Re: Last known good configuration

Hi Shenan,

After you ghost it and either do a clean install or get a new harddrive, do
you continue right into C) section and perform these steps after immediately
booting up into Windows?

Please reply soon.

Thanks


"Egan" wrote:

> "Shenan Stanley" wrote:
>
> > Egan wrote:
> > > Does anyone know how to access and use the last known good
> > > configuration by safe mode in Windows XP Home Edition to recover
> > > from registry problems in Windows XP Home Editon?
> >
> > If you select the last known good configuration and it still will not boot
> > in normal - then it is not going to help.. You should try booting into Safe
> > Mode and doing a system restore back a few days.
> >
> > If that doesn't work and/or you cannot even boot in safe mode.... AND you
> > had system restore turned on..
> >
> > If System Restore was ON, this may help you recover your system to a
> > working state!
> >
>
> A) section:
>
> > - Get the Windows XP CD out.
> > - Change the BIOS to boot from CD first.
> > - Put the XP CD in the drive, and restart.
> > - When it says "press any key to boot from CD," go ahead, press any key.
> > - When you see the screen that asks you if you want to install Windows,
> > don't! Just hit R for recover, and you'll load the Recovery Console
> >
> > You should see something like this:
> >
> > ----------
> > Microsoft Windows(R) Recovery Console
> >
> > The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionality.
> > Type EXIT to quit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.
> >
> > 1: C:\WINDOWS
> >
> > Which Windows Installation would you like to log onto
> > (To cancel, press ENTER)?
> > ----------
> >
> > - Just select 1 and press ENTER. The path may be different.
> > - When it asks for the Administrator password - enter it. If you didn't
> > have one or don't know - try just pressing ENTER. If that does not work, go
> > here: http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_administrator_password.htm
> >
> > - Follow along and keep in mind that each command must be typed exactly as
> > you see it here. Please note that this procedure assumes that Windows XP is
> > installed to the C:\Windows folder. Make sure to change C:\Windows to the
> > appropriate windows folder if it's at a different location. The copy
> > commands will answer you with a little "file copied" message. The delete
> > commands just move on to the next line. Type the whole command in one line,
> > and when you've finished typing that command, hit the Enter key.
> >
>
> B) section:
>
> > md tmp
> >
> > copy C:\windows\system32\config\system C:\windows\tmp\system.bak
> >
> > copy C:\windows\system32\config\software C:\windows\tmp\software.bak
> >
> > copy C:\windows\system32\config\sam C:\windows\tmp\sam.bak
> >
> > copy C:\windows\system32\config\security C:\windows\tmp\security.bak
> >
> > copy C:\windows\system32\config\default C:\windows\tmp\default.bak
> >
> > delete C:\windows\system32\config\system
> >
> > delete C:\windows\system32\config\software
> >
> > delete C:\windows\system32\config\Sam
> >
> > delete C:\windows\system32\config\security
> >
> > delete C:\windows\system32\config\default
> >
> > copy C:\windows\repair\system C:\windows\system32\config\system
> >
> > copy C:\windows\repair\software C:\windows\system32\config\software
> >
> > copy C:\windows\repair\sam C:\windows\system32\config\sam
> >
> > copy C:\windows\repair\security C:\windows\system32\config\security
> >
> > copy C:\windows\repair\default C:\windows\system32\config\default
> >
> > ** It is entirely possible - I have seen it - that you may have to get a
> > directory listing of C:\Windows\Repair and verify all of those files are
> > there. In one case I had to copy "software.bak" to
> > "C:\windows\system32\config\software" instead of just SOFTWARE. But the
> > results should be the same.
> >
> > - Now that you have typed all of that in - you are done with the first of
> > three major steps. Take a breather. This did NOT restore your windows
> > system to the state it WAS in - but to a state like it just arrived in the
> > box. This is not what you want - so continue on!
> >
> > - Type EXIT and press enter. It will reboot - do NOT "Press Any Key to Boot
> > to CD" - let it boot happily into Windows XP. If this step fails - the
> > computer is FUBAR - copy what you can off (or ghost it) and either perform a
> > clean install or get a new hard drive.
> >
>
> C) section:
>
> > - Make the hidden files visible in Windows Explorer...
> > 1. Start Windows Explorer.
> > 2. On the Tools menu, click Folder options.
> > 3. Click the View tab.
> > 4. Under Hidden files and folders, click to select
> > Show hidden files and folders, and then click to
> > clear the
> > "Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)"
> > check box.
> >
> > - Open the System Drive (C:\)
> >
> > - Open the "System Volume Information" folder. This folder appears dimmed
> > because it is set as a super-hidden folder. If you cannot get in - change
