Save Yourself from Windows System32 Errors

Unfortunately, most computer users experience a similar fate now and then. Most of them tend to spend several hours searching through forums looking for similar error messages, and more often than not, the error seems to affect your every move online. Throughout your search for someone who has had the same problem, you get increasingly frustrated, and at some point, you'd almost rather start over than continue the search. The root of this problem for lots of different kinds of computer users is the common Windows System 32 error. Luckily, there are a number of different prevention techniques you can use to make certain the same experience doesn't define your computer use.

Defining the Problem

The heart of any good prevention plan lies in understanding the potential problems, and this one requires a bit of background knowledge to get started. When Windows XP made its debut, for the first time, the people at Windows had integrated a way to backup many of the essential system files. For lots of people, this marked an end to the frustration of additional downtime or costly technical support calls. The problem, though, is that there are several essential files that simply weren't part of this process, and all of them are stored in the system32 folder. You find drivers for many of the hardware components of your machine as well as system restore points, shell extensions, and lots of additional things.

What You Might See

If you do have a Windows error like this pop up on your machine, you're probably going to see text that says something like "Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM." Some individuals, though, see a message that reads "Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE." Still others might see "Stop: c0000218 {Registry File Failure} The registry cannot load the hive (file): \SystemRoot\System32\Config\SOFTWARE or its log or alternate." No matter which bit of text you're seeing, though, it all leads to the same basic idea - you need to fix this Windows System32 error immediately.

Understanding the Causes

If you are seeing one of these Windows error messages, you may wonder what might have caused the problem in the first place, and that is a question that isn't easily answered. It could be that as you uninstalled a program, some files were corrupted in the process. Alternately, during an installation, the same thing could have happened. Moreover, files that you download could have even corrupted the directory or something similar. Pining down the cause of the error is far more difficult than preventing it in the first place.

Preventing Future Windows System 32 Errors

For many individuals, the key to this equation is to prevent any similar problems, and there are some fairly easy ways to do exactly that. Of course, computer maintenance is the key, and following these procedures may be helpful in terms of preventing this Windows XP error.

Your onboard disk cleanup utility is a great way to keep your computer in good shape. Just hit your start button, and choose all programs. Go to accessories, then pick system tools. From there, you can select disk cleanup. Once it has run its full process, you may want to shut your machine off and start it again. This utility will help to keep your computer as clean as possible.

Adding a registry cleaner is one more way to prevent future errors from occurring. These help to eliminate redundant or unnecessary data in your registry, but as with many other kinds of programs online, there are rogue applications that can harm your computer. The key is to research each possible cleaner carefully before you make your choice.

There are, of course, a number of fairly common things you'll want to do as well. In addition to adding a registry cleaner, if you haven't already considered antivirus software for your computer, this is the best possible time to do so. A virus could quite easily corrupt your System32 directory, and without the right software, it could damage everything on your machine. Because so many rogue programs are floating around, though, it's essential that you do a bit of homework before you make a selection. Some online research and reading forum posts about given programs will help you figure out which one is right for you.

Antivirus software, though, can't do it alone. Pair it with a good antispyware application for maximum prevention. Again, there are rogue applications out there, so you'll want to do some reading before you select one that you think is worth installing. Be sure to update it and run it on a regular basis.

In addition to software tools, you'll want to make sure you update your operating system regularly too. Microsoft releases important patches and software updates that can help to prevent error messages, so adding them to your machine is essential to the health of your computer.

By Mindy Matter for http://www.removeadware.com.au/ - Here you'll learn more about fixing windows system32 errors http://www.removeadware.com.au/articles/windows-system32-error/ - Please link to this site when using this article.