weeyih said:
My friend was using my computer and must have accidentally uninstalled something because the computer shut down and now when I log on, it immediately automatically logs me off again. I have tried going into safe mode and logging on as Administrator, but the same thing happens and the computer logs me off immediately.
Anybody knows what I can do? If I go to the shops, they will reboot the entire system and I will lose all the data I have already stored on the computer.
Thanks,
With a problem such as this, you do not have a lot of options. A repair install is recommended. Your data should be safe when you perform the repair, but there are no guarantees.
There are some issues with a repair install that you need to be aware of.
If you have purchased a retail CD from a store, then there are no problems. If XP came pre-installed on your computer, you may have been given an OEM recovery CD that is not capable of performing a repair installation and will simply wipe the hard drive clean and install XP to it's original factory condition. Some OEM CD's can perform a repair installation and some cannot, you will need to consult the vendor where you purchased the PC to determine this.
Repair Windows XP.
Note: If you have a Broadband (Always on) connection (DSL, Cable Modem or Satellite connection) before performing a repair of Windows XP, disconnect your broadband connection until the repair completes. When you perform a repair installation, you will lose all of the updates and patches that have been installed. If your broadband connection connects after the reboot, you could (and probably will) be infected with one of the many worms or viruses that are constantly being broadcast across the internet. After the repair installation completes, activate the XP Firewall or your third party firewall before reconnecting the modem.
After the repair is complete, you will need to reinstall all of the updates and patches including Windows XP Service Pack 1 (SP1).
Your computer must be configured to start from the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. This setting is contained in the BIOS. For more information about how to configure your computer to start from the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, see your computer's documentation or contact your computer manufacturer.
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To repair Windows XP by starting your computer from the Windows XP CD, follow these steps:
Insert the Windows XP CD into your computer's CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, and then restart your computer.
When the "Press any key to boot from CD" message appears on the screen, press a key to start your computer from the Windows XP CD.
You receive the following message on the Welcome to Setup screen that appears:
This portion of the Setup program prepares Microsoft Windows XP to run on your computer:
To setup Windows XP now, press ENTER.
To repair a Windows XP installation using Recovery Console, press R.
To quit Setup without installing Windows XP, press F3.
** Press ENTER to set up Windows XP. (Do not press R, at this point)
** On the Windows XP Licensing Agreement screen, press F8 to agree to the license agreement.
** Make sure that your current installation of Windows XP is selected in the box, and then press R to repair Windows XP.
Follow the instructions that appear on the screen to reinstall Windows XP. After you repair XP, you may have to reactivate your copy of Windows XP.
Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User
