Need to repair Windows XP professional if possible

minoan

I need to repair Windows XP professional, if possible, on my Dell Precision M50 laptop. It had XP service pack 2 installed, and I was trying to upgrade to SP3 but it stopped partway through the installation. Since then it will not start up, reporting that it cannot load hive file because it is either not present or is corrupted. I have tried the sticky: Repairing Windows XP in 8 commands, but it did not solve my problems, though I can get to the Recovery Console.

I would try a repair install with a Microsoft Windows XP CD with SP2, to avoid losing programmes and data, but at the critical stage the repair option is not there. Is there nevertheless some way to do a repair of XP - I would be very happy just to get back to XP SP2.

Leonardo

Windows Repair Installation was my first thought, but I see that's not an option. So when you get to the installation point where there is the option of performing a new Windows installation or alternatively repairing the previous installation, the 'repair' option is not even there? If that's the case, your Windows installation is damaged to the point where it's not recognizable as Windows.

You've taken very logical repair steps - the 8 Steps and Repair installation. I'm lost at this point. Maybe someone here can give advice for commands to try in Recovery Console. Don't give up yet, that might be your avenue of approach.

Welcome to Icrontic!

GrayFox

From the sounds of it your windows is too damaged to easily repair.

Throw in a knoppix cd and backup important data over your network . Then do a format and reload.

From the looks of it your windows is not repairable without a very large amount of time spent on it.

If you want to try to get your product keys for programs out of the system the registry hives are located in C:\WINDOWS\System32\Config grab the file named Software.

You can load it in regedit on another machine and pick through for your serial numbers. (These will take a while to find)

Also when you go to install SP3 after reinstalling, make sure you do it before you install anything else to minimize the chance of problems.

QCH

I would grab knoppix, partition the drive and transfer the data between the partitions then rebuild Windows. I usually just push the old system to the back of the drive, hide it and then rebuild Windows, unhide the partition and delete whatever you don't need on the old partition. That way you shouldn't lose any data.

minoan

I really would prefer to repair XP if at all possible. I can spend time doing that, if there is a known procedure to follow - though of course I can understand that other people may not have time to spare on it.

minoan

QCH2002 wrote:

I would grab knoppix, partition the drive and transfer the data between the partitions then rebuild Windows. I usually just push the old system to the back of the drive, hide it and then rebuild Windows, unhide the partition and delete whatever you don't need on the old partition. That way you shouldn't lose any data.

Thanks; that sounds encouraging. I have never used Knoppix, but I see its readily available. Any particular advice for using it in the way you suggest? When you say rebuild Windows, do you mean a new installation of Windows?

Scratch1Tango

Yeah I think he means reinstalling it, I've done this as well using Knoppix and a external harddrive. I boot into Knoppix, back up all my important data to the external harddrive, and then just use the recovery discs.

finigan

I got a similar problem with my desktop hard drive wxp
everything freezes, can t get into windows or format
tried a wxp iso disc didn t work
what is this Knoppix and will it help
I just want to format c: