help?

when i try to restart the pc the error message comes up:
cannot start windows because the following file is missing or corrupt....
c:\winnt\system32\config\system

any tips how to repair without formating?
i dont have a recovery disk or a start up disk and wont start in safe mode either.

Thanks in advance
OS is xp pro service pack 2

What type of disk do you have?

You will need to at least copy c:\winnt\system32\config\system from an XP CD or do a Repair Install.

Was this XP an OEM version or a full/upgrade install?

hi was a upgrade install, the disk is a samsung 40Gb. i went to microsoft website but theyr solution didnt work (http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;269075) so i end up formating... thanks for your time.
just for curiosity what would be the command to copy the file from a cd?