Blue Screen At System Startup

Hey all!!
My friend has this problem so jus wondering if anyone could tell me what it is..

When computer is switched on, Loads it's manufacturer crap, then blue screen pops out!
saying.... i'll only type in the main points..

Stop: c0000218{registry file failure} The registry cannot load the hive (file):\systemroot\system32\config\SOFTWARE Or its Log or atlernate. It is corrupt, absent or not writable.


i tried to researched on the problem online but all i could find is
\systemroot\system32\config\SECURITY

so yeah... i solved the problem by reformatting the computer...

but i wanted to know is what actually caused the problem and how to fix it without reformatting if there is a way...
Note that the computer cannot even be logged into windows therefore everything's got to be done before the logo WINDOWS XP and the loading bar appear.. yah.. get what i mean.. hahaz

hope someone could help. thanks!

Assuming the Windows Registry is simply corrupt, the first thing to attempt is a recovery via the Automatic System Recovery for your particular installation.

Follow the detailed directions presented in Microsoft Knowledge Base article 307545.

http://support.microsoft.com/Default.aspx?kbid=307545


Another possibility is that many disks have bad sectors and you would not know about them until you attempt to write over the sectors during an operation. If you can boot from your installation CD, you will be presented with the option to Repair or Recover the Windows XP installation. Pressing R launches the Microsoft Recovery Console which then asks for the Administrator password.

After entering the password, run chkdsk to check the drive for errors by typing chkdsk /r at the command line. If chkdsk finds errors, you may need to use chkdsk /f to repair the errors before proceeding.

hahaz.. thanks.. but i forgot to mention...
i tried to reformat by booting from the xp cd...
but somehow the computer does not want/allow me to even boot from cd...
even when i manually set it so by entering bios, changing the boot sequence and all that sort of crap. so basically i cant enter the reparing part...

the way i used to reformat his computer was some software integrated placed into his computer.. the name is "Startup and Recovery 3"

so yeah.. here's another problem.. how come his computer does not allow me to boot from the xp cd?

oh yah.. sorry for the "keep on forgetting stuff" i ran windows registry test by booting from the cd, the software is downloaded from microsoft website itself, it's an iso file which i used to burn into a cd. okay back to the point.. i ran the test ( IT ALLOWED ME TO BOOT FROM IT!!) but why cant the computer boot from the xp cd? it's as if the computer only wants to run the test but not the microsoft xp sp2 cd.

When you say the computer can't boot from the CD, do you mean you get a message like this?:

Nope.

what i meant is that it jus skip the process.
the part where - press any key to boot from cd
and also completely ignore the startup sequence which is being set to
1:CD drive
2:Floppy
3:-
4:-
5:-
6:Hard Disk

Note: "-" means i cant i rmb

and just go straight to the screen where u choose the type of startup,
safe mode
safe mode with networking
safe mode with command prompt.

so yah.. hahahahaz.. here's another problem... how come this computer keeps on showing this particular choosing startup screen?
usually it jus goes straight to logging in...

So yeah..
1st prob: blue screen at startup
2nd prob: fails to boot from cd
completely ignore startup sequence
even if "press any key to boot from cd" appears,
no matter what button u press it just won't respond to it.
(the keyboard's not spoilt btw)

this happened weeks ago so i may find it hard to rmb
everything in one go>

3rd prob: why does it go to the choose startup screen?
even if u switch off the computer/restart it properly
(in the proper way, not pluck cable, or hold the "on button")
it jus continues to come out.

4th prob: this comp has alot of shit coming out of it... rofl

dropleague wrote:

so yeah... i solved the problem by reformatting the computer...

but i wanted to know is what actually caused the problem and how to fix it without reformatting if there is a way...

The doc is correct.....It is a corrupt registry and often a format is the easiest solution which is what you have done.

There are, however, other options for a solution.

dropleague wrote:

hahaz.. thanks.. but i forgot to mention...
i tried to reformat by booting from the xp cd...
but somehow the computer does not want/allow me to even boot from cd...
even when i manually set it so by entering bios, changing the boot sequence and all that sort of crap. so basically i cant enter the reparing part...

