There is a risk of losing my data, because

[JustHere]

Hello,
When I start my computer, I received this error message:
“Windows was not able to start because the following file is missing or damaged :
\windows\sysem32\config\system.
Start the program of installation of Windows XP with the original CD Rom of installation. Choose 'R' to start the repair”.
My question is:
By making this operation, there is a risk of losing my data on the hard disk? And there is a way of recovering my data before using the original CD Rom of installation?
Thank you in advance.

[KDLA]

From my understanding, you can uninstall and reinstall Windows and not affect your files. Only if you totally reformat the disk will you lose your data.

You might take a look at this article for more information:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm
or this one:
http://pcworld.about.com/magazine/2109p156id111652.htm

KDLA

[JustHere]

Thank you very much KDLA. I go at first towards the links that you recommended me to have more information.

[WebJoel]

A few months ago I lost part of my boot kernel or whatever is called, that decides to either launch LINUX on HDD-1 (my chosen default start-up HDD), or click now to launch Win_XP on HDD-0 (the "C-drive").

Basically, something on Windows-XP was 'messed up' and GRUB (the Linux bootloader) was unable to read the Windows launcher and threw a failure message... the recommendation was to run the OS disk of XP on-start-up while pressing/holding the "R" key, the "restore" key that launches the CD's "rescue".
-Fearful of losing hundreds of important folers and thousands of important files (most of which I have back-ups of, btw), I cautiously ran 'rescue' from the XP OEM disk... piece of cake! EASY, clean, effective, -and NO data was harmed!

Don't know what happened, but a small boot-file was 'messed up' and the "rescue" feature fixed it, clean & simple.

[aaron.martinas]

if you do a windows repair, it will remove all your program associations. the data will remain, but it will no longer be as if they were ever installed on the machine.

[bathurst_guy]

I don't think that is true aaron.martinas. You will lose any service packs and windows updates but programs remain to be installed. The repair process doesn't replace the registry or anything else but system files and dlls.

Don't do the process that the error message is suggesting though, if you do it that way it is quite hard as you have to replace file by file.

Insert the windows CD, boot off it, Hit Enter to start an installation, it will search for previously installed versions and find one, at this stage hit R to restore and then confirm. Takes a couple minutes and reboots. Re-apply service pack 2 (if its not slipstreamed onto the CD) and run windows updates before accessing any other websites. (and yes, I know it all off by heart and I could do the process blindfolded - I even know the timing between menus!)

[aaron.martinas]

just based on my personal experience, repairs have always been like installing windows to an existing windows installation without a format. and yes, in these experiences i did a repair, not a fresh windows installation w/o format. but this is just my experience.