All registry files gone

[nexsess]

After some file corruption, I had to run chkdsk. There were a few unreadable sectors and I seemed to have lost the entire registry.

 

I cannot boot into any windows mode. When loading windows in any mode it gets as far as the loading screen, then I get:

 

STOP: c000021a (fatal system error)

The Session Manager Initialization system process terminated unexpectedly with a status of 0xc0000034 (0x00000000 0x00000000).

The system has been shut down.

 

Also, for some reason windows installation cd does not recognize that there is a HDD present.

 

After much searching, I believe this is caused because the registry files (and possibly others) were in one of the unreadable sectors.

 

I put the drive into another computer (as non boot). I can access the files on the disk and cannot find ANY registry entries.

 

I have run ccleaner and have the backup registry entries.

 

Is there a way to restore the registry on the disk while it is hooked up to another computer.

 

 

Please remember I cannot get into any mode of windows and I cannot get into windows recovery

[DennisD]

Hi nexsess, and welcome to Piriform.

 

Sorry to hear of your troubles.

 

There is a possible fix worth trying while you have that drive slaved to your other computer, but there isn't any iron clad guarantee that it will work, although I have fixed a neighbours laptop using the second option below.

 

The first involves replacing the 5 registry files found in "C:\WINDOWS\system32\config" with backups located in "C:\WINDOWS\repair". The files are "SYSTEM, SOFTWARE, SAM, SECURITY AND DEFAULT.

 

There are a few sites with instructions on how to do this using the "Recovery Console", but if you take note of the basic method, you can do it manually while that drive is slaved to your other PC.

 

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

 

http://www.pchell.com/support/recoverfromc...dregistry.shtml

 

If you can get your PC booted into Windows after doing this, I would do a System Restore straight away to get your registry as "up to date" as possible with all your software. The generic registry backups will be out of sync with all your stuff but they'll be enough to get you running.

 

Don't use the most recent Restore Point as it may contain corrupt data from your problem.

 

 

Or alternatively, and this is the method I used, access "System Volume Information" on that drive, and locate the last but one System Restore Point, which will be called RP2 or RP3 etc.

 

Don't use the most recent point as it may contain corrupt data from your current problem.

 

Open that folder and you'll find the "Snapshot" folder. Inside you'll find the 5 registry files:

 

 

Then follow the basic instructions found in those links above to copy and rename the registry files from the "Snapshot" folder to the "C:\WINDOWS\system32\config" folder.

 

Renaming involves removing the "_REGISTRY_MACHINE_" part from the beginning of each file. Make sure you remove the . (dot) from the "DEFAULT" file.

 

If you give this a try, post back here if you need any advice on any part of it, and I have another option for you if this doesn't work out, or if you aren't too comfortable with it.

[nexsess]

Thanks for your assistance but this hasn't solved the problem.

 

I used the first method you listed.

 

Now before it goes to BSOD, I get the messege:

 

autochk program not found - skipping autochk

 

Then BSOD (same error code as before)

 

I copied autochk from my system32 folder to the problem drive's system32 folder.

 

No change.

 

And I still can't figure out why the windows cd won't recognize the drive. (I even cloned it to another HDD I know works fine and get the exact same problem. so I know it's not just a bad drive)

[DennisD]

I'll pm you with the other option.

[redhawk]

I think you have some serious issues regarding your hard drive it sounds like it's on the way out.

 

STOP: c000021a (fatal system error)

The Session Manager Initialization system process terminated unexpectedly with a status of 0xc0000034 (0x00000000 0x00000000).

The system has been shut down.

I don't think registry corruption is the problem here it seems like some important files are missing or corrupted or unreadable.

 

Also, for some reason windows installation cd does not recognize that there is a HDD present.

Are you using a SATA drive, you're probably missing the RAID drivers??

 

I put the drive into another computer (as non boot). I can access the files on the disk and cannot find ANY registry entries.

