[JCastaldi]

HP Laptop. XP SP2. Got the following message:

"lsass.exe-System Error. Security Accounts Manager initialization failed because of the following error: The handle is invalid. Error status: 0xc0000008. Please click OK to shutdown this system and reboot in Safe Mode, check the event log for more detailed information."

Got into safe mode, saw a list of items and had no clue what I was looking for. Then that screen disappeared after about 10 seconds, and the same error message reappeared.

Also, read an earlier post with a similar problem, which suggested to go to last known configeration that worked. Tried it and got the following message: One of the files containing the system's Registry data had to be recovered by use of a log or alternate copy. The recovery was successful." Then it has an "OK" button which I clicked, which then gave me the same Isass.exe system error message quoted above.

Edited by JCastaldi, 11 April 2007 - 04:27 PM.

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Seems like a rather bad issue. Try the following suggestions. If one doesn't work, move on to the next.

1. Insert your Windows XP CD. Go to Start, Run, type sfc.exe /scannow and press enter. When it is finished, restart your computer and see if your problem still exists. If you have any trouble running this, check out the following link: http://www.updatexp....cannow-sfc.html

2. Go to Start, Run, type chkdsk /f /r then press enter, type Y to confirm for next boot, press enter then reboot.

Windows will appear to load normally, then the monitor will show progress of the scan, rather than going to Windows. Do not disturb this. This will take an hour or so before it gets to the desktop.

3. Repair Windows XP. You will need an XP CD in order to do this. If you're not sure how to do a repair, check out the following link: http://www.geekstogo...ws-XP-t138.html

If you have problems, here is an alternate way to repair XP:

Alternate XP Repair Method

Windows XP repair feature won't delete your data, installed programs, personal information, or settings. It just repairs the operating system. After running XP Repair you will need to install all Windows Updates and possibly your video card driver.

Microsoft Update



Let me know how it goes.

Edited by computerwiz12890, 13 April 2007 - 09:53 PM.

[computerwiz12890]

Seems like a rather bad issue. Try the following suggestions. If one doesn't work, move on to the next.

1. Insert your Windows XP CD. Go to Start, Run, type sfc.exe /scannow and press enter. When it is finished, restart your computer and see if your problem still exists. If you have any trouble running this, check out the following link: http://www.updatexp....cannow-sfc.html

2. Go to Start, Run, type chkdsk /f /r then press enter, type Y to confirm for next boot, press enter then reboot.

Windows will appear to load normally, then the monitor will show progress of the scan, rather than going to Windows. Do not disturb this. This will take an hour or so before it gets to the desktop.

3. Repair Windows XP. You will need an XP CD in order to do this. If you're not sure how to do a repair, check out the following link: http://www.geekstogo...ws-XP-t138.html

If you have problems, here is an alternate way to repair XP:

Alternate XP Repair Method

Windows XP repair feature won't delete your data, installed programs, personal information, or settings. It just repairs the operating system. After running XP Repair you will need to install all Windows Updates and possibly your video card driver.

Microsoft Update



Let me know how it goes.

Edited by computerwiz12890, 13 April 2007 - 09:53 PM.

[JCastaldi]

The only disks I have are Operating System CD and QuickRestore System Recovery CD, which does not give me a start, run, command prompt. I tried starting in Safe Mode with command prompt, but only got the error message--no command prompt option. Therefore, unable to use nos. 1 or 2, I tried your Alternate Repair link, which included the repair by the Windows Set up disk, with no success. When it reboots, I get the same error message. This last process takes me to Windows reinstallation and the same error message returns while the reinstallation window is on the screen.

[JCastaldi]

For whoever reads this post, I had the identical problem a year ago on this same unit. See: http://www.geekstogo...s...101737&st=0. Looks like I am doomed to do another hard drive reformat. This is unfortunate, as I have been very dedicated to performing weekly maintenance which includes check disk, virus scan, adaware scan, and a registry cleaner.

[computerwiz12890]

Scratch what I said. I reviewed your previous thread on the issue and saw you did all this already.

After doing some research, I believe I have come upon a possible solution. This my be a bit tricky to explain to you, as I haven't done this before. Backup all important data before continuing!

Put your Operating System CD into your computer. If prompted, select any options required to boot from the CD.

When the text-based part of Setup begins, follow the prompts; choose the repair or recover option by pressing R. Choose the installation that you need to repair. When prompted, type the Administrator password (if you have not set this, press "Enter").

The following is the series of commands you will need to type to accomplish what needs to be done. What I have in Blue is what you need to type.

At this point, you should see a black screen with a command prompt like this: C:\Windows If you see C:\ instead, then type cd Windows and press Enter and it should be in the windows directory now.

Type cd system32 and press Enter
Type cd config and press Enter
Type rename SAM SAMOLD and press Enter
Type cd .. and press Enter
Type cd .. again and press Enter
Type cd repair and press Enter
Type copy SAM c:\windows\system32\config and press Enter
Type exit and press Enter


Your system will reboot, and we'll see if this fixes it. According to the site where I found the fix, after doing this, "some things were returned to an older level." I don't know what that means exactly, but I do know he said it worked for him.

Let me know how it goes.

Edited by computerwiz12890, 14 April 2007 - 03:12 PM.

[JCastaldi]

The first time I tried your steps, it did not work. I wondered whether in the later steps if there was a space after "cd" the then ".." ("cd .." instead of "cd..") so I went back to try it. This time (2x) it asked for my Administrator Password, and I don't know it--I did not think I ever set it. But just hitting "enter" did not work, so apparently there must be one.

[computerwiz12890]

Yes there is a space between cd and ..

Try "admin" as the administrator password...

Does this happen to be XP Professional? If so, resetting the Admin password is easy. If not, we might have to find a different way to do what I'm trying to do.

[JCastaldi]

Just got your message. I am in the process of trying it again. This is XP Home Edition.

[JCastaldi]

"admin" is not valid.

[computerwiz12890]

The first time I tried your steps, it did not work.

Did you get to the part where you renamed SAM to SAMOLD? I bet that's why it doesn't know what to accept for the Admin password. That file deals with security settings, which apparently is the cause of the lsass.exe issue, at least that's what I found.

I'm looking for an alternate method to finish what we started. Using the recovery console is not an option anymore because of that. I'll get back with you as soon as I find something.

Hang in there

PS, do you have a floppy drive on that PC?

Edited by computerwiz12890, 14 April 2007 - 02:48 PM.

[computerwiz12890]

If you do have a floppy drive on the problematic computer, here's what you have to do

Click this link to download the Bootable Floppy: http://www.free-av.c...dows/ntfs_h.exe

After downloading, install it. Run the program, leaving all options at their default. Make sure you have a blank floppy in the drive before running the program.

Now put it in the computer that's giving you trouble. It should automatically boot from the Floppy. If not, look here towards the end of the article to see how to change the boot order. It is under the subheading "Configuring your computer to boot from CD". Except instead of CD, let's make the floppy disk the primary boot device.

Upon booting from the floppy, you'll see a list of choices (1-3) where 1 is the default. Choose #1. It will automatically choose #1 after 10 seconds anyway if you don't press anything. The next screen you'll see (after it is done loading) will ask you if you are using this program for private use. Type yes and press Enter. After that, it will finish loading, and continue with the instructions below.

The following is the series of commands you will need to type to accomplish what needs to be done. What I have in Blue is what you need to type.

At this point, you should see a black screen with "NTFS for DOS" at the bottom, and a command prompt like this: A:\>

Type c: and press Enter
cd windows and press Enter
Type cd system32 and press Enter
Type cd config and press Enter
Type rename SAM SAMOLD and press Enter (if you were successful in doing this before, you should receive an error. In which case, ignore it and continue.)
Type cd .. and press Enter
Type cd .. again and press Enter
Type cd repair and press Enter
Type copy SAM c:\windows\system32\config and press Enter
Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete at the same time.


Your system will reboot.

Let me know how it goes.

Edited by computerwiz12890, 14 April 2007 - 03:12 PM.

[JCastaldi]

No floppy drive.

[computerwiz12890]

I tried 3 times unsuccessfully to create a bootable CD for you and put it into an ISO. I'm back in school this week and have work afterwords, so I won't have time to experiment with alternatives 'till this weekend. If another tech stops by to help out, that would be great. But if not, I'll get back to working on your problem this weekend.

You may consider buying a portable floppy drive, which connects via USB. Yeah...they're trying to get rid of floppy drives, but they still very useful even today. You can boot with a portable floppy drive just like you could with a built in one. Average price of one is $20.

If you decide to go that route, after purchasing one, follow the last set of instructions I posted.

[Opinionated Drone]

ISASS errors that tell your your computer is going to shut down ix X amount of seconds are the result of a virus. Click Start>Run and type "shutdown -a" into the dialog box. Now, instead of shutting down the computer, you can preform tasks, such as running antivirus, or searching for the error on google to find a solution.

[JCastaldi]

computerwiz12890: I think what you are talking about (portable floppy drive) is a USB flash drive. Assuming that is what you mean, I tried your link (http://www.free-av.c...dows/ntfs_h.exe), but it would not open. I also tried the following link from HP (my laptop is an HP), http://h18000.www1.h...load/23839.html, but the laptop would not boot from the flash drive. The computer would start, I would see the XP welcome screen and after an abnormal amount of time, when it disappears, there is a blank screen--no dialogue (as the HP sight references). I wonder if I chose the wrong option steps that the HP utility provided? I also tried making a bootable floppy from the A: drive format command, but, unlike an actual floppy, it does not allow the option of creating a bootable floppy when the flash drive is present.