Oww, come on kids , no need to quarrel, saddlejb is a good guy (after all ) and he is meaning to help (though whether he succeeds at it can be debatable ).
We are all here in the same Community to try and help each other....
@alastair70
What we (actually you) have is this situation:
- for *whatever* reasons the blackout (or whatever) interrupted the OS while it was writing to the Registry and the result evidently is that the Registry is corrupted
- you can try (still with the disk connected to the desktop) to leave the "system" file as is and restore the original (the one that was in C:\Windows\System32\config\) "software" file, I was a bit "beyond the strict need" when I suggested you to replace BOTH the "system" and "software" files, it is very possible that only the "system" file had issues, and that the "software" one is/was OK
- if the "original" "software file works, it will likely be "enough" for OpenOffice and possibly even for the "missing links"
- if the Kaspersky has been installed or updated (not the definition files, the actual "engine") after the 14/10/2013 it is more likely that it won't "work as before" as usually AntiVirus software use any (mostly senseless) services and whatnots, that may well have settings/keys/whatever in the "system" file
Now the problem is this.
During booting the Registry (actually the files composing it, as the Registry is "built on the fly" from the backing files in a later stage of booting) is accessed by the NTLDR (or however from an "early booting" file) that may have a "simplified" Registry file reader/parser.
I doubt that the "system" file is "sound" and has a setting that prevents booting (as this is not what a blackout might do), it is more likely that one or more "key" keys (pardon me the pun) or hive got corrupted and that the NTLDR cannot parse it's contents.
Now, it is possible that a fully booted OS can actually *somehow* access the "system" file (offline) and "repair" it, or a tool like the Registry compactor coming with ERUNT can anyway read it.
We can try and see what can be done about it or more simply you can attempt uninstalling and reinstalling those few apps that you either installed after 14/10/2013 or that however are not working now.
Trying to restore only the "software" file is however a "little or no cost" attempt that is IMHO worth trying anyway.
Wonko