Repair XP

Following are my experiences with repairing XP. I will not assume any responsibility for problems that may occur to your system from using any of these suggestions. It is always prudent to backup important data before you make any changes to your operating system. Windows Update Site Problems - Jupiter Jones MS M P Repair System Restore - !ert "inney MS M P How To Uninstall SP2 Using the Recovery Console - S Ra# "umar Rathi $scroll to %ugust &'( )**+, How To Use The Automatic Recovery eature to Recover rom a !ad SP2 "nstall - Microsoft How To Remove SP2 using a Repair "nstall How To Access Sa#e $ode How To Access %ast &nown 'ood Con#ig How To !ac(up) *dit and Restore the Registry + Microsoft How To Create a !oot ,is( to Start Windows -P How To Create a Slipstreamed version o# -P How To i. /0T%,R is missing press any (ey to restart + From Miles -romer How To i. and 1"nvalid !oot2ini1 or 1Windows could not start22222222Hall2dll 1error - Microsoft "nowle.gebase Cannot Start Windows -P i# the System or So#tware Hive "s $issing or ,amaged - From "elly /heriot Password Problems and Windows -P - From "elly /heriot How To i. The Cryptographic Service *rror + Fix for 01rror2Setup coul. not 3erify the integrity of the file 4p.ate.inf. Ma5e sure the -ryptographic ser3ice is running on this computer0 System Cannot Access C,+Rom) C,+Recorder or ,3, ,evices *rror $essages A#ter Removing *asy C, Creator #rom -P "ntroduction to using System ile Chec(er - SF- 6S-%7789 S C 4System ile Chec(er5 has a problem running - SF- 6S-%7789 5eeps as5ing for the XP -: How to log on to Windows -P i# you #orget your password How To Ta(e 6wnership o# a ile or older How To Access Recovery Console Recovery Console in Windows -P + From "elly /heriot. /his is a must rea. How To !ac(up) *dit and Restore the Registry in -P + Microsoft "nowle.gebase %rticle2 How To Create a Set o# *mergency loppies + If your computer can not boot from a -:-Rom create a ; floppy .is5 set that correspon.s to your 3ersion of 9in.ows XP. -lic5 here for Home *dition -lic5 here for Pro *dition How To Create a bootable C, to access the Recovery Console + this 'Mb .iso will gi3e you a bootable Reco3ery -onsole rather than using the ; floppy set abo3e. 4n<ip an. burn the .IS8 file to .isc. =ou can boot the -: an. run the Reco3ery -onsole 4use this lin( i# the #irst doesn7t wor( 5

How To Repair !oot sector How To ormat How To Partition How To *.it the Recovery Console How To Run a Repair "nstall How To Uncover Windows -P Product &ey How To Change The Product ", A better boot dis(ette #or Win0T829998-P Has -P !een Activated: 0T S Reader #or ,6S 4#reeware5 + lets you access an 7/FS partition from a floppy an. copy files off it &nown "ssues with Windows -P Service Pac( ; A",A<2 - %I:%>) is a professional system information( .iagnostics an. benchmar5ing program running on 9in>) platforms. It extracts .etails of all components of the P-. =ou can e3en unco3er your 9in.ows XP an. 8ffice )***6XP Pro.uct "eys with this freeware app. R1%: the F%?@@@ Twea(s= i.es - From "ellyAs "orner this is a fantastic set of registry hac5s an. fixes. 0T!ac(up "s $issing rom $y 6*$ version o# -P $.ownloa.,- Some 81Ms .onAt inclu.e 7/!ac5up - !ob Cerelli has it at his site in his 9in.ows XP /ips section &noppi. - 85 this might appear to be blasphemy on a site .e.icate. to 9in.ows but if your system is really hose. an. you are .esperate to get .ata off the .ri3e then gi3e "noppix a go. /he .ownloa. is a whopping '**M! but you get an IS8 that( when burne. to -:( creates a 3ersion of Binux that runs .irectly off the -: an. .oesnAt reCuire installation to your Dar. :ri3e. 9ith this -: 8perating System you can access your 7/FS or F%/ partitions an. with itAs built in -: !urning software copy your important .ata off the .ri3e . 8r if you ha3e a networ5 you can transfer files to another system. /his is a must ha3e@

How to access Sa#e $ode/

Reboot your computer while hol.ing .own the FE "ey. %t the %.3ance. 8ptions Menu select the option for Safe Mo.e an. press 1nter.

How to access %ast &nown 'ood Con#iguration2

Reboot your computer while hol.ing .own the FE "ey. %t the %.3ance. 8ptions

Menu select Bast "nown Foo. -onfiguration.

How to access the Recovery Console/ + take this link for more
information /he Reco3ery -onsole is a set of tools which run from a -omman. prompt. If your system is formatte. as 7/FS then these tools can help you manage the partition. =ou can learn more about the Reco3ery -onsole through Delp an. Support or Clic( here #or in#ormation about the di##erent commands and their #unctions 2

/o run the Reco3ery -onsole from -: boot with the 9in.ows XP -: $or with the optional > #loppy dis( set, an. select 0R0 at the 9elcome Screen.

/he screen will switch to blac5 an. you will be as5e. which installation to log on to. If you only ha3e one installation you will press 0&0. Remember that numloc5 is off at this time.

7ext youAll be prompte. to enter your %.min passwor.. !y .efault it is create. blan5 so #ust press 1nter.

%t the -2G9in.ows comman. prompt type 0Delp0 for a list of comman.s you can use.

How to Repair the !oot Sector/

If XP wonAt start it may be .ue to a .amage. boot sector or a missing or corrupt ntldr or ntdetect2com files. /o replace .amage. ntl.r an. nt.etect.com you can copy fresh files from the XP -: using the -8P= comman.. !oot with the XP -: an. enter the Reco3ery -onsole $as abo3e,. %t the -omman. Prompt type the following (where "X" is your CD-Rom dri e letter! allowing the files to o3erwrite the ol. files C6P? -/@i<A>@0T%,R C/ C6P? -/@i<A>@0T,*T*CT2C6$ C/ /o repair a .amage. !oot Sector at the comman. prompt type FIX!88/ an. press 1nter. /hen answer 0=0

How To ormat using the Recovery Console (click for info on "ow #o $ccess
#he Reco ery Console! #ormat drive / /Q /FS:file-system

4se the abo3e comman. $where /Q performs a Cuic5 format of the .ri3e( drive is the .ri3e letter of the partition to format /FS:file-system specifies the type of file system to use HF%/( F%/>)( or 7/FSI, to format the specifie. .ri3e to the specifie. file system. For example the following Cuic5 formats - partition as 7/FS 6R$AT C/ 8B 8 S/0T S the following will .o a full format of - as F%/>) 6R$AT C/ 8 S/ AT<2 JJJ 7ote2 If a file system is not specified% then the e&isting file system format is retained. /ype *-"T to Cuit the Reco3ery -onsole an. restart your -omputer

How Partition using the Recovery Console/

#he Reco ery Console!

(click for info on "ow #o $ccess

%t the comman. prompt type :IS"P%R/ an. press 1nter.

%n interface is .isplaye. which you can mo3e through with the %rrow "eys. Press 0-0 to create a partition in unuse. space. Pressing 0:0 will .elete the highlighte. partition.

How To *.it the Recovery Console/

=ou can not use -trlK%ltK:el to Cuit the Reco3ery -onsole. Instea. type 01XI/0

at the comman. prompt an. 9in.ows will be starte..

!oot to 9in.ows.

How to Repair "nstall/ CCCAlso removes Service Pac(sCCC

Sometimes the only way to repair XP is to reinstall. =ou .o not ha3e to wipe your partition an. start o3er. Just as with pre3ious 3ersions of 9in.ows you can reinstall right o3er top of an existing setup. /his has the a.3antage of retaining your installe. applications( .ata an. settings. =ou will lose pre3iously sa3e. System Restore Points but System Restore will begin creating new restore points again imme.iately following the Repair Install. =ou will nee. to reinstall SP) an. any -ritical 4p.ates from the 9in.ows 4p.ate Site. !e aware that a Repair Install will lea3e your system 3ulnerable to the !laster an. 9elchia worms. :o not go on line until you ha3e enable. XPAs firewall first. /hen 3isit the 9in.ows 4p.ate Site to patch your system It is always prudent to backup important data before you make changes to X'. /here are two approaches. /he first one shoul. be use. if you can still boot to your 9in.ows :es5top. Simply pop the XP -: into the -:-Rom .ri3e an. select Install-L4pgra.eHrecommen.e.I. /his will install XP o3ertop of itself in the same way as upgra.ing from a pre3ious setup. Dowe3er if your 3ersion is an 81M 3ersion then you will not ha3e this option. If you .o not see the option to 4pgra.eHrecommen.e.I :8 78/ choose 7ew Install as that will either o3erwrite your current setup completely or gi3e you a .ual boot setup. %lso if you ha3e an

ol.er 3ersion of XP an. ha3e upgra.e. to a new ser3ice pac5 you will get a message stating that a newer 3ersion of 9in.ows was foun. an. you will not be able to run the 4pgra.e. Create a Slipstream version to sol3e this problem If you cannot boot to the :es5top( or you ha3e an 81M 3ersion of XP( or you want to remo3e a ser3ice pac5 then the following shoul. be use. to complete a Repair Install. !oot with the 9in.ows XP -: an. at the Setup Screen press the 1nter "ey

=ou will be ta5en to the 9in.ows XP Bicensing %greement. %fter rea.ing the agreement press FE to procee..

/he next screen gi3es you the option to .o a fresh $clean, install or to repair the selecte. 9in.ows XP installation. /o run a Repair Install Press 0R0 at this time.
(((C$)#I*+((( if you do not see the option to repair the selected ,indows X' installation D* +*# choose the option to continue installing a fresh copy without repairing as that will o erwrite your data and cause unreco erable data loss.

9in.ows XP will copy the necessary files to your Dar. :ri3e to begin the installation an. will then reboot. =ou will see the message that informs you to 0Press any 5ey to boot the -:0. :o not press any 5eys this time #ust wait a few secon.s an. the 9in.ows Startup Screen will be .isplaye.. Following this you will be greete. by the 9in.ows XP Setup Screens.

9hen Setup has complete. you shoul. fin. all of your pre3iously installe. apps an. settings are intact. How To ,etermine "# -P was Activated: =ou installe. XP an. then canAt remember if you acti3ate. it. Fo to Start-LRun an. enter the following
oobe8msoobe 8a 3iew Product &ey -P + 3isit

the &ey#inder Homepage by %le5s 8<olins If you ha3e more than one system running XP you ha3e ob3iously purchase. more than one copy of the 8perating System. Dowe3er you may ha3e forgotten which Pro.uct "ey you use. for which system. It happens. I ha3e M systems an. ha3e ha. all of them running XP at times. XP .oes not store the Pro.uct "ey in a recogni<able format in the registry. Clic( this lin( and select 16pen1 and your Windows -P Product &ey will be displayed &ey#inder is a freeware utility that retrie3es your Pro.uct "ey. has the options to copy the 5ey to clipboar.( sa3e it to a text file( or print it for safe5eeping. It wor5s on 9in.ows NM( NE( M1( 7/+( )***( XP( ista( .71/( 8ffice N'( 8ffice XP( 8ffice )**> an. 8ffice )**'. It e3en has the ability by using MicrosoftAs own script to change installation 5eys. See the Microsoft "nowle.gebase article here ?>)EE'+

If your ersion of X' came pre-installed on your computer the re ealed 'roduct -ey could be that of an image used by the manufacturer. If this is the case you will likely be unable to use it to install another ersion of ,indows X' such as one purchased separately from the computer. Fin. an alternate location for iew"eyXP if my lin5 is bro5en. &nown "ssues with Windows -P Service Pac( ; i. Switch "dentities in $icroso#t 6utloo( *.press A#ter Service Pac( ; HP8CompaD SP; 0otice + /he System Restore feature in these computers seriously conflicts with SP& Cannot Start Windows -P A#ter "nstalling Service Pac( ; and Then Per#orming a System Recovery 6peration i. #or SP; Problems and CompaD Pressario ><<9 $icroso#t &nowledgebase Articles Pertaining to Windows -P SP; Setup Could 0ot 3eri#y the "ntegrity o# the ile1 *rror $essage 6ccurs When ?ou Try to "nstall SP; 7The Password "s 0ot 3alid7 *rror $essage Appears When ?ou %og 6n to Recovery Console in Windows -P