang an HD Tune scan on the drive and it discovered some damaged areas that were red on the scan...then it crashed the program!

Very lucky to recover everything I think!

Thanks again everyone!