Need some computer help please

[BoOsTiN]

I need some help folks.
My computer took a dump on me.
It won't start up and I get this mesage
"Windows could not start because a file is missing or corrupt." File is
Windows/system32/config/system

From what I hear I can fix it with a system recovery disk but I do not have one and do not know where to get one.
I'd like to if at all possible not lose all my stuff. Ie pictures and such. I know it wasnt very smart but I didn't not back anything up.
Can anyone offer any advice on how to fix it with out losing everything?
TIA
Julio

 

[Blake]

take your harddrive make it as a slave in another system, copy all the stuff you want, and then reformat that b****. OR you can take your windows CD, change the settings in bios to boot to cd-rom first, save all/restart, press anykey when it says to press anykey to boot from disk. There should be a repair option, if not I dont really know what to tell you, I keep copies of all my files of importance on a flash drive for times just like this.

 

[jred321]

i say pop in the windows CD and do a reinstall without formatting the hard drive. it will then just replace the system files and leave all of your other stuff on the drive. it's the simplest place to start. if you don't have a windows CD then you're gonna have problems

 

[BoOsTiN]

Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately I don't have a windows cd. I also don't know enough about computers and would be too afraid to be swapping parts around.
Searching around the net I found this which looks like it might be what I need.
http://www.spotmau.com/support/faq.htm
Anyone have any experience with this?
Thanks

 

[MiaTurbo]

Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately I don't have a windows cd. I also don't know enough about computers and would be too afraid to be swapping parts around.
Searching around the net I found this which looks like it might be what I need.
http://www.spotmau.com/support/faq.htm
Anyone have any experience with this?
Thanks

having heard that, I'd say to look in the yellow pages for local help..

As far as the software, i've never heard of it.

 

[Blake]

id def look for help local, that cd may require windows to actually run

 

[Blake]

Windows/system32/config/system is a directory....that could be a major problem

 

[peterbuilt]

Yeah it sounds to mike like something has got into you computer and started eating you dir. files. If you are scared to run you hard drive as a slave i would suggest some outside help. There are alot of guys like myself who do this work on the side but then again you can go to the "geek squad" which will cost you but they can help. Try going to your IT department at work pretty much all of us do side work.

 

[BoOsTiN]

Yeah I spoke with the geeksquad guys about it. $99 to back it up just in case, $140 to fix it and $20 to clean it up. " its a little dirty". Ill pass on that.
I found that software online for free so I think ill give it a shot. At this point I don't think I have much to lose.
I think I may know a few people that can help me out. Ill start asking around.
Thanks everyone,
Julio