# Vista registry file missing or corrupt



## Tiridhe (Mar 15, 2009)

Hi

I have a desktop PC running Vista Home Premium SP2 and when it starts up I get the error:

Windows failed to load - registry file is missing or corrupt

File \windows\system32\config\system

Status 0xc00000e9

I have my data backed up, am I looking at having to restore Vista?

Thanks


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## shawnpb (May 30, 2010)

If the registry is missing yes.

Do you have an OEM Factory Recovery Partition?


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## Tiridhe (Mar 15, 2009)

No, but I have the original o/s cd......I'll run it

thanks


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## jenae (Jun 17, 2008)

Hi, No you can easily repair this from the OS dvd running the RE (recovery environment). We load the correct registry hive.. If you have not began the reinstall post back for instructions.


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## Tiridhe (Mar 15, 2009)

Hi...not started the reinstall yet, so what do I do to run the RE?

Many thanks


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## jenae (Jun 17, 2008)

Hi, this is a little involved you should first try safe mode and "last known good" if that fails copy out the following as you will not be able to access it whilst in the RE

• Boot from Vista DVD
• Get in to WINRE Select "repair your computer" option
• Open command prompt
• Enter the following commands to fix the issue. (pressing enter after each command) At the x sources prompt type:-


```
Bcdedit | find "osdevice"
```
 (quotes essential)

Will return OS device Partition =X (where X is the drive letter) lets assume it returns C (if not substitute what you see for C in the following)

Then type:- (pressing enter after each one)

```
C:
cd windows\system32\config
C:\windows\system32\config>ren default default.old
C:\windows\system32\config>ren sam sam.old
C:\windows\system32\config>ren security security.old
C:\windows\system32\config>ren software software.old
C:\windows\system32\config>ren system system.old

C:\windows\system32\config>cd regback

C:\windows\system32\config\regback>copy default c:\windows\system32\config
C:\windows\system32\config\regback>copy sam c:\windows\system32\config
C:\windows\system32\config\regback>copy security c:\windows\system32\config
C:\windows\system32\config\regback>copy software c:\windows\system32\config
C:\windows\system32\config\regback>copy system c:\windows\system32\config
```
Type exit and remove your DVD and restart..


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## Tiridhe (Mar 15, 2009)

Hi I tried that and when it restarted it came back to the original error:

_Windows Boot Manager_
_Windows failed to start
File \windows\system32\config\system
Status 0x00000e9
Windows failed to load because the system registry is missing or corrupt_
Any ideas or should I just reinstall everything?

Thanks for your help


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## jenae (Jun 17, 2008)

Hi, yes a reinstall is all that's left you need to run that fix soon after the event as the regback is created at boot and rebooting if there is corruption will effect the backup.


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