Eduardo, ignore the request for password and just type in the number of
your drive and hit Enter. What you want to achieve
is to replace the five registry files with the original ones. The
registry files are located in C:\windows\system32\config folder.
The originals are in C:\windows\repair folder.
At the Recovery Console command prompt, type the following lines,
pressing ENTER after you type each line:
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
6. Type exit to quit Recovery Console. Your computer will restart.
Note 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 is a different location.
If you can connect your drive to a working computer then here is my
method which uses the five registry files as System Restore would use them.
It gives you a working registry which is almost identical to the one you are
replacing minus the corruption.
First, go to Windows Explorer>Tools>Folder Options>View. Check " Show
hidden files and folders". Uncheck " Hide protected
Operating System files". Then go to C:\System Volume
Information\restore\RP\Snapshot Folder. Copy the first five files after
the Repository Folder. Then go to C:\Windows\System32\Config Folder. When
Config folder is open create a new folder. Then
move SYSTEM, SOFTWARE, SAM, DEFAULT and SECURITY files in to new folder.
Now paste the five files you copied from
Snapshot Folder. Rename each file by removing REGISTRY_MACHINE_ from each
file. You should now have a recent working
Registry.
Note: Usually you will see a few if not many RP folders. Choose the Fifth
most recent. So if your most recent RP Folder is
numbered RP20 then choose RP15 to select the registry files.