Startup Mup.sys, system registry and OS repair catastrophe

[Guest]

I have a Windows XP box which had a driver problem. However searching the net later on I found how to repair the problem.

In the attempt to find the problem (removing/adding PCI/AGP cards) windows xp decided to no longer boot. Trying a safe boot it locked up at Mup.sys. I disabled Mup.sys and found it locked up at the previous driver indicating it was a GUI failure so Mup.sys was re-enabled. I tried to a repair installation but the same problem occurred, so I did a manual copy/backup/replace of c:\windows\system32\config with c:\windows\repair and it worked.

But now (most likely due to the repair installation previously) it logs straight into the Admin account and all the settings in the Displays control panel (screen res, depth, etc) are missing. The other 2 accounts are no longer there. I replaced the c:\windows\system32\config with the original files and it starts up and locks up at "Starting Repair Install............." or whatever it says (it was 2 hours ago since I saw it).

I narrowed it down to being the c:\windows\system32\config\system file that causes the lockup, but replacing it with the repaired file stops the repair install from starting and possibly this is where the user info is stored?

My question is what do I do from here? Replace the system file with the repaired one, do another repair install (will I lose user data if I do this) and go from there?

I dont mind losing settings, but the user accounts must be preserved.

Please Help!!!

 

[Richard Urban]

Mup.sys was the last driver/service to "successfully" load. The
driver/service after that is the one that failed!

--
Regards:

Richard Urban

aka Crusty (-: Old B@stard

I have a Windows XP box which had a driver problem. However searching the

net later on I found how to repair the problem.

In the attempt to find the problem (removing/adding PCI/AGP cards) windows

xp decided to no longer boot. Trying a safe boot it locked up at Mup.sys. I
disabled Mup.sys and found it locked up at the previous driver indicating it
was a GUI failure so Mup.sys was re-enabled. I tried to a repair
installation but the same problem occurred, so I did a manual
copy/backup/replace of c:\windows\system32\config with c:\windows\repair and
it worked.

But now (most likely due to the repair installation previously) it logs

straight into the Admin account and all the settings in the Displays control
panel (screen res, depth, etc) are missing. The other 2 accounts are no
longer there. I replaced the c:\windows\system32\config with the original
files and it starts up and locks up at "Starting Repair
Install............." or whatever it says (it was 2 hours ago since I saw
it).

I narrowed it down to being the c:\windows\system32\config\system file

that causes the lockup, but replacing it with the repaired file stops the
repair install from starting and possibly this is where the user info is
stored?

My question is what do I do from here? Replace the system file with the

repaired one, do another repair install (will I lose user data if I do this)
and go from there?

 

[Guest]

Yes I did that after I tried to do a repair install. Anyhow I think the system is too far gone and a backup/reinstall is required

Thanks for your help.