Im confused now.....thought that you fixed it with a format?

Is it possible that the disc is damaged and not being read by the optical drive (maybe a dud burn).....Is it a genuine full install disc of XP SP2?
If your writing your own install disc then slower write speeds help to ensure lossless data transfer.

Let me know exactly where your at right now and i will set it straight for you....give me as much info as you can including answers to the above questions.

Regards

sorry for the unclear details...
well basically.. i didn't solve it with a format like i stated earlier...
the computer my friend has somehow has this particular software installed into the system called startup & recovery 3.
it's a program i opened when i tried to open bios at the startup screen..
i thought it would be F9 to F12. but in the end it was F1 actually..
so i pressed a Number between F9 to F12 ( i cant rmb which i pressed)
so once i pressed it.. the comp loads a while.. and I'm brought to a place with the title "Startup and Recovery 3" Hanging at the top of the screen.

and btw.. this happened weeks back.. so erm.. yah...

so yeah.. Startup and recovery 3 sort of helped me to recover the computer's back to it's factory state or whatever they called it...

i placed all the problems here because i would like to know the cause of all these problems so i could solve it next time this happens again.

and erm.. yah.. the xp cd.. it worked on my own computer.. and my 2nd computer.. why cant it work on my friend's? and yah.. hahaz.. the cd isn't genuine..

my friend's running a AMD cant rmb what.. and 2.8ghz and 512mb ram. windows xp sp2.

sorry for the confusion..

Thanks ya 2 btw XD

OK....I see now!

There are a few reasons which are responsible for registry corruption however it's hard for me to determine exactly which one is responsible for your friends problems as i dont know precisely what he has been doing with his computer.

I would likely bet that one of these causes is to blame however:

# when software are not properly uninstalled, it leaves either a bad shortcut and links with unwanted files in your registry, thus causing error messages to be displayed when falsely trying to start the application or the Operating System itself.
This at times can lead to a blue screen episode.

# Registry editing and making changes to the keys and the various user profiles ids.
A wrong editing operation can corrupt the operating system itself or cause third party software or drivers to malfunction.

#And the most likely cause is Malware Infection...... Internet activities and operations account for most of registry problems as Infected programs downloaded create numerous malicious embedded keys within the registry.

Possible reasons you can go over when unable to boot from the full XP install disc that you know is good and works on another system:

# Recheck the boot order in BIOS (Step 1). I've found that the number one reason a bootable disc won't boot is because BIOS is not configured to check the CD/DVD drive first.

# Do you have more than one CD or DVD drive? Your computer probably only allows for one of your disc drives to be booted from. Insert the bootable CD or DVD in the other drive and restart your computer.

#If your friend has a Dell or HP or the likes, they wont boot to anything but a Dell or HP install disc of XP.
This is because they install a 'hidden' partition on the drive containing mainly drivers and configuration settings that wont allow the system to boot from anything it doesnt recognize.

You can find this 'hidden' partition using partition software and delete it completely, then regain the extra hard drive space and download the necessary drivers you need (that were deleted along with the partition) from the system or motherboard manufacturers website.
If partition software wont work you'd have to use a tool like fdisk to properly access the partition.

Regards

oooooooooo.. thank you!!!!

well.. yeah what u're saying is true... my friend.. who's a entirely computer noob.... uninstalls games by deleting the game folder ONLY... and he told me once he found a place hidden somewhere containing all of his deleted files!!!

and yeah.. i think it's malware problems too... cool... cant believe that a system can hide a partition containing drivers and all sorts of crap in it...

i double checked the bios startup sequence many times. making sure the cd/dvd drive is at the top and the Hard disk is a the bottom. i think it really doesn't allow any xp cd other than it's own recognized one.

and i think my friend's computer is a compaq... Is compaq same as dell or HP? as in the same type? (erm.. i don't know how to explain it.. so hope u understand)


but thanks alotzzz Digitalocksmith & Doctor Inferno for your help!
really cleared most of my doubts and problems! XDD

Last edited by dropleague on 19th July 2008, 3:28 am; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : forgot something.. XD)