Maybe this'll help, it did for me when I couldn't boot into windows (safe mode or otherwise). It describes how to manually do a system restore. I couldn't find the original thread i made in tech support forum, so here's a cut and paste of the the saved html (only difference is I used a second hard drive and set up xp on that instead of using BartPE):
Boot into BartPE (don't install XP, else your restore points will be overwritten)
Go into the following folder:
C:\System Volume Information\_restore{71835D45-16FD-4262-BA4A-8B6C0540FEBD}\RP8\snapshot
(Yours may be RP55, for example, but the point