I was afraid so. Thanks for your help!
Bert
Nah. Don't do #5. There is a way to recover, but it will take some
work. Your goal is to get the system files from a previous restore
point and/or from the \windows\repair folder. The files of concern are
(1) System, (2) Software, (3) Sam, (4) Security, and (5) Default. A
good copy of the files will need to be copied into your
"\windows\system32\config" folder, replacing the corrupted ones that
are there now.
Do the following: Boot with the Windows XP install CD. Get to the
point of Windows asking to do a repair, repair console or an install.
Choose the console. You'll need the administrator password. When you
get to the console (looks like DOS), got to the windows\repair folder
and copy the five files listed above, one at a time to the
\windows\system32\config folder. You may need to delete those five
files from the config folder first. The console is picky about what it
will do. Exit the console.
Turn off or disconnect all external components (modems, scanners,
printers, readers). Take out the CD and reboot your machine, starting
XP normal. Your machine is now back to the point it was when XP was
first installed. The reason for turning off external devices is to
keep XP from wasting time installing new devices. If any internal
devices attempt to install, cancel if you are asked for drivers.
You cannot restore your computer using System Restore. The system
files you are using doesn't know about any restore points except those
created when XP was installed.
Open Explorer and look for the "System Volume Information" folder on
the drive Windows is installed. If you don't see it, then click on
Tools/Folder Options, and the View tab. Check "Show hidden files and
folders". Deselect "Hide Protected Operating System Files". If you
still don't see a "System Volume Information" folder, then you are
either not on the right drive, or you had System Restore turned off.
If the latter is the case, then you are SOL. You'll have to reinstall
all your third party software and drivers for any devices connected
after XP was installed.
If you see the "System Volume Information" folder, then go to it.
You'll see one, possibly many folders named "restore{......}". Choose
one with a date before you encountered the error. Inside that folder
you will see one, possibly many folders named "RPxx". Go to one of
those with a date before your problems. Inside the "RPxx" folder, go
into the "snapshot" folder. There you will see your five badly needed
files, "_REGISTRY_MACHINE_SECURITY", "_REGISTRY_USER_.DEFAULT",
"_REGISTRY_USER_SAM", etc. Select these five files and copy them to a
folder that is easy to get to on your hard drive. For example, create
a folder at the root of C named "myrepair". Paste these five files
into your new folder.
Rename the five files, leaving only the short names I listed above.
For example, rename _REGISTRY_USER_SAM" to "SAM"
Restart the computer using the XP Install CD. Go to the Recovery
Console, like before. Copy the five files to the
"\Windows\System32\Config" folder the same way you did earlier. Exit
the console, take out the CD, and reboot the machine into XP normally.
Your system should be restored to the date that restore point was
created.
For the more experienced, IF, IF your drive is formatted to FAT32 and
not NTFS, you can boot with a floppy and do this work. Most machines
which come with XP installed are NTFS. Also, if you boot with a
floppy, remember that you won't be able to distinguish files in the
"RPxx" folder becuase the name will be truncated. No shortcuts. Also,
for some reason, the System Recovery Console won't let me in the
restore folders. So, either way, it's a two copy process, or at least
for me it is.
If you don't have an XP install CD and you are on an NTFS format, then
you will have to do a full XP install with the Dell, Compaq, Gateway
recovery CD or think of a way to get you a copy of a full XP install
CD.
Do this at your own risk. But you really have nothing to lose since
you can't get into to XP anyway. You are already hosed.
