[Baosen]

Well...

First thing I did was doing a windows XP repair from my XP CD I got from DELL.

Then it got stuck in the repairation and I asked peoples in IRC on how to fix that, and they said to me to use CHKDSK in recovery console to repair errors on my harddisk. I did that and it found errors and it repaired them for me.

Then I tried Windows XP repair again with the XP CD, but now it won't detect my installation and ask to install a fresh copy on which partition.

Then I tried to boot to windows normally, but it couldn't because it missed files in "c:\windows\system32\config\system" I think.

Help!

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Hi Baosen...

Restart the system and press F12 when you see the Dell logo. This should take you to a one time boot screen.

Insert the recovery cd to the top most drive (if you have 2 drives) and press "Enter". Make sure you see "Press any key to boot from cd...". Press any key on the keyboard to boot to the cd. You will have about 5 seconds to press the key. This should start loading necessary files and may take 2-5 mins depending on the speed of your computer. On the "Welcome to set up" screen, press R. Accept the license agreement by pressing F8. If prompted for the Admin password, leave the field blank and press "Enter". This shoud load the recovery console.

First rename the system file using the command below (note the spaces) and press "Enter".

ren c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\system32\config\system.old

Type exit at the command prompt. This will restart the system.

Boot back to recovery console again.

Type the following commands, pressing "Enter" after each one:

cd \
cd system~1
cd _resto~1
dir

Note the directory listing. You should find a lot of folders starting with RPxxx (where xxx will be numbers)
Each folder will be followed by the date it was created. Locate the file with a date when your system was working. Note the folder name (ie: RP12)

Type the following commands, pressing "Enter" after each one.

CD RP12 (Note: susbstitute the folder you located for RP12)
cd snapshot

copy _registry_machine_system c:\windows\system32\config\system
copy _registry_machine_software c:\windows\system32\config\software
copy _registry_machine_sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam
copy _registry_machine_security c:\windows\system32\config\security
copy _registry_user_.default c:\windows\system32\config\default

exit

It should now boot to Windows. Let me know how this goes...

wannabe1

[wannabe1]

Hi Baosen...

Restart the system and press F12 when you see the Dell logo. This should take you to a one time boot screen.

Insert the recovery cd to the top most drive (if you have 2 drives) and press "Enter". Make sure you see "Press any key to boot from cd...". Press any key on the keyboard to boot to the cd. You will have about 5 seconds to press the key. This should start loading necessary files and may take 2-5 mins depending on the speed of your computer. On the "Welcome to set up" screen, press R. Accept the license agreement by pressing F8. If prompted for the Admin password, leave the field blank and press "Enter". This shoud load the recovery console.

First rename the system file using the command below (note the spaces) and press "Enter".

ren c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\system32\config\system.old

Type exit at the command prompt. This will restart the system.

Boot back to recovery console again.

Type the following commands, pressing "Enter" after each one:

cd \
cd system~1
cd _resto~1
dir

Note the directory listing. You should find a lot of folders starting with RPxxx (where xxx will be numbers)
Each folder will be followed by the date it was created. Locate the file with a date when your system was working. Note the folder name (ie: RP12)

Type the following commands, pressing "Enter" after each one.

CD RP12 (Note: susbstitute the folder you located for RP12)
cd snapshot

copy _registry_machine_system c:\windows\system32\config\system
copy _registry_machine_software c:\windows\system32\config\software
copy _registry_machine_sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam
copy _registry_machine_security c:\windows\system32\config\security
copy _registry_user_.default c:\windows\system32\config\default

exit

It should now boot to Windows. Let me know how this goes...

wannabe1

[Baosen]

I can't make the word ~ in recovery console.... It does not work to write it.

[wannabe1]

The key for this character should be located to the left of the number 1 key...it's upper case, so use the shift key and press that one. Is this a laptop or a desktop machine?

Edited by wannabe1, 27 April 2006 - 09:24 AM.

[Baosen]

It's a desktop machine, and I use a norwegian keyboard, but I know now that it is System Volume Information folder right? I try to access it with "CD System Volume Information", not working.

[wannabe1]

Well now...that kind of leaves me in the dark. Though I'm Norwegian (and Scottish), I know absolutely nothing of the language or the keyboard layout...

I'll ask around and see if I can find someone that might know how to access that special character...this might take me a while.

wannabe1

[Baosen]

RE-EDITED: Ok, I done everything, I found that button and restarted PC, now the PC is stuck at the loading screen!

Edited by Baosen, 27 April 2006 - 09:55 AM.

[wannabe1]

Will it boot to Safe Mode by tapping the F8 key during bootup and slecting Safe Mode at the options screen?

[Baosen]

Tried SafeMode, it got stuck at a blinking -. Seems it will not boot in safe mode.

Edited by Baosen, 27 April 2006 - 10:21 AM.

[wannabe1]

Try "Last known good configuration". If no luck there, try Safe Mode with command prompt" and we'll try another System Restore point from the prompt.

[Baosen]

It got stuck at the loading screen, also it got stuck at the "safe mode with only command prompt" method with the blinking -.

Well, what about trying Windows Repair again?

[wannabe1]

Yup...that would be next.

[Baosen]

So let's run Windows Repair?

[wannabe1]

Yes, try the repair again. Use this Guide if you need one.

[Baosen]

Sry for the long delay, but Windows repair does work to run it, but in the middle of repairation it ask for the file "usms" that I miss.

What now?