BSOD: The registry cannot load the hive (file): error?

[GlynH]

Hi there,

Today I had a problem with one of our X41T Tablet PC's whereby I got the dreaded BSOD error;

STOP: c0000218 {Registry File Failure}
The registry cannot load the hive (file):
\SystemRoot\System32\Config\SOFTWARE
or its log or alternate.
It is corrupt, absent, or not writable.

Obviously this is serious and I cannot even boot into Safe Mode or Last Known Good.

Looking around there is a possible MS Solution but only if it is NOT an OEM install - see link below - which of course it is;

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/

Would it be possible do you think to use a different (OEM or Retail) Windows XP CD to boot from and run the Recovery Console?

Maybe make a Restore CD from another X41T and try that?

I do have a set of Product Recovery CD's but not sure whether I can access the Recovery Console or whether I have to go through a full restore process - something I do not want to do at this stage - at least until I can copy some data off and attempt a repair with CHKDSK or something...

I was even thinking of connecting the 1.8" HDD to a host PC as a slave disk - obviously not a boot disk - to see if I could access some required data from it before I attempted to run CHKDSK on it...

...which brings me neatly onto another directly related question - I have a 2.5"-3.5" adaptor cable which is the usual 40 pin IDE connector on one end of a ribbon cable with a 44-pin smaller IDE type connector on the other - the extra 4 pins being power which goes into the usual 4 pin Molex connector although only 3 cables are used.

I have used this in the past to succesfully connect a 2.5" IDE drive to a 3.5" IDE connector to salvage some data before attemptig a repaair.

I am assuming I cannot use this same cable to connect the X41T 1.8" HDD to an onboard IDE connector on a host PC as it looks like the small connector might be 4-6 pins short so I am guessing it is a no-go?

Something is telling me that the 1.8" HD might be SATA not PATA/IDE which could explain the differences between the HDD connector and the adaptor cable connector?

Has any other poor soul been down this road before?

Failing that maybe someone could point me in the right direction on how to pull some data off this non-bootable 1.8" HDD before trying to repair it?

Any other hints/tips/gotcha's gratefully received although I think I may be screwed here...

Sorry for all the questions...

[GlynH]

Just a thought...to save messing about with adaptors...I have the IBM X4 Deskdock with DVD-R drive mounted in the Ultrabay.

Tried booting from a Windows XP CD and managed to access the corrupt HDD using the Recovery Console.

Two issues though;

1. Although I can see the directory I wish to access as Administrator I am denied access to its contents.

2. I can do a directory listing and see the file I need to recover before any repair work is carried out but of course there is nowhere to copy to as the USB drive is not recognised in the Recovery Console.

Thwarted at every turn...

However I believe that other Ultrabay adaptors are available including a second HDD bay?

Again I am guessing that most of these are suitable for a 'standard laptop' 2.5" HDD but do IBM/Lenovo make on suitable for mounting the 1.8" HDD found in the X41 Tablet?

That should allow me to mount the corrupt HDD in the Ultrabay and boot from another TabletPC using the Ultrabay mounted HDD as a slave right?

If that sounds logical does anyone have the part number for a 1.8" HDD suitable Ultrabay please?

Or will I have to use the standard Ultrabay Slim HDD Adapter and some sort of 2.5->1.8" adapter in addition to the above?

[GlynH]

Welcome to the GlynH Show!

Its lonely in here...

In the absence of any reply I seem to have answered my own questions;

1. Despite the IBM/Hitachi Travelstar HDD being a 1.8" device the pin-out on the connector appears to be that of a standard 44-pin 2.5" HDD after all but there are 4 pins on one end that I believe can be safely ignored.

2. I could have used the 2.5"-3.5" adaptor I already have ignoring those 4 pins as already described above

3. I did however buy the Ultrabay adaptor as it is a much more elegant solution and will come in handy in the future.

If it may help someone else the Thinkpad 2nd HDD Adaptor for Ultrabay Slim is part number 41U3148.

Although designed for a 44-pin 2.5" HDD it will accomodate the 1.8" HDD after you have removed the two small screws at either side of the HDD and remove the black plastic trim used to secure the HDD into the X41T.

Again if anyone is interested I tried to restore the HDD by doing the following;

1. Docking the faulty TabletPC and booting into the Recovery Console from an XP CD.
Although I logged on as Administrator and could see the folder where the file I needed to salvage resided for some reason I was denied access to the folder?

2. I would have tried to copy the file but there was no other device to copy it to?
Couldn't copy it to C: as this could not be booted or read.
D: was a RAM Drive setup for tools by the Recovery Console and would disappear when rebooted.
There was no other mapped drive.
The connected USB drive was not recognised
Still thwarted at every turn it would seem...

The solution? Mounted the 1.8" HDD into the Ultrabay Slim adaptor and using another TabletPC on the X4 dock I accessed the 1.8" HDD as a slave HDD assigned to E:

Copied off the file I wanted to salvage (and more besides) and then ran CHKDSK on E:

Let it finish, turn off & remove the working X41T, removed the Ultrabay adaptor and reinstalled the 1.8" HDD in its original TabletPC.

Turned on and hey presto, back to the login screen and back to a fully working PC!

Hope that helps someone else...

[GlynH]

And while I'm talking to myself...

I was so fired up at being able to sort out the HDD problem using the PATA Ultrabay amd as I have a 2.5" 300GB SATA drive laying around here somewhere I thought I would order the Thinkpad Serial ATA Ultrabay Adaptor P/N 40Y8725

No problem I thought - I could keep that in the dock and maybe take a backup of each of the X41T computers as I travel around and meet the Techs who use them.

Only problem is the adaptor does not fit into the X4 Dock?

There is a plastic protuberence at the top right which seems like some sort of 'key' to keep from forcing it into the wrong dock.

Looking inside the dock I can see two plastic 'upstands' for want of a better word - the rightmost one is where the key or tongue on the adaptor butts up against.

Now my dealer told me to just cut it off but I am thinking it is obviously there for a reason.

Does anyone know if this is the correct part for the X4 dock before I take a hacksaw to it?

If I did 'modify' it to fit physically do you think it would work?

The edge connector carrying the data/power lines seems identical...