Registry files are in \windows\system32\config

HKCUs are stored in \documents & settings\(username)\NTUSER.DAT (hidden file)

Backup registry copies are in \System Volume Information\ .. RP???\SNAPSHOT\ (but inaccessible without changing security permissions)

Backup copies of OS files are in \windows\system32\dllcache

 

Now that you have the hard drive working on another machine there are two things you could do:

 

1) check the S.M.A.R.T status (looking at the sector relocate count for errors) - HD Tune should be able to help you with this.

2) Open a DOS prompt with "Start", "Run" cmd.exe and type the following:

chkdsk e: /f /r (assuming that e: is your faulty hard drive)

chkdsk /r will force windows to scan and mark faulty sectors as bad so that they're never used again by the Operating System.

Make yourself a cup of coffee because this process could take over an hour or so depending on drive size and number of bad sectors.

 

Once the scan has completed return the hard drive to the original machine and see if it can boot up now.

If you're still having blue screen problems then a repair install is looking the only viable solution.

 

Richard S.

[kimsland]

Two informative guides:

 

How I fixed my Windows XP Stop c000021a {Fatal System Error} with Knoppix Linux

http://healyourchurchwebsite.com/2008/03/1...r-with-knoppix/

 

How to Fix "Autochk Program Not Found" error when Windows Boots

http://pchell.com/support/autochknotfound.shtml

 

But I'm leaning towards: Updated hard drive controller driver required

You will need to download your hard drive controller driver from your motherboard or computer manufactures support drivers website.

Then copy the driver to a Floppy or CD

Insert and boot from your Windows Setup CD

When given the prompt : Press F6 to Install a Third Party Driver Press F6

Then browse to your downloaded and saved hard drive controller driver (you may need to temporarily switch discs to it)

Once the driver is properly installed, then continue with the Repair of Windows

 

I'm not exactly sure how this thread is related to CCleaner, except in respect to backed up registry files.

If you get Windows working, you probably shouldn't return them anyway!

[Andavari]

And I still can't figure out why the windows cd won't recognize the drive.

If the hard drive was corrupted during a crash that can happen. If the hard disk is being deemed as RAW format when trying to boot or run chkdsk that itself can be fixed via the Recovery Console which is on the Windows XP install CD, you can boot the Recovery Console directly from the disk to fix such issues.

[dflawless]

After using CCleaner for the better part of 2 years without a negative incident, two days ago, I ran CCleaner to do an uninstall of a program I was not happy with. After running the program for this task I closed to re-boot. I have a Dell Dimension B110 running XP windows 8 desktop (antique). I am 60 years old and have learned everything I know about computers on this machine. Even though Microsoft has stopped its support of this machine it runs fine for me and I refuse to invest (upgrade) in another computer. So... the task performed ,I came out of reboot to my password welcome sreen. No matter what I tried, it refused to load my desktop and stayed on the welcome screen  forever loading my personal settings. Finally after a good dayss worth of troubleshooting, I performed a complete re-install of the OS. I did it by the  book, installing drivers and utilities in the order Dell required and installed important updates to bring my machine current and then the free install of your fine product. After the installation I was having it to continue to open to set my settings. It never opened. I got a blue screen error annoucement that said; Stop:c000021a {Fatal System Error} The Windows Subsystem System Process Terminated unexpectedly with a Status Of 0x c0000005 (0x7c9106c3 0x0069ec24). The System Has shut down. I waited to see if i had just caused a global stock market crash   and then rebooted and tried again with the same result. I uninstalled CCcleaner and I am on a quest to find out what went wrong. Any ideas would  greatly be appreciated.

[hazelnut]

Are you saying you can use XP but not if you install Ccleaner ?

 

Is it XP sp2 ?

 

If yes, see here

 

http://forum.piriform.com/index.php?showtopic=43027&p=260079

[Andavari]

it refused to load my desktop and stayed on the welcome screen

 

I've had that happen several times since Microsoft ended support of XP.

 

I used to be completely impatient waiting for it and would reboot quickly, however if waiting several minutes in my case it would eventually load to the desktop, after several of these having to wait several minutes for it to load it self-fixed the problem all on its own. My guess is a buggy XP update from March 2014 or April 2014 is causing it - can't prove it though, or some registry issue.