these are the actual sql inserts - if these fail then your system is screwed beyond help.
Code:
INSERT INTO `setting` (`varname`, `grouptitle`, `value`, `defaultvalue`, `optioncode`, `displayorder`, `advanced`, `volatile`) VALUES ('articleintroduction', 'v3_articles', '', '', 'textarea', 10, 0, 0);
INSERT INTO `setting` (`varname`, `grouptitle`, `value`, `defaultvalue`, `optioncode`, `displayorder`, `advanced`, `volatile`) VALUES ('commentsperpage', 'v3_articles', '10', '10', '', 20, 0, 0);
INSERT INTO `setting` (`varname`, `grouptitle`, `value`, `defaultvalue`, `optioncode`, `displayorder`, `advanced`, `volatile`) VALUES ('commentlimit', 'v3_articles', '500', '500', '', 30, 0, 0);
INSERT INTO `setting` (`varname`, `grouptitle`, `value`, `defaultvalue`, `optioncode`, `displayorder`, `advanced`, `volatile`) VALUES ('articlesperpage', 'v3_articles', '10', '10', '', 40, 0, 0);
INSERT INTO `setting` (`varname`, `grouptitle`, `value`, `defaultvalue`, `optioncode`, `displayorder`, `advanced`, `volatile`) VALUES ('maxarticleattachments', 'v3_articles', '10', '10', '', 50, 0, 0);
INSERT INTO `setting` (`varname`, `grouptitle`, `value`, `defaultvalue`, `optioncode`, `displayorder`, `advanced`, `volatile`) VALUES ('artthumbsperrow', 'v3_articles', '4', '4', '', 60, 0, 0);
INSERT INTO `setting` (`varname`, `grouptitle`, `value`, `defaultvalue`, `optioncode`, `displayorder`, `advanced`, `volatile`) VALUES ('featuredlength', 'v3_articles', '550', '550', '', 70, 0, 0);