Win2K boot error

[superdave1984]

We have a Win2K machine here that has stopped booting due to WINNT\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM is missing or corrupt. Tried booting to CD with the ERD to do repair. No luck. Tried every possible way of replacing this file. So I put in a fresh HD and installed 2K on it, slaved the other drive in hoping to copy the file. Access denied. Tried move on boot to copy the file, no joy. Can I use Knoppix or BartPE to boot and copy the file and will that work? We have several years of patient data on the PC that we don't want to lose. Plus the PC is used for a specific medical program and we no longer have the install disks for it.

 

[office politics]

have you tried booting to repair prompt and copying from repair folder?

as described in Your computer does not start if the SYSTEM hive is too large