Last known good configuration

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

Hi

Does anyone know how to access and use the last known good configuration by
safe mode in Windows XP Home Edition to recover from registry problems in
Windows XP Home Editon?
 
Egan said:
Does anyone know how to access and use the last known good
configuration by safe mode in Windows XP Home Edition to recover
from registry problems in Windows XP Home Editon?
Click to expand...

If you select the last known good configuration and it still will not boot
in normal - then it is not going to help.. You should try booting into Safe
Mode and doing a system restore back a few days.

If that doesn't work and/or you cannot even boot in safe mode.... AND you
had system restore turned on..

If System Restore was ON, this may help you recover your system to a
working state!

- Get the Windows XP CD out.
- Change the BIOS to boot from CD first.
- Put the XP CD in the drive, and restart.
- When it says "press any key to boot from CD," go ahead, press any key.
- When you see the screen that asks you if you want to install Windows,
don't! Just hit R for recover, and you'll load the Recovery Console

You should see something like this:

----------
Microsoft Windows(R) Recovery Console

The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionality.
Type EXIT to quit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.

1: C:\WINDOWS

Which Windows Installation would you like to log onto
(To cancel, press ENTER)?
----------

- Just select 1 and press ENTER. The path may be different.
- When it asks for the Administrator password - enter it. If you didn't
have one or don't know - try just pressing ENTER. If that does not work, go
here: http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_password.htm

- Follow along and keep in mind that each command must be typed exactly as
you see it here. Please note that this procedure assumes that Windows XP is
installed to the C:\Windows folder. Make sure to change C:\Windows to the
appropriate windows folder if it's at a different location. The copy
commands will answer you with a little "file copied" message. The delete
commands just move on to the next line. Type the whole command in one line,
and when you've finished typing that command, hit the Enter key.

md tmp

copy C:\windows\system32\config\system C:\windows\tmp\system.bak

copy C:\windows\system32\config\software C:\windows\tmp\software.bak

copy C:\windows\system32\config\sam C:\windows\tmp\sam.bak

copy C:\windows\system32\config\security C:\windows\tmp\security.bak

copy C:\windows\system32\config\default C:\windows\tmp\default.bak

delete C:\windows\system32\config\system

delete C:\windows\system32\config\software

delete C:\windows\system32\config\Sam

delete C:\windows\system32\config\security

delete C:\windows\system32\config\default

copy C:\windows\repair\system C:\windows\system32\config\system

copy C:\windows\repair\software C:\windows\system32\config\software

copy C:\windows\repair\sam C:\windows\system32\config\sam

copy C:\windows\repair\security C:\windows\system32\config\security

copy C:\windows\repair\default C:\windows\system32\config\default

** It is entirely possible - I have seen it - that you may have to get a
directory listing of C:\Windows\Repair and verify all of those files are
there. In one case I had to copy "software.bak" to
"C:\windows\system32\config\software" instead of just SOFTWARE. But the
results should be the same.

- Now that you have typed all of that in - you are done with the first of
three major steps. Take a breather. This did NOT restore your windows
system to the state it WAS in - but to a state like it just arrived in the
box. This is not what you want - so continue on!

- Type EXIT and press enter. It will reboot - do NOT "Press Any Key to Boot
to CD" - let it boot happily into Windows XP. If this step fails - the
computer is FUBAR - copy what you can off (or ghost it) and either perform a
clean install or get a new hard drive.

- Make the hidden files visible in Windows Explorer...
1. Start Windows Explorer.
2. On the Tools menu, click Folder options.
3. Click the View tab.
4. Under Hidden files and folders, click to select
Show hidden files and folders, and then click to
clear the
"Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)"
check box.

- Open the System Drive (C:\)

- Open the "System Volume Information" folder. This folder appears dimmed
because it is set as a super-hidden folder. If you cannot get in - change
the security on the folder so you can...

- Once in the folder, you should see folders (one or more) that look like
this:
"_restore{87BD3667-3246-476B-923F-F86E30B3E7F8}"

- Open a folder that was not created at the current time. You may have to
click Details on the View menu to see when these folders were created. There
may be one or more folders starting with "RP" x under this folder. These are
restore points.

