Complex registry problem

Okay. A coworker of mine just started having this problem and needs this laptop up ASAP and would rather not send it to tech, cause it would take like, a week to get it back.
On Window 2000 pro, by the way.
Started getting the error:
"
Stop c0000218 {Registry File Failure}
The registry cannot load the hive (file):
SystemRoot\System32\Config\Software
or its log or alternate.
It is corrupt, absent, or not writeable.

Beginning dump of physical memory.
Physical memory dump complete. Contact your system administrator or technical support group.
"

Now, my first thought was to use the cd to repair the installation, but that doesn't work.  I'm never given the option to repair. All I can do is fresh istall. No option for recovery console either.  Then I thought to create a boot disk, but no dice.  This laptop has no floppy drive.

Any thoughts?

Windows 2000 doesn't have a repair install option. It's a fresh install or nothing.