If system files or applications are corrupted, your operating system will not be able to boot correctly, and your application will not be able to work until the error is fixed. PCI.sys is a file that may be corrupt or corrupt, and your operating system will not function properly. If you turn on Windows and you see the following error: “Windows could not start because the following file is missing or damaged system32 DRIVERS pci.sys”, it means the pci.sys file is corrupt, and you fixed.

What is Pci.sys? PCI.SYS is a system file located on the following location C: Windows System32 Drivers. By default, Windows is installed on the C: partition, which is named the system partition.

This error occurs on operating systems Windows 2000 and Windows XP. So why is this happening? There are many reasons, including malware infection and faulty hardware component, forcing your computer and other devices’ shutdown.

Fix missing system32 drivers pci.sys

We will show you how to solve the problem using Windows XP SP3. All methods are compatible with both operating systems, Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

Method 1: Repair pci.sys using Recovery Console

When system files are corrupted and your Windows cannot boot, the first option is to run Recovery Recover and repair corrupt files. You will need a bootable CD, DVD, or USB with burned Windows 2000 or Windows XP installation for this method. Because we know which system file is corrupt (pci.sys), we will fix that file.

As you know, Microsoft has stopped extended and mainstream support for Windows 2000 and Windows XP, and there are a lot of security holes that can be discovered by hackers. If you are using Windows 2000 or Windows XP, please upgrade your operating system to a minimum Windows 7. In case you are using some Windows XP-only compatible application, you do not need to worry because you will be able to run legacy apps on the latest operating system using additional tools. You can install Windows 2000 on Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10 using virtualization software. If you are using Windows 7, you can run Windows XP using Virtual PC and Windows XP Mode. If you are using Windows 8, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10, you can run Windows XP using virtualization technology called Hyper-V Client.

  1. Insert the bootable Windows XP CD or DVD, or the bootable USB flash disk
  2. Restart your computer
  3. Start the computer from the CD or DVD drive or a USB flash drive.
  4. Press any key to boot from the CD. Setup will check your hardware configuration.
  5. Press R to enter the Recovery console
  6. Select the setting you want to access (default is C: Windows)
  7. Enter the Administrator Password. In some cases, the Administrator password is set to an empty password. In this case, press ENTER.
  8. Type map to see the available partitions and quantities. As you can see, Windows XP is installed on an NTFS C: partition and the CD-ROM is using the letter D:
  9. Type in the following command at Command Prompt and press Enter

Expand D: i386 pci.sy_ c: Windows system32 drivers / y, where D: is the drive letter of your CD or DVD ROM drive, C: is the drive on which Windows XP is installed, and where Windows Is the Windows XP installation directory.

In case you are using Windows 2000, Instead of C: Windows system32 drivers, you need to type C: winnt system32 drivers.

Khắc phục không thấy system32 drivers pci.sys

  1. Type Exit and press Enter to exit the Recovery Framework. Windows XP will restart.
  2. Enjoy your Windows XP

Method 2: Change BIOS configuration

If you upgrade your computer or laptop with new hardware components and try to install Windows but couldn’t because of a PCI.sys error, we recommend changing the current BIOS configuration. The procedure for changing the BIOS configuration depends on the vendor, so you need to read your motherboard’s technical documentation. It would be best if you changed SATA and VGA configuration.

  1. Reboot or turn on your computer or laptop
  2. Press F2 or Dell to access BIOS
  3. Navigate to SATA configuration and change SATA configuration to Combination mode (AHCI, SATA)
  4. Navigate to VGA settings and adjust video settings from PEG to PCI
  5. Save your settings
  6. Restart your computer
  7. Install Windows, Applications, and Drivers
  8. Change Video display settings back to PEG.
  9. Restart your computer
  10. Enjoy your Windows

Method 3: Wipe and reinstall the operating system

This is the last software method you can try to solve the problems. If this method did not help you, the next method would include hardware components. If you do not have or do not care much about data, Windows settings, or application configuration, format your hard disk and reinstall Windows and applications. If you have some important data, we recommend you boot up the Linux Live CD on your computer and back up all important data. After that, you can reinstall your Windows.

Please note that all apps, settings, and data will be deleted from the system partition.

Method 4: change RAM module

Sometimes because of RAM errors, system or application instructions cannot be resolved in RAM. The best solution is to change your RAM. How will you do it? If you are using multiple RAM modules, you should try to unplug one by one and check for RAM module problems. If you are planning to buy a RAM module, you should check which RAM generation is using your motherboard. As always, we suggest you check the technical documentation of your motherboard, and based on that, you can purchase the appropriate RAM module for your computer or laptop. We guess you are using an old computer with DDR or DDR2 memory. We will show you how to determine which RAM you need. We have P5Q motherboards manufactured by the ASUS company. This motherboard is using DDR2 RAM.

  1. Open Internet browser (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer or other applications)
  2. Open the ASUS website on this LINK. We will open the ASUS support page because we are using the ASUS motherboard.
  3. Memory Navigation The P5Q motherboard has four slots and supports up to 16GB of DDR2 RAM.
  4. Buy RAM
  5. Install RAM
  6. Enjoy your Windows

Method 5: Replace your hard drive

One possible hardware component to fail is a hard disk (HDD). The HDD stores our operating systems, applications, and data. Sometimes, files cannot be read from a hard disk because of bad sectors or other problems—the best solution for buying compatible hard drives. As always, we recommend reading the technical documentation of your computer or laptop. There are two types of HDD, ATA HDD, and SATA HDD. Be careful when buying an HDD because ATA HDD cannot be connected to a SATA port, and vice versa. We will let you know which HDD is using the ASUS P5Q motherboard.

  1. Open Internet browser (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer or other applications)
  2. Open the ASUS website on this LINK. We will open the ASUS support page because we are using the ASUS motherboard.
  3. Navigating to Memory The P5Q motherboard has six SATA connections and supports transfer speeds up to 3Gb / s.
  4. Purchase HDD
  5. Install RAM
  6. Installation We are recommending you to have a minimal Windows 7 installation.
  7. Enjoy your Windows