xp wont start now

[Guest]

I tried to install vista and it failed.....now i can not get back into xp
using the repair counsole. i am asked which installation i want to log onto
to. i select 1, it asked me for the admin password. after i type the password
it goes back to the c:\windows>
somebody PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!

 

[John John]

I tried to install vista and it failed.....now i can not get back into xp
using the repair counsole. i am asked which installation i want to log onto
to. i select 1, it asked me for the admin password. after i type the password
it goes back to the c:\windows>
somebody PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!

That's is where it's supposed to go if you entered the correct password.
If you enter an incorrect password 3 times the computer will reboot.
At the C:\WINDOWS> prompt type: help and press enter. What happens?
To remove the Vista boot loader issue the following commands, pressing
enter after each one:

fixmbr
fixboot
exit

John

 

[Guest]

That's is where it's supposed to go if you entered the correct password.
If you enter an incorrect password 3 times the computer will reboot.
At the C:\WINDOWS> prompt type: help and press enter. What happens?
To remove the Vista boot loader issue the following commands, pressing
enter after each one:

fixmbr
fixboot
exit

John

that did got me a little closer to starting, now the white line at the
bottom of the srceen comes up, but that is as far as it will go...i have
another drive i can put an OS on, but will i be able copy the important files
off of this drive????

 

[John John]

:




that did got me a little closer to starting, now the white line at the
bottom of the srceen comes up, but that is as far as it will go...i have
another drive i can put an OS on, but will i be able copy the important files
off of this drive????

Yes, providing that the files are still intact on the drive and that the
operating system that you install on the other drive can read the file
system on the borked drive (probably NTFS). You can intall Windows XP
on that other drive then mount the borked drive on it and see if the
file can be salvaged. You will probably need this information to access
the files:

How to take ownership of a file or folder in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421

What you can do, is do a quick basic clean install on the other drive
then salvage and copy the files to the drive (copy them, don't move
them!) After the files are safely copied over to the second drive you
can then try a repair install on the broken installation. If you can
successfully repair the installation it might save you a lot of work.
If the repair fails then you can start from scratch on the drive or
simply resume your work on the second installation and set it up with
all your software and settings.

John