Windows XP crashing constantly

[i.ilievski]

HI...

My operating system is crushing constantly for the past few months, and I'm always receiving the following error:

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

I've tried everything, read every forum that i can find on google search, reinstalled the operating system numerous time, reformatted the hard drive, tested the hard drive for errors using several tool from Hyrens boot 8.8 , reinstalled new RAM...

and it just keep doing the same for the past few months...

After reinstall it's working for couple of days even more, and the again crushes...

Does any one know what it could causing this, or maybe any XP technical site( non Microsoft) that i can check out or ask for help...

Thanks in advance....

[lkroll]

Re: Windows XP crashing constantly

This is the folder that stores your registry files, so possibly have a corruption in one of these:

SOFTWARE
SAM
SECURITY
DEFAULT
SYSTEM

Can try to replace these with you last know backup files located in your System Volume Information drive (which is hidden, located in {root}\ (usually your C: drive), and you have to have Administration Rights to get to it (if you use Home, then reboot into save mode logging into your system under the master Administrator Account (rarely used, but for things like this) and transfer the appropriete images files located there to config directory (better to do this by taking the drive out and using another machine). I'm linking a better description on the procedure below (saved many systems using this technique by the way). Since you've been having this problem for a little while, this may not be the way for you; may need to try a complete system repair, and even possibly a re-install. Sorry for being the bearer of bad news.

http://www-biology.ucsd.edu/computerservices/registryfix.html

[Jerryb]

Re: Windows XP crashing constantly

hi....
first here a couple of trouble shooting forums....

http://www.theeldergeek.com/index.htm

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/

NOw there can be a lot of reasons and the only symtoms we have is it crashes , no mention of any errors or if there a constinency of when it crashes ie in time or program etc..., and if any bsods, and works ok for a day or 2 and it starts again after a reinstall.....

are there any indications the system is unusally sluggish?!!!

a couple of common reasons........
1. the most common... programs conflicts...!! try this... disable alll startups , including screen savers,and see if that helps if it does then you know it one of the startups... it not unusal that virus scanner , firewalls etc..... will crashes...!!
2. another... heating.... is your system running cool or is it running warm/hot? does the crash/freeze occurr only after a specify time ie; after a couple of hours running....??? a warm case indicate overheating heat can cause crashes...
3. faulty power supply issue.... been known to cause this.. especially if there a sudden demand for power like bringing up a heavy program...
4. after a crash... you may want to look at the control panel>administrative tools>event logs..... and see if there any unusal indications ...
5. take a look at your task manager (ctrl+del+alt) the cpu performance tab.... as a rule your cpu pereformance should be below 5% ... if substantially hight then look at processes and see what using up all the cpu speed.....
Now these things should get you started on troubleshooting your system... and hopefully the issue is either 1,4 or 5.... these are the common and the easit things to look at first....

HI...

My operating system is crushing constantly for the past few months, and I'm always receiving the following error:

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

I've tried everything, read every forum that i can find on google search, reinstalled the operating system numerous time, reformatted the hard drive, tested the hard drive for errors using several tool from Hyrens boot 8.8 , reinstalled new RAM...

and it just keep doing the same for the past few months...

After reinstall it's working for couple of days even more, and the again crushes...

Does any one know what it could causing this, or maybe any XP technical site( non Microsoft) that i can check out or ask for help...

Thanks in advance....

[chillin]

Re: Windows XP crashing constantly

You could take a look at that.

[Gary Richardson]

Re: Windows XP crashing constantly

Best site I know for dealing with these kind of issues is PC Pitstop

[i.ilievski]

Re: Windows XP crashing constantly

hi....
first here a couple of trouble shooting forums....

a couple of common reasons........
1. the most common... programs conflicts...!! try this... disable alll startups , including screen savers,and see if that helps if it does then you know it one of the startups... it not unusal that virus scanner , firewalls etc..... will crashes...!!
2. another... heating.... is your system running cool or is it running warm/hot? does the crash/freeze occurr only after a specify time ie; after a couple of hours running....??? a warm case indicate overheating heat can cause crashes...
3. faulty power supply issue.... been known to cause this.. especially if there a sudden demand for power like bringing up a heavy program...
4. after a crash... you may want to look at the control panel>administrative tools>event logs..... and see if there any unusal indications ...
5. take a look at your task manager (ctrl+del+alt) the cpu performance tab.... as a rule your cpu pereformance should be below 5% ... if substantially hight then look at processes and see what using up all the cpu speed.....
Now these things should get you started on troubleshooting your system... and hopefully the issue is either 1,4 or 5.... these are the common and the easit things to look at first....

Thanks for the reply...
however I would eliminate 1,4,5 as reasons for crushing cause I've reinstaled and preformated my hard dirve so many times that i can't count, and also i leave it blank nothing instaled (drivers only)...

However faulty power suply, it may be, not sure why it can causing problems...
But I'll replace it right away...

Thanks again..

[Jerryb]

Re: Windows XP crashing constantly

hi,
yes I understood that you reformatted and reinstalled... but generally people will reinstall also all there programs also after reinstalling windows....

and some programs just don't work well with certain computer configuations... and I didn't know if you had einstalled all the programs after , that why I mentioned those other items...!!

for example certain virus scanners just don't like certain hardware configuations.... and even if yo do a reformat/reinstall .. well when the virus scanner is put back on problems come back...

but it looks like you got a nifty problem..... when it does finally clear up let us know

Thanks for the reply...
however I would eliminate 1,4,5 as reasons for crushing cause I've reinstaled and preformated my hard dirve so many times that i can't count, and also i leave it blank nothing instaled (drivers only)...

However faulty power suply, it may be, not sure why it can causing problems...
But I'll replace it right away...

Thanks again..

[i.ilievski]

Re: Windows XP crashing constantly

hi,
but it looks like you got a nifty problem..... when it does finally clear up let us know

I will let u know for sure...

I've replaced the Power supply this morning, and will wait to see what will happen...
the thing is that i replaced the mainboard in July, so mybae it's the mainboard, but I just can't think of anything that maindoard is doing to cause windows crushing...
generealy this could be (IMO) Ram or Hard drive problem, but nothing seem logical and it takes some time before it crushes, I keep it runing for several day (more than three ) and it's wokring perfectly then next morning ( i reboot it every morning to see if it will give me the error) the error comes up again, repairing registry hive works, but then it crushes again in couple of days...

Thank u again...
Regards
Igor

[Jerryb]

Re: Windows XP crashing constantly

hi,
well good luck.....another possiblity... and it sort of like grasping straws....
sinc eyou mentioned replacing the motherboard... and that a possiblity... but also was the power supply big enough for the system? just another idea to investigate....

I will let u know for sure...

I've replaced the Power supply this morning, and will wait to see what will happen...
the thing is that i replaced the mainboard in July, so mybae it's the mainboard, but I just can't think of anything that maindoard is doing to cause windows crushing...
generealy this could be (IMO) Ram or Hard drive problem, but nothing seem logical and it takes some time before it crushes, I keep it runing for several day (more than three ) and it's wokring perfectly then next morning ( i reboot it every morning to see if it will give me the error) the error comes up again, repairing registry hive works, but then it crushes again in couple of days...

Thank u again...
Regards
Igor