- Open one of these folders to locate a Snapshot subfolder; the following
path is an example of a folder path to the Snapshot folder:

"C:\System Volume
Information\_restore{D86480E3-73EF-47BC-A0EB-A81BE6EE3ED8}\RP1\Snapshot"

- From the Snapshot folder, copy the following files to the C:\Windows\Tmp
folder (you can use your mouse, you're in Windows now, remember?):
_registry_user_.default
_registry_machine_security
_registry_machine_software
_registry_machine_system
_registry_machine_sam

- Now that you have done all of that - you are done with the second of three
major steps. Take a breather. This part merely set you up for the
(hopefully) final step - so continue on!

- Put the XP CD in the drive, and restart.
- When it says "press any key to boot from CD," go ahead, press any key.
- When you see the screen that asks you if you want to install Windows,
don't! Just hit R for recover, and you'll load the Recovery Console

You should see something like this:

----------
Microsoft Windows(R) Recovery Console

The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionality.
Type EXIT to quit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.

1: C:\WINDOWS

Which Windows Installation would you like to log onto
(To cancel, press ENTER)?
----------

- Just select 1 and press ENTER. The path may be different.
- When it asks for the Administrator password - enter it.

- Follow along and keep in mind that each command must be typed exactly as
you see it here. Please note that this procedure assumes that Windows XP is
installed to the C:\Windows folder. Make sure to change C:\Windows to the
appropriate windows folder if it's at a different location. The copy
commands will answer you with a little "file copied" message. The delete
commands just move on to the next line. Type the whole command in one line,
and when you've finished typing that command, hit the Enter key.

Del c:\windows\system32\config\sam

Del c:\windows\system32\config\security

Del c:\windows\system32\config\software

Del c:\windows\system32\config\default

Del c:\windows\system32\config\system

copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_software
c:\windows\system32\config\software

copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_system
c:\windows\system32\config\system

copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam

copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_security
c:\windows\system32\config\security

copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_user_.default
c:\windows\system32\config\default

- That's IT! Type EXIT and press ENTER and eject the CD - letting Windows
XP boot - hopefully - into what WAS your previous system. If it is still
not QUITE what you wanted, you can restore (attempt to anyway) to another
restore point:

1. Click Start, then click All Programs.
2. Click Accessories, and then click System Tools.
3. Click System Restore, and then click Restore to a previous Restore
Point.


GOOD LUCK!
 
Hi Shenan,

What do you mean "the computer is FUBAR"?
When you say "copy what you can off", do you mean copy as much as you can
from the corrupted harddrive containing Windows XP Home Editon operating
system including the data and programs onto a new harddrive? Does "copy what
you can off" and "ghost it" mean the same thing?

Please reply soon.

Thanks.

Egan
 
Egan said:
What do you mean "the computer is FUBAR"?
When you say "copy what you can off", do you mean copy as much as
you can from the corrupted harddrive containing Windows XP Home
Editon operating system including the data and programs onto a new
harddrive? Does "copy what you can off" and "ghost it" mean the
same thing?
Click to expand...

*If* the steps up to that point fail - then you are not going to get the
computer to boot by any simplistic means - perhaps a repair install might
work - but probably not.

Whatever hard drive you are about to have to format and reinstall on - you
probably want stuff off it - so copy off what you can. You can do this many
ways - like booting from an Ultimate Boot CD for Windows or another version
of the Bart PE CD.. etc.. If it was FAT32 - you have even more options.

The "ghost it" is a reference to Symantec/Norton Ghost - making an image of
the entire drive/partition - so you can copy your stuff out of the image
file(s) it creates later and you are sure not to miss anything that way.
 
Shenan Stanley said:
If you select the last known good configuration and it still will not boot
in normal - then it is not going to help.. You should try booting into Safe
Mode and doing a system restore back a few days.

If that doesn't work and/or you cannot even boot in safe mode.... AND you
had system restore turned on..

If System Restore was ON, this may help you recover your system to a
working state!
Click to expand...

