XP won't start up

[8]

When i turn on my computer i'm greeted by the following message:

Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

I've tried to repair the problem using recovery console, following these instructions:

http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;en-us;307545&a

when i try the following command it doesn't work:

copy c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\tmp\system.bak

this means that i cannot continue the system restore. There's some stuff on my computer that i urgently need and do not want to lose, so has anybody got any ideas how i can fix the problem or more importantly get my stuff off the hard drive.
I'm using a Fujitsu Seimens amilo a1840.

[annodomini2]

The ideal solution to this would be to put the hard drive in another machine which boots and backup your data from that machine. Then I would repartition and format the hard drive and reinstall windows etc. (Guarrantees a clean installation).

Assuming your data is not internal to XP itself, you could try the XP setup disk, although from the sounds of it, its a laptop and so the setup disks have a habit of formatting the drive before installation anyway, soyou will need to check before commencing!

From the sounds of it, someones been busy on your computer, i.e. kids or a virus.

[Plotloss]

Registry hosed.

Stick disk in another machine or boot from a live CD, either Linux or WinPE and copy the data you want off it.

Flatten it, reinstall XP, jobs a goodun...

[8]

This sounds slightly more positive, thanks for the replies. Don't really understand what you mean though. Could you give me an idiots guide to this solution?

[aldi]

Personally, I'd boot of the XP CD and do a chkdsk from the recovery console (choose recovery console from the options on the CD and type chkdsk /p at the prompt)

[agent006]

XP disk in CD drive
Turn on
Follow the prompts, don't press R to go to the recovery console
When you get to the screen that basically says "'ere there's aready an XP on here", then select the automated recovery option. It'll whirr away for a while and look like it's flattening your existing copy of XP, but it's just installing over the top. You'll still have all your settings and programs whan it's finished.

[8]

Thanks very much guys.

Missed the last couple of suggestions as i'd gone off to take the plunge. What i finally did was go to install a new windows. Got the old 'ere, there's already a version on here, ya divvy' message. Asked me what i wanted to do about it and I chose to install another XP on the same hard drive, not deleting the clapped out version (no farting about with partitions, and existing documents are not deleted). After 45mins of thumb-twiddling a new windows opened up and i managed to remove all the juicy data i've got to hand in on wednesday for my degree. Phew!



Wonder how much Apple laptops cost...