DOCUMENT:Q167233 09-AUG-2001 [winnt] TITLE :Windows NT Boot Error Msg: Missing Last Known Good Menu PRODUCT :Microsoft Windows NT PROD/VER::4.0,4.0a,4.5 OPER/SYS: KEYWORDS:kberrmsg ====================================================================== ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The information in this article applies to: - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 - Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0 - Microsoft BackOffice Small Business Server versions 4.0, 4.0a, 4.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SYMPTOMS ======== When your computer running Windows NT starts up, you may receive on of the following error messages: Windows NT could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \%systemroot%\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEMHardware Profile/Last Known Good menu. -or- Windows NT could not start because the following are missing or corrupt: \Winnt.sbs\system32\config\SYSTEMware profile/last known good menu. You can attempt to repair this file by starting Windows NT setup. -or- Windows NT could not start because the following are missing or corrupt: \Winnt\system32\config\SYSTEMware profile/last known good menu. You can attempt to repair this file by starting Windows NT setup. NOTE: %systemroot% is the installation directory for Windows NT. CAUSE ===== Both the System and System.alt registry files are corrupted or missing. RESOLUTION ========== Use the emergency repair disk (ERD) and select "inspect registry files" on the first menu selection screen. On the second menu selection screen select "replace SYSTEM configuration." This will replace the damaged System registry hive in the %systemroot%\System32\Config directory with the System hive on the ERD. NOTE: Any system changes made after the ERD was last updated will be lost. For additional information, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: ARTICLE-ID: Q103280 TITLE : Using an Emergency Repair Disk Created by Windows NT If there is no ERD, a restore from a tape that contains a backup of the registry will be needed. If you do not have an ERD or backup tape, you can recover the System hive by expanding it from the %systemroot%\repair directory using the following steps: 1. Install a parallel copy of Windows NT to an NTTemp directory. 2. From a command line prompt, go to the repair directory of the original Windows NT installation. For example: CD \winnt\repair 3. Use Expand.exe to expand the System._ file to System. Expand SYSTEM._ SYSTEM 4. Copy the expanded SYSTEM file to the %systemroot%\System32\Config directory. Copy System c:\winnt\system32\config 5. Try to boot back into the original Windows NT installation. MORE INFORMATION ================ During the boot process, if the system hive is corrupted, Windows NT will try to use Last Known Good by accessing System.alt. If both the System and System.alt files are corrupted, Windows NT will not be able to boot. Additional query words: ====================================================================== Keywords : kberrmsg Technology : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400 kbAudDeveloper kbSBServSearch kbSBServ400 kbSBServ400a kbSBServ450 Version : :4.0,4.0a,4.5 Issue type : kbprb ============================================================================= THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Copyright Microsoft Corporation 2001.