A) section:
- Get the Windows XP CD out.
- Change the BIOS to boot from CD first.
- Put the XP CD in the drive, and restart.
- When it says "press any key to boot from CD," go ahead, press any key.
- When you see the screen that asks you if you want to install Windows,
don't! Just hit R for recover, and you'll load the Recovery Console

You should see something like this:

----------
Microsoft Windows(R) Recovery Console

The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionality.
Type EXIT to quit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.

1: C:\WINDOWS

Which Windows Installation would you like to log onto
(To cancel, press ENTER)?
----------

- Just select 1 and press ENTER. The path may be different.
- When it asks for the Administrator password - enter it. If you didn't
have one or don't know - try just pressing ENTER. If that does not work, go
here: http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_password.htm

- Follow along and keep in mind that each command must be typed exactly as
you see it here. Please note that this procedure assumes that Windows XP is
installed to the C:\Windows folder. Make sure to change C:\Windows to the
appropriate windows folder if it's at a different location. The copy
commands will answer you with a little "file copied" message. The delete
commands just move on to the next line. Type the whole command in one line,
and when you've finished typing that command, hit the Enter key.
Click to expand...

B) section:
md tmp

copy C:\windows\system32\config\system C:\windows\tmp\system.bak

copy C:\windows\system32\config\software C:\windows\tmp\software.bak

copy C:\windows\system32\config\sam C:\windows\tmp\sam.bak

copy C:\windows\system32\config\security C:\windows\tmp\security.bak

copy C:\windows\system32\config\default C:\windows\tmp\default.bak

delete C:\windows\system32\config\system

delete C:\windows\system32\config\software

delete C:\windows\system32\config\Sam

delete C:\windows\system32\config\security

delete C:\windows\system32\config\default

copy C:\windows\repair\system C:\windows\system32\config\system

copy C:\windows\repair\software C:\windows\system32\config\software

copy C:\windows\repair\sam C:\windows\system32\config\sam

copy C:\windows\repair\security C:\windows\system32\config\security

copy C:\windows\repair\default C:\windows\system32\config\default

** It is entirely possible - I have seen it - that you may have to get a
directory listing of C:\Windows\Repair and verify all of those files are
there. In one case I had to copy "software.bak" to
"C:\windows\system32\config\software" instead of just SOFTWARE. But the
results should be the same.

- Now that you have typed all of that in - you are done with the first of
three major steps. Take a breather. This did NOT restore your windows
system to the state it WAS in - but to a state like it just arrived in the
box. This is not what you want - so continue on!

- Type EXIT and press enter. It will reboot - do NOT "Press Any Key to Boot
to CD" - let it boot happily into Windows XP. If this step fails - the
computer is FUBAR - copy what you can off (or ghost it) and either perform a
clean install or get a new hard drive.
Click to expand...

C) section:
- Make the hidden files visible in Windows Explorer...
1. Start Windows Explorer.
2. On the Tools menu, click Folder options.
3. Click the View tab.
4. Under Hidden files and folders, click to select
Show hidden files and folders, and then click to
clear the
"Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)"
check box.

- Open the System Drive (C:\)

- Open the "System Volume Information" folder. This folder appears dimmed
because it is set as a super-hidden folder. If you cannot get in - change
the security on the folder so you can...

- Once in the folder, you should see folders (one or more) that look like
this:
"_restore{87BD3667-3246-476B-923F-F86E30B3E7F8}"

- Open a folder that was not created at the current time. You may have to
click Details on the View menu to see when these folders were created. There
may be one or more folders starting with "RP" x under this folder. These are
restore points.

- Open one of these folders to locate a Snapshot subfolder; the following
path is an example of a folder path to the Snapshot folder:

"C:\System Volume
Information\_restore{D86480E3-73EF-47BC-A0EB-A81BE6EE3ED8}\RP1\Snapshot"

- From the Snapshot folder, copy the following files to the C:\Windows\Tmp
folder (you can use your mouse, you're in Windows now, remember?):
_registry_user_.default
_registry_machine_security
_registry_machine_software
_registry_machine_system
_registry_machine_sam

- Now that you have done all of that - you are done with the second of three
major steps. Take a breather. This part merely set you up for the
(hopefully) final step - so continue on!

- Put the XP CD in the drive, and restart.
- When it says "press any key to boot from CD," go ahead, press any key.
- When you see the screen that asks you if you want to install Windows,
don't! Just hit R for recover, and you'll load the Recovery Console

You should see something like this:

----------
Microsoft Windows(R) Recovery Console

The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionality.
Type EXIT to quit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.

1: C:\WINDOWS

Which Windows Installation would you like to log onto
(To cancel, press ENTER)?
----------

- Just select 1 and press ENTER. The path may be different.
- When it asks for the Administrator password - enter it.

- Follow along and keep in mind that each command must be typed exactly as
you see it here. Please note that this procedure assumes that Windows XP is
installed to the C:\Windows folder. Make sure to change C:\Windows to the
appropriate windows folder if it's at a different location. The copy
commands will answer you with a little "file copied" message. The delete
commands just move on to the next line. Type the whole command in one line,
and when you've finished typing that command, hit the Enter key.
Click to expand...

D) section:
Del c:\windows\system32\config\sam

Del c:\windows\system32\config\security

Del c:\windows\system32\config\software

Del c:\windows\system32\config\default

Del c:\windows\system32\config\system

copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_software
c:\windows\system32\config\software

copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_system
c:\windows\system32\config\system

copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam

copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_security
c:\windows\system32\config\security

copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_user_.default
c:\windows\system32\config\default

- That's IT! Type EXIT and press ENTER and eject the CD - letting Windows
XP boot - hopefully - into what WAS your previous system. If it is still
not QUITE what you wanted, you can restore (attempt to anyway) to another
restore point:

1. Click Start, then click All Programs.
2. Click Accessories, and then click System Tools.
3. Click System Restore, and then click Restore to a previous Restore
Point.


GOOD LUCK!
Click to expand...

I broken up your instructions dialog above into A): , B): , C): and D):
sections so that I can pinpoint the areas to ask you questions about.

For the commands after B) and D) sections, do you just type one command at a
time on one line and press Enter key?

For the instruction after C) section, does this take place after you boot
into Windows after you execute the copy and delete commands after B): ?

Just before the beginning of C) section, if you cannot boot into Windows
after you execute the commands after B) section, you said "copy what you can
off ( or ghost it ) and either perform a clean install or get a new hard
drive". Where do you "copy what you can off" to the existing hard drive
containing the corrupted Windows or to a new harddrive or to a CD rewritable
drive? After you ghost it, what do you do with this information after you
perform a clean install or get a new hard drive? When you say clean install,
do you mean reformat the C drive and reinstall Windows XP Home Edition
operating system on the C drive?
 
Hi Shenan,

After you ghost it and either do a clean install or get a new harddrive, do
you continue right into C) section and perform these steps after immediately
booting up into Windows?

Please reply soon.

Thanks
 
Egan wrote:
I broken up your instructions dialog above into A): , B): , C): and
D): sections so that I can pinpoint the areas to ask you questions
about.

For the commands after B) and D) sections, do you just type one
command at a time on one line and press Enter key?
Click to expand...

That's exactly what the instructions say right before you divided it into
sections.
"Type the whole command in one line, and when you've finished typing that
command, hit the Enter key."
For the instruction after C) section, does this take place after
you boot into Windows after you execute the copy and delete
commands after B): ?
Click to expand...

As the part you put before the (it would be part of your section C actually)
C Section states..
"It will reboot - do NOT "Press Any Key to Boot to CD" - let it boot happily
into Windows XP."

Therefore - you have done everything in B and rebooted into Windows XP.
Just before the beginning of C) section, if you cannot boot into
Windows after you execute the commands after B) section, you said
"copy what you can off ( or ghost it ) and either perform a clean
install or get a new hard drive".
Click to expand...

You ONLY do this if it will not boot into Windows so you can complete
Section C in your divisions. If it still will not boot into Windows and
allow you in to do section C - then you should look into other methods to
get your important data off the machine - as you would be better off getting
things copied now than trying more stuff and risking losing it.
Where do you "copy what you can off" to the existing hard drive
containing the corrupted Windows or to a new harddrive or to a
CD rewritable drive?
Click to expand...

Where ever you can. If you can make an Ultimate Boot CD and connect an
external hard drive or CD burner and burn the stuff to CD or write it to the
drive - do so. If you happen to have had a FAT32 formatted drive - a plain
Windows 98 Boot Diskette will allow you to see all of your files. If you
have access to another drive (physical drive) on the same system - copy it
there.. If you can copy over a network to another machine - copy it there.
After you ghost it, what do you do with this information after you
perform a clean install or get a new hard drive?
Click to expand...

Ghosting is making an image of the hard drive or partition.. Ghost is a
term particular to "Norton/Symantec Ghost" - so IMAGE would actually be a
better term - as there are other products out there. Again - the imaging is
an alternative to copying all of the individual
files/folders/favorites/pictures/contacts/etc off manually someplace off the
defunct install.. It is a safety for you - so you do not lose anything you
care about off the drive. The only reason I would say that imaging is a
better alternative than just copying is that you are less likely to miss
something if you take an image of the whole drive/partition than if you
manually picked and chose what to copy.. You can do either copying or
imaging or both - whatever makes you most comfortable - and you only have to
do one of those *if* you cannot continue into Step C and only *if* you are
actually worried about losing stuff off your hard drive.
When you say clean install, do you mean reformat the C drive
and reinstall Windows XP Home Edition> operating system
on the C drive?
Click to expand...

Yes - a clean install is wiping everything off the hard drive and installing
everything anew - Windows XP, Office - all other programs and patches, etc.
 
Egan said:
After you ghost it and either do a clean install or get a new
harddrive, do you continue right into C) section and perform these
steps after immediately booting up into Windows?
Click to expand...

Egan,

You really should re-read everything..
Performing a clean install/getting a new hard drive has nothing to do with
the procedure given.. The procedure given was to recover a bum (not
working/not loading) Windows XP install so that you can again access it.

The part that describes ghosting/imaging/backing up all of your stuff is
only if the procedures do not seem to be working..
 
Thank you very much for your help Shenan

Shenan Stanley said:
Egan wrote:


That's exactly what the instructions say right before you divided it into
sections.
"Type the whole command in one line, and when you've finished typing that
command, hit the Enter key."


As the part you put before the (it would be part of your section C actually)
C Section states..
"It will reboot - do NOT "Press Any Key to Boot to CD" - let it boot happily
into Windows XP."

Therefore - you have done everything in B and rebooted into Windows XP.


You ONLY do this if it will not boot into Windows so you can complete
Section C in your divisions. If it still will not boot into Windows and
allow you in to do section C - then you should look into other methods to
get your important data off the machine - as you would be better off getting
things copied now than trying more stuff and risking losing it.


Where ever you can. If you can make an Ultimate Boot CD and connect an
external hard drive or CD burner and burn the stuff to CD or write it to the
drive - do so. If you happen to have had a FAT32 formatted drive - a plain
Windows 98 Boot Diskette will allow you to see all of your files. If you
have access to another drive (physical drive) on the same system - copy it
there.. If you can copy over a network to another machine - copy it there.


Ghosting is making an image of the hard drive or partition.. Ghost is a
term particular to "Norton/Symantec Ghost" - so IMAGE would actually be a
better term - as there are other products out there. Again - the imaging is
an alternative to copying all of the individual
files/folders/favorites/pictures/contacts/etc off manually someplace off the
defunct install.. It is a safety for you - so you do not lose anything you
care about off the drive. The only reason I would say that imaging is a
better alternative than just copying is that you are less likely to miss
something if you take an image of the whole drive/partition than if you
manually picked and chose what to copy.. You can do either copying or
imaging or both - whatever makes you most comfortable - and you only have to
do one of those *if* you cannot continue into Step C and only *if* you are
actually worried about losing stuff off your hard drive.


Yes - a clean install is wiping everything off the hard drive and installing
everything anew - Windows XP, Office - all other programs and patches, etc.
Click to expand...
 
Back
Top