STOP: c0000218 {Registry File Failure} The registry cannot load the hive (file): \SystemRoot\System32\Config\SOFTWARE

To recover a Windows XP from

STOP: c0000218 {Registry File Failure}
The registry cannot load the hive (file):
\SystemRoot\System32\Config\SOFTWARE

- I boot with UBUNTU 10.04 (of course you can also use a different Linux or Windows PE system there you can read and write to your Windows file System.

- and copy the following files to a temp folder:

C:\System Volume Information\_restore{D86480E3-73EF-47BC-A0EB-A81BE6EE3ED8}\RP1\Snapshot

• _REGISTRY_USER_.DEFAULT
• _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SECURITY
• _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SOFTWARE
• _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SYSTEM
• _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SAM

- Rename this files to

• Default
• Security
• Software
• System
• SAM

- copy the 5 files to
c:\windows\system32\config\

- restart the PC

- restore to a previous RestorePoint.

The full manual you can find in
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/
Of course Microsoft do not use Linux, instead they use MS Recovery Console.
You find Recovery Console then you boot with Windows XP install CD and Press "R".