Cannot detect HDD

[brisk]

So after my PC randomly shuts off Thursday night, I am greeted with this lovely message

"Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE "

I then insterted the XP installation disc to repair/install it. Too bad it says it could not detect a hard drive. I went into the bios settings and it detects it but still won't detect it during XP installation screen.

Any suggestions? I'm thinking it could be a motherboard problem (Asus PQ5 Pro). Would really hate to go back temporarily to my shitty-old PC.

[Vincento]

Never seen the cannot detect hdd, but will it let you go far enough on the disc to load the recov console?

You've got a corrupt system hive so instead of trying to re-install, use the recovery console to copy/replace the system files.
Boot from disc, then hit R at the welcome screen.
Choose your install, type the admin pw

Hopefully that brings up the windows prompt with your initial location being C:\Windows>
If this is the root where your install is located, then type these lines (otherwise redirect to the drive it is in):

md tmp
copy c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\tmp\system.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\software c:\windows\tmp\software.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\sam c:\windows\tmp\sam.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\security c:\windows\tmp\security.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\default c:\windows\tmp\default.bak

delete c:\windows\system32\config\system
delete c:\windows\system32\config\software
delete c:\windows\system32\config\sam
delete c:\windows\system32\config\security
delete c:\windows\system32\config\default

copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system
copy c:\windows\repair\software c:\windows\system32\config\software
copy c:\windows\repair\sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam
copy c:\windows\repair\security c:\windows\system32\config\security
copy c:\windows\repair\default c:\windows\system32\config\default

Best guess, dunno when you're getting the hdd error message.

Edit:
Just found the link to what I used when I was fixing this, pretty much led you up to getting your recent snapshot backup/system restore.

http://pcremix.com/how-to-fix-window...ng-or-corrupt/

[brisk]

I am unable to start the recovery console after pressing 'r". I end up getting this message

http://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/...isk-drives.png

Detect, unable to find, they all sound the same!

[Vincento]

Only time I've seen that error is on new laptops with SATA hard drives attempting to install XP, as XP doesn't seek SATA drives. The resolve for that case is usually updating SATA drivers, disabling it all together, or changing the Serial ATA (on chip config or w/e its called on the computer) in the BIOS section from AHCI to IDE or Compatibility. If not, go 1998 and bust out the external floppy disk drive and pop in your drivers.