my other computer has win. XP home and it will not boot up at all even with the OS disc. Can you give me suggestions as to what is happening?2 people need an answerI do too

Not really, any err msg when you try to boot?

I have the same problem. My computer will not boot even with the OS disk in. I get the error "windows could not start becasue the following file is missing or corrupt: windows\system32\config\system"I put the OS disc in, hit f8 and tried restarting the computer in all the modes only to come back to the same error message. I can not type anything, nor can I use my mouse. Is there anything I can do short of going to a repair shop?

Was the issue preceded by a power interruption, aborted restart, or improper shutdown?(this includes plug pulling and power buttons)These can cause corruption in the file system which must be fixed before you do anything else.If any of those events have occurred (or even if they have not occurred), you should verify the integrity of your file system before doing anything else (especially "trying" things).It makes zero sense to start trying to copy files around on a hard disk that has a corrupted file system so this must be fixed first using the XP chkdsk program, and fixing that may resolve your issue entirely. Use the XP Recovery Console to verify the file system on your HDD and correct any problems and then try to boot your system - this may be all you need to do. Or, you are welcome to just start trying things that might work.Boot into the Windows Recovery Console using a bootable XP installation CD.If you have no bootable XP media (or are not sure what you have) create a bootable XP Recovery Console CD and be sure.This is not the same as any recovery disks that might have come a store bought system. You can make a bootable Recovery Console CD by downloading an ISO file and burning it to a CD.The bootable ISO image file you need to download is called:xp_rec_con.iso Download the ISO file from here:http://www.mediafire.com/?ueyyzfymmigUse this free and easy program to create your bootable CD:http://www.imgburn.com/Here are some instructions for ImgBurn:http://forum.imgburn.com/index.php?showtopic=61It would be a good idea to test your bootable CD on a computer that is working.You may need to adjust the computer BIOS settings to use the CD ROM drive as the first boot device instead of the hard disk. These adjustments are made before Windows tries to load. If you miss it, you will have to reboot the system again.When you boot on the CD, follow the prompts:Press any key to boot from CD...The Windows Setup... will proceed.Press 'R' to enter the Recovery Console.Select the installation you want to access (usually 1: C:\WINDOWS)You may be asked to enter the Administrator password (usually empty).You should be in the C:\WINDOWS folder. This is the same as the C:\WINDOWS folder you see in explorer.RC allows basic file commands - copy, rename, replace, delete, cd, chkdsk, fixboot, fixmbr, etc.From the command prompt window run the chkdsk command on the drive where Windows is installed to try to repair any problems on the afflicted drive.Running chkdsk is fine to run even if it doesn't find any problems. Assuming your boot drive is C, run the following command:chkdsk C: /rLet chkdsk finish and correct any problems it might find. It may take a long time to complete or appear to be 'stuck'. Be patient. If the HDD light is still flashing, it is doing something. Keep an eye on the percentage amount to be sure it is still making progress. It may even appear to go backwards sometimes.You should run chkdsk /r again until it finds no errors to correct.Remove the CD and type 'exit' to leave the RC and restart the computer.You do not have to adjust the BIOS again to boot on the HDD since the CD will not be present.Do you really think suggestions that begin with the words try, might or maybe are going to be helpful?I need YOUR votes and points for helpful replies and Propose as Answers. I am saving up for a pony!

If I try this solution you suggested it set my computer back to the manufactor's settings and will I lose all my files on my harddrive.

No - all it does is use the Windows disk checking program to verify the integrity of the NTFS file system and attempt to repair any inconsistencies.Whenever you see a file missing or corrupt kind of message, you should always start with a chkdsk /r first. Many times, that is all you need to do.It could be that a file is really missing or corrupt, but you should not just start trying to replace the file reported as the first thing to do.It does not make sense to start trying to copy/replace files on a system with a corrupted file system until the file system integrity has been restored.If you still have the problem after the chkdsk /r, then you can continue to work on the problem.In your other post, you said this:when i boot my computer receive an error message about a corruted file. what should i do.To get the best help and advice, try to be more specific about exactly what the message says. There are lots of files and lots of messages, so if your XP is complaining about a certain file, we need to know exactly which one. Remember that we cannot see your screen from here, so you have to tell us exactly what it says.Do, or do not. There is no try.I decided to save up points for a new puppy instead of a pony!