Help with Windows Server 2003 issue...

[Mupepe]

Some people were trying to uninstall antivirus and apparently they ended up uninstalling system files.

I get this message when I try to start the server...

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

It says I can try to repair it with the OS disk.  but in the repair console I'm not sure what I'm doing really.  I ran chdksk /r c: and it said it found no errors.  chkdsk /p c: gives me an error saying that it either has an invalid file system or no disk connected. 

I don't want to run fixboot or fixmbr because I have multiple partitions. 

Any other suggestions?

[Mupepe]

also, i've tried copying from the repair folder but it seems that's been nuked too. 

[Powerslave]

It's so funny dude I had these same exact issues last week with XP . My hard drive became unusable everything just kept freezing and it wouldn't even format it anymore after multiple tries of me trying to fix the computer. I had no idea what to do in the Repair console either
I wanted to copy that file you listed above from the disc to the drive but didn't know what to type. This stuff should be explained in there imo, right now it's nearly hacker territory to figure that shit out.

[Brehvolution]

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q307545&ID=KB;EN-US;Q307545

I've done the manual part and it works. It's quicker if you copy

Code: [Select]

md tmp
copy c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\tmp\system.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\software c:\windows\tmp\software.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\sam c:\windows\tmp\sam.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\security c:\windows\tmp\security.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\default c:\windows\tmp\default.bak

delete c:\windows\system32\config\system
delete c:\windows\system32\config\software
delete c:\windows\system32\config\sam
delete c:\windows\system32\config\security
delete c:\windows\system32\config\default

copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system
copy c:\windows\repair\software c:\windows\system32\config\software
copy c:\windows\repair\sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam
copy c:\windows\repair\security c:\windows\system32\config\security
copy c:\windows\repair\default c:\windows\system32\config\default
to a batch file that you run from a floppy disk. If you don't have one then dust off those typing fingers. You will need the server cd.

[Mupepe]

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q307545&ID=KB;EN-US;Q307545

I've done the manual part and it works. It's quicker if you copy

Code: [Select]

md tmp
copy c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\tmp\system.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\software c:\windows\tmp\software.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\sam c:\windows\tmp\sam.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\security c:\windows\tmp\security.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\default c:\windows\tmp\default.bak

delete c:\windows\system32\config\system
delete c:\windows\system32\config\software
delete c:\windows\system32\config\sam
delete c:\windows\system32\config\security
delete c:\windows\system32\config\default

copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system
copy c:\windows\repair\software c:\windows\system32\config\software
copy c:\windows\repair\sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam
copy c:\windows\repair\security c:\windows\system32\config\security
copy c:\windows\repair\default c:\windows\system32\config\default
to a batch file that you run from a floppy disk. If you don't have one then dust off those typing fingers. You will need the server cd.

tells me file not found   I guess the repaire folder got nuked too

It's so funny dude I had these same exact issues last week with XP . My hard drive became unusable everything just kept freezing and it wouldn't even format it anymore after multiple tries of me trying to fix the computer. I had no idea what to do in the Repair console either
I wanted to copy that file you listed above from the disc to the drive but didn't know what to type. This stuff should be explained in there imo, right now it's nearly hacker territory to figure that shit out.

haha yeah, i had to google it.  I figured the repair console would be simple "press 1 to repair windows" or some shit.  nope.  it's just a dos command prompt.

[choco parfait]

Try doing a Repair Install. Follow the instructions, and adjust as needed for the differences between XP and 2003.

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm