Windows 2000 has "reset"

[Guest]

Dell GX50 running Windows 2000. trying to fix this for a client. Client
reports he logged in to the computer two days ago and "Everything was gone"
The op system is there and boots; but almost nothing else seems to work.
Start up WMP and it goes to the setup screen. Choose all the defaults and
click "Finish" -- it goes back to the beginning of the setup. Same with
other programs.

I notice there is a new profile that was created for this client on the day
he first noticed this problem. His old profile is still there and I can see
his old desktop -- it appears to be intact.

Why would W2K have created a new profile for him? Is the registry
corrupted? Can I get the old profile activated again?

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "WJason" <[email protected]>

| Dell GX50 running Windows 2000. trying to fix this for a client. Client
| reports he logged in to the computer two days ago and "Everything was gone"
| The op system is there and boots; but almost nothing else seems to work.
| Start up WMP and it goes to the setup screen. Choose all the defaults and
| click "Finish" -- it goes back to the beginning of the setup. Same with
| other programs.
|
| I notice there is a new profile that was created for this client on the day
| he first noticed this problem. His old profile is still there and I can see
| his old desktop -- it appears to be intact.
|
| Why would W2K have created a new profile for him? Is the registry
| corrupted? Can I get the old profile activated again?

Corrupted User Registry or a problem with the SID.

 

[Guest]

OK, thanks. Client has almost nothing on it so I'm going to format C: and
re-install.

 

[David H. Lipman]

From: "WJason" <[email protected]>

| OK, thanks. Client has almost nothing on it so I'm going to format C: and
| re-install.
|

Why ?

Copy everthing from the old profile to the new profile except for NTUSER.DAT.