registry and stupidity

[Howard4]

Anonymous: Try to imagine someone is dumb enough to put a
check in every registry box and then select delete. The
question then becomes do you know what would happen and
if you do, do you have a fix? The hardware has been
checked and double checked. Other hard drives in the
config work. When slaved the drive is found as a slave.
Shows in every profile except as a working drive in my
computer or on on the explore tree. As a master it will
not boot past the DMI line.
Now you give good answers on simple questions. How are
you on something yuo need to get your teeth into. Most
of the drive was backed up but there are two very
valuable files that have to be recovered.
Thanks. Even if you can't help your response is
appreciated.
howard
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Grumpy Aero Guy]

I would imagine that if all of your registry keys have been deleted, the
thing wouldn't even boot, much less anything else.

If it was me.....REINSTALL XP, hands down (assuming that is what happened to
the registry).

 

[Nictu]

I think you are going to have to reinstall the operating
system. So long as you have the cd it was installed on you
should be able to do this without losing any files.
Boot off the cd and when the option comes up select to
reinstall the operating system. If you dont have the cd or
dont get this option you are going to have to do a fresh
install. If you are able to reinstall many things may
still not work because of the loss of the registry. Good
Luck!

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Howard4;
What Registry boxes did you put checks in?

 

[anon]

If the files are really valuable(enough to spend money on
a 2nd hard drive) and you are unable to boot windows or
do a repair install, perhaps install a 2nd hard drive and
install Windows XP on the 2nd hard drive, then you should
be able to access the old hard drive (slave) and take
ownership of the files that are important.

 

[Alex Nichol]

How are
you on something yuo need to get your teeth into. Most
of the drive was backed up but there are two very
valuable files that have to be recovered.

Presuming this is a genuine question and not trying to get a rise from
'Anonymous', boot hitting the F8 key as the BIOS info goes to black and
from the menu take
'Safe Mode - Command Prompt only'

In that give the command
C:\Windows\System32\Restore\rstrui.exe
which will load the System restore user interface (in all its graphic
form) where you should be able to do a System Restore to a point made
before the disaster.

If that simpler approach does not work out, use the one at
http://support.microsoft.com/?scid=kb;en-us;307545