> > the security on the folder so you can...
> >
> > - Once in the folder, you should see folders (one or more) that look like
> > this:
> > "_restore{87BD3667-3246-476B-923F-F86E30B3E7F8}"
> >
> > - Open a folder that was not created at the current time. You may have to
> > click Details on the View menu to see when these folders were created. There
> > may be one or more folders starting with "RP" x under this folder. These are
> > restore points.
> >
> > - Open one of these folders to locate a Snapshot subfolder; the following
> > path is an example of a folder path to the Snapshot folder:
> >
> > "C:\System Volume
> > Information\_restore{D86480E3-73EF-47BC-A0EB-A81BE6EE3ED8}\RP1\Snapshot"
> >
> > - From the Snapshot folder, copy the following files to the C:\Windows\Tmp
> > folder (you can use your mouse, you're in Windows now, remember?):
> > _registry_user_.default
> > _registry_machine_security
> > _registry_machine_software
> > _registry_machine_system
> > _registry_machine_sam
> >
> > - Now that you have done all of that - you are done with the second of three
> > major steps. Take a breather. This part merely set you up for the
> > (hopefully) final step - so continue on!
> >
> > - Put the XP CD in the drive, and restart.
> > - When it says "press any key to boot from CD," go ahead, press any key.
> > - When you see the screen that asks you if you want to install Windows,
> > don't! Just hit R for recover, and you'll load the Recovery Console
> >
> > You should see something like this:
> >
> > ----------
> > Microsoft Windows(R) Recovery Console
> >
> > The Recovery Console provides system repair and recovery functionality.
> > Type EXIT to quit the Recovery Console and restart the computer.
> >
> > 1: C:\WINDOWS
> >
> > Which Windows Installation would you like to log onto
> > (To cancel, press ENTER)?
> > ----------
> >
> > - Just select 1 and press ENTER. The path may be different.
> > - When it asks for the Administrator password - enter it.
> >
> > - Follow along and keep in mind that each command must be typed exactly as
> > you see it here. Please note that this procedure assumes that Windows XP is
> > installed to the C:\Windows folder. Make sure to change C:\Windows to the
> > appropriate windows folder if it's at a different location. The copy
> > commands will answer you with a little "file copied" message. The delete
> > commands just move on to the next line. Type the whole command in one line,
> > and when you've finished typing that command, hit the Enter key.
> >
>
> D) section:
>
> > Del c:\windows\system32\config\sam
> >
> > Del c:\windows\system32\config\security
> >
> > Del c:\windows\system32\config\software
> >
> > Del c:\windows\system32\config\default
> >
> > Del c:\windows\system32\config\system
> >
> > copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_software
> > c:\windows\system32\config\software
> >
> > copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_system
> > c:\windows\system32\config\system
> >
> > copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam
> >
> > copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_machine_security
> > c:\windows\system32\config\security
> >
> > copy c:\windows\tmp\_registry_user_.default
> > c:\windows\system32\config\default
> >
> > - That's IT! Type EXIT and press ENTER and eject the CD - letting Windows
> > XP boot - hopefully - into what WAS your previous system. If it is still
> > not QUITE what you wanted, you can restore (attempt to anyway) to another
> > restore point:
> >
> > 1. Click Start, then click All Programs.
> > 2. Click Accessories, and then click System Tools.
> > 3. Click System Restore, and then click Restore to a previous Restore
> > Point.
> >
> >
> > GOOD LUCK!
> >
> > --
> > Shenan Stanley
> > MS-MVP
> > --
> > How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
> > http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
> >
> >
> >
>
> I broken up your instructions dialog above into A): , B): , C): and D):
> sections so that I can pinpoint the areas to ask you questions about.
>
> For the commands after B) and D) sections, do you just type one command at a
> time on one line and press Enter key?
>
> For the instruction after C) section, does this take place after you boot
> into Windows after you execute the copy and delete commands after B): ?
>
> Just before the beginning of C) section, if you cannot boot into Windows
> after you execute the commands after B) section, you said "copy what you can
> off ( or ghost it ) and either perform a clean install or get a new hard
> drive". Where do you "copy what you can off" to the existing hard drive
> containing the corrupted Windows or to a new harddrive or to a CD rewritable
> drive? After you ghost it, what do you do with this information after you
> perform a clean install or get a new hard drive? When you say clean install,
> do you mean reformat the C drive and reinstall Windows XP Home Edition
> operating system on the C drive?
>
>
.

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