Hello everybody!

I had recently again the already known "C\Win\Sys32\Config\System missing or corrupt" error preventing W2k booting.
This was solved by reverting Ntldr+Ntdetect from 5.1 to 5.0 and at the same time pasting a 2 week older System hive.
But I'm looking for other solutions.

- In a 2k-Xp dual-boot scheme, having Ntldr+Ntdetect v5.1 is much easier!
http://www.msfn.org/board/please-help-w-du...ml&t=127900
- The same error is known to exist with Ntldr+Ntdetect v5.0 and even v4.0
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306038/en-us

So I would like to reduce efficiently the size of the registry, which at first glance looks like a more elegant solution, and might accelerate Win startup as well.

I used RegClean, RegCompact, NtRegOpt with disappointing results. Only the Software hive shrank by just 4%, with no effect on boot time. Hives now weigh:
Software 20MB, System 6MB, my NtUser >3MB, others smaller

So are there more efficient ways? Maybe, repair W2k using a more recently HfSlipped Cd?

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Just for fun: this failure to boot appeared shortly after I installed a mouse driver - yes sir - that added 1700 files - yes sir again. I wanted to scroll windows without clicking in them (like my stone-old 4dmain v1.0 from Aidem does) but all this new driver brought to me were help files to use the Control Panel settings by Microsoft, and buttons to download an even newer version of this wonderful driver, all needing an added task.

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Thanks!

Nothing beats good old manual slashing. This might help.

GL

NO you are not.

ANother solution has been given in the thread you referenced.

You are looking for a way to perform the Registry shrink solution.

I agree that slimming down the Registry is a better and more elegant way, but you cannot slim it down if not up to a certain limit.

I would try RegSeeker, but do not expect miracles:
http://www.hoverdesk.net/freeware.htm

The sizes you report do not seem to me "abnormal".

Something you may want to explore would be to reduce the ControlSet002 to the bare minimum, but you are effectively losing (at least partially) an "escape pod" in case of troubles.
You sure you have just ControlSet001 and ControlSet002, I had a 2K machines where in time I had as much as 5 ControlSets.

Using the nirsoft tool that GrofLuigi suggested, this usually results as a "problematic" area:
http://www.pctools.com/guides/registry/detail/1238/

jaclaz

ha you like Win2k, good choice, it's the only M$ OS that works. 20 MB hive is not that big, but try NTREGOPT -- http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/

create a new user account with administrator rights, and then copy all previous documents back into the new user folder, except ntuser.*. keep it safe just in case you need the customization as well as the corrupted data.

Thanks everybody!

- NtRegOpt had brought very little reduction in size;
- Yes I like W2k, but not only. I also have W95b which is good. Future will tell us about Seven.
- A new user account? Nice idea! I didn't try because I expect this reduces only Ntuser, though my Software hive is big. Or does it?
- ControlSet003: I had one too many, it saved some room.
- I also used Nirsoft's tool and slashed a help file that was integrated in two languages in the registry, don't ask me why. Saved a bit as well.

And then I had gained very few %, which means that the worry would reappear soon on this computer used by a granny who couldn't fix it. So I decided to revert to Ntldr and Ntdetect v5.0, alas.