1 “Limited Virtual Memory Error” in Windows XP SP2

1 “Limited Virtual Memory Error” in Windows XP SP2

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Customer name: United India Insurance Co ltd, Salem

H/w Details: IBM E-Series Server PIII, 512MB DDR,18GB RAID Volume.

S/w Details: Windows XP Profession SP2

Problem: Error coming while booting telling "Limited Virtual Memory".

Error message:

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"Limited Virtual Memory

Your system has no paging file, or the paging file is too small.

To fix this problem, go to System in Control Panel, click the Advanced tab, and under

Performance, click Settings. On the Advanced tab, click Change. Click 'Custom size,' and then type an initial or maximum paging file size".

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Solution

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This solution is with reference of MS Knowledge Base No: 315270

As per the KB, the cause of this error is because Administrators account dont have correct NTFS permission to create Paging file in NTFS Volume.

1. Boot your machine into safe mode.

2. Start->Programs->My Computer->Right Click->Properties

->Advanced->Under Performance->Settings->Advanced

in Virtual Memory->Change

In this windows, we will be able to see the Volumes which are set with Paging files.

If the Administrators do not have correct permission, even after setting the page file, after next reboot we will be prompted with the above said error. For this we need to set the permission.

3. Go into My Computer and select the corresponding drive(Ex C:)and get the properties of this drive through "File->Properties or Right-Click->Properties.

4. On Security tab, Click Add and \\computername\system.

5. and Add -> \\computername\Administrators.

6. Complete this task and give OK.

7. Now set your virtual memory settings of your choice and make sure that it is set on next reboot.

Reference: Microsoft KB:315270

Applicable to:

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

Microsoft Windows XP Professional

Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 Edition

Solution By : J Bala ERC

Value Addition

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What is Virtual Memory?

Virtual Memory as its name implies, it is a imaginary memory area supported by OS (Eg:

Windows, Linux.) in conjunction with Hardware. It creates application program the impression that it has contiguous working memory space to work on. Also virtual memory can be defined as "Alternate Set of Memory Addresses" which will be used by application programs to store their instructions and data.

While the program is actually executed, the virtual addresses are converted into real memory addresses.

Why virtual memory required?

Virtual memory is not only for extending physical memory space by using hard disk space. It serves main functionality to provide free space to application program by copying the physical memory contents of programs which are inactive.

For example, We have 128MB of RAM Size. if you load the operating system, an e-mail program, a Web browser and word processor into RAM simultaneously, 128 megabytes is not enough to hold it all. If there were no such thing as virtual memory, then once you filled up the available RAM your computer would have to say, "Sorry, you can not load any more applications. Please close another application to load a new one." With virtual memory, what the computer can do is look at RAM for areas that have not been used recently and copy them onto the hard disk. This frees up space in RAM to load the new application.

Because this copying happens automatically, you don't even know it is happening, and it makes your computer feel like is has unlimited RAM space even though it only has 128 megabytes installed. Because hard disk space is so much cheaper than RAM chips, it also has a nice economic benefit.

Value Addition by : J Bala

2. Squid Proxy Configuration in RHEL AS 4.0

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Customer Name:SCAD College of Engineering, Cheranmahadevi

Hardware Details:2700SO Server

Software Details:RHEL AS 4.0

Problem :Squid proxy configuration

Solution:

For proxy configuration we need to edit the default proxy configuration file

/etc/squid/squid.conf

We need to put the following entry under tag :http_access

http_access allow all

After that save the file

Type the following command at the hash prompt

#service squid start

Then squid service will start

Then enable the port 3128 in firewall configuration if any firewall is enabled

This can be done by typing "setup" command at the hash prompt

Type the following for enable 3128 port

"tcp:3128" and give ok

In client machine we have to put the proxy server IP as the proxy IP (right click internet explorer -->properties -->connection --->lan settings --->proxy server addrss and 3128 as default port

Now we can connect to the internet in the client which is having the same network IP

Procedure for allowing or denying only particular IP; blocking unwanted websites and URLS

===================================================================

We need to create following files in /etc/squid directory

ip.allow - in this file mention the ip's of the clients from which browsing to be allowed

domain.deny - mention the websites we want to block

url.deny - mention the url's which we want to block

Again we need to edit the squid.conf file

#vi /etc/squid/squid.conf search for the tag:acl under that we have to add the following lines

acl unsafe_domain dstdom_regex -i "/etc/squid/domain.deny" acl unsafe_url urlpath_reg ex -i "/etc/squid/url.deny" acl allowed_ip src "etc/squid/ip.allow

"

Then search for the following line in the file just below the above added lines

"INSERT YOUR OWN RULE(S) HERE TO ALLOW ACCESS FROM YOUR CLIENTS"

Under that add the following lines

http_access deny unsafe_domain http_access deny unsafe_url http_access allow allowed_ip

save and exit from the file restart the service

# service squid restart

Solution by : Praful K G

3.

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:

\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

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Customer Name : Rajasthan Spinning and Weaving Mills Ltd, Banswara, Rajasthan

Hardware Details : HCL Infinity Global Line 2700 BD2 with RAID, Windows server

2003 Standard Edition (SP2 Upgraded )

Software Details : Lotus Domino Server 6.xx, SAV 11.xx

Problem Description : The server was misbehaving while communicating through network like permission issue, loosing connection intermitted. As per the observation of the customer, the problem was started after the installation of SAV 11.xx. So customer tried to remove the antivirus software. As it was not removing using “ADD REMOVE

Programs” they have removed all registry entries containing the word “Symantec” using REGEDIT. After this exercise they restarted the server. OS stopped with error

Windows could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:

\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

Solution

This error says the registry is corrupt. So we tried for any available backup of %systemroot%system32\config \. Back up was not available. Customer was having the exported backup of registry in *.reg format in E:\.

1. The basic solution for system file missing is to copy the “system” file from

%systemroot%\restore\ to %systemroot%system32\config \. This will give you a registry which is created at the time of installation.

The idea was to load this and import the *.reg.

2. Run the CHECKDISK option and rebooted but same error.

3. Booted from the OS cd and given the RAID driver, using R option we got the command prompt. Renamed the original %systemroot%system32\config

\system to system.old and copied the %systemroot%\ repair\system to

%systemroot%system32\config \system

4. Rebooted the system. It started but it gave BSOD and restarted. So idea failed.

The cause of BSOD may be the hardware changes happened after the fresh installation or The OS deference as it was updated with lot of patches and service pack 2 after the installation.

5. So copied back the original “system” file.

6. Booted from the CD and used repair option by selecting R. This worked and system booted properly.

7. Here under referred the procedure to recover the same error for Windows XP.

Some of the exercises will be applied to 2003 servers also

Solution By : U Sooraj

VALUE ADDITION

How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from starting

SUMMARY

This article describes how to recover a Windows XP system that does not start because of corruption in the registry. This procedure does not guarantee full recovery of the system to a previous state; however, you should be able to recover data when you use this procedure.

Warning Do not use the procedure that is described in this article if your computer has an OEM-installed operating system. The system hive on OEM installations creates passwords and user accounts that did not exist previously. If you use the procedure that is described in this article, you may not be able to log back into the recovery console to restore the original registry hives.

You can repair a corrupted registry in Windows XP. Corrupted registry files can cause a variety of different error messages. See the Microsoft Knowledge Base for articles about error messages that are related to registry issues.

This article assumes that typical recovery methods have failed and access to the system is not available except by using Recovery Console. If an Automatic System Recovery

(ASR) backup exists, it is the preferred method for recovery. Microsoft recommends that you use the ASR backup before you try the procedure described in this article.

Note Make sure to replace all five of the registry hives. If you only replace a single hive or two, this can cause potential issues because software and hardware may have settings in multiple locations in the registry.

MORE INFORMATION

When you try to start or restart your Windows XP-based computer, you may receive one of the following error messages:

Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:

\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SYSTEM

Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt:

\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG\SOFTWARE

Stop: c0000218 {Registry File Failure} the registry cannot load the hive (file):

\SystemRoot\System32\Config\SOFTWARE or its log or alternate

System error: Lsass.exe

When trying to update a password the return status indicates that the value provided as the current password is not correct.

Manual steps to recover a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from starting

The procedure that this article describes uses Recovery Console and System Restore.

This article also lists all the required steps in specific order to make sure that the process is fully completed. When you finish this procedure, the system returns to a state very close to the state before the problem occurred. If you have ever run NTBackup and completed a system state backup, you do not have to follow the procedures in parts two and three. You can go to part four.

Part one

In part one, you start the Recovery Console, create a temporary folder, back up the existing registry files to a new location, delete the registry files at their existing location, and then copy the registry files from the repair folder to the System32\Config folder.

When you have finished this procedure, a registry is created that you can use to start

Windows XP. This registry was created and saved during the initial setup of Windows

XP. Therefore any changes and settings that occurred after the Setup program was finished are lost.

To complete part one, follow these steps:

1. Insert the Windows XP startup disk into the floppy disk drive, or insert the Windows

XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer.

Click to select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-

ROM drive if you are prompted to do so.

2. When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery

Console.

3. If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, select the installation that you want to access from the Recovery Console.

4. When you are prompted to do so, type the Administrator password. If the administrator password is blank, just press ENTER.

5. At the Recovery Console command prompt, type the following lines, pressing

ENTER after you type each line:

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

6. Type exit to quit Recovery Console. Your computer will restart.

Note This procedure assumes that Windows XP is installed to the C:\Windows folder.

Make sure to change C:\Windows to the appropriate windows_folder if it is a different location.

If you have access to another computer, to save time, you can copy the text in step five, and then create a text file called "Regcopy1.txt" (for example). To use this file, run the following command when you start in Recovery Console:

batch regcopy1.txt

With the batch command in Recovery Console, you can process all the commands in a text file sequentially. When you use the batch command, you do not have to manually type as many commands.

Part two

To complete the procedure described in this section, you must be logged on as an administrator, or an administrative user (a user who has an account in the Administrators group). If you are using Windows XP Home Edition, you can log on as an administrative user. If you log on as an administrator, you must first start Windows XP Home Edition in

Safe mode. To start the Windows XP Home Edition computer in Safe mode, follow these steps.

Note Print these instructions before you continue. You cannot view these instructions after you restart the computer in Safe Mode. If you use the NTFS file system, also print the instructions from Knowledge Base article KB309531. Step 7 contains a reference to the article.

1. Click Start, click Shut Down (or click Turn Off Computer), click Restart, and then click OK (or click Restart).

2. Press the F8 key.

On a computer that is configured to start to multiple operating systems, you can press F8 when you see the Startup menu.

3. Use the arrow keys to select the appropriate Safe mode option, and then press

ENTER.

4. If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot system, use the arrow keys to select the installation that you want to access, and then press ENTER.

In part two, you copy the registry files from their backed up location by using System

Restore. This folder is not available in Recovery Console and is generally not visible during typical usage. Before you start this procedure, you must change several settings to make the folder visible:

1. Start Windows Explorer. and then click to clear the Hide protected operating system files

(Recommended) check box. appears.

6. Double-click the drive where you installed Windows XP to display a list of the folders. If is important to click the correct drive.

7. Open the System Volume Information folder. This folder is unavailable and appears dimmed because it is set as a super-hidden folder.

Note This folder contains one or more _restore {GUID} folders such as

"_restore{87BD3667-3246-476B-923F-F86E30B3E7F8}".

Note You may receive the following error message:

C:\System Volume Information is not accessible. Access is denied .

If you receive this message, see the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article to gain access to this folder and continue with the procedure:

309531 How to gain access to the System Volume Information folder

8. Open a folder that was not created at the current time. You may have to click

Details on the View menu to see when these folders were created. There may be one or more folders starting with "RPx under this folder. These are restore points.

9. Open one of these folders to locate a Snapshot subfolder. The following path is an example of a folder path to the Snapshot folder:

C:\System Volume Information\_restore{D86480E3-73EF-47BC-A0EB-

A81BE6EE3ED8}\RP1\Snapshot

10. From the Snapshot folder, copy the following files to the C:\Windows\Tmp folder:

• _REGISTRY_USER_.DEFAULT

• _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SECURITY

• _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE

• _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SYSTEM

• _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SAM

11. Rename the files in the C:\Windows\Tmp folder as follows:

• Rename _REGISTRY_USER_.DEFAULT to DEFAULT

• Rename _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SECURITY to SECURITY

• Rename _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE to SOFTWARE

• Rename _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SYSTEM to SYSTEM

• Rename _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SAM to SAM

These files are the backed up registry files from System Restore. Because you used the registry file that the Setup program created, this registry does not know that these restore points exist and are available. A new folder is created with a new GUID under

System Volume Information and a restore point is created that includes a copy of the registry files that were copied during part one. Therefore, it is important not to use the most current folder, especially if the time stamp on the folder is the same as the current time.

The current system configuration is not aware of the previous restore points. You must have a previous copy of the registry from a previous restore point to make the previous restore points available again.

The registry files that were copied to the Tmp folder in the C:\Windows folder are moved to make sure that the files are available under Recovery Console. You must use these files to replace the registry files currently in the C:\Windows\System32\Config folder. By default, Recovery Console has limited folder access and cannot copy files from the

System Volume folder.

Note The procedure described in this section assumes that you are running your computer with the FAT32 file system. For more information about how to access the

System Volume Information Folder with the NTFS file system, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

309531 How to gain access to the System Volume Information folder

Part Three

In part three, you delete the existing registry files, and then copy the System Restore

Registry files to the C:\Windows\System32\Config folder:

1. Start Recovery Console.

2. At the command prompt, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after you type each line:

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

copy c:\windows\tmp\default c:\windows\system32\config\default

Note Some of these command lines may be wrapped for readability.

3. Type exit to quit Recovery Console. Your computer restarts.

Note This procedure assumes that Windows XP is installed to the C:\Windows folder.

Make sure to change C:\Windows to the appropriate windows_folder if it is a different location.

If you have access to another computer, to save time, you can copy the text in step two, and then create a text file called "Regcopy2.txt" (for example). To use this file, run the following command when you start in Recovery Console:

batch regcopy2.txt

Part Four

1. Click Start, and then click All Programs.

2. Click Accessories, and then click System Tools.

3. Click System Restore, and then click Restore to a previous RestorePoint

Value Addition by : U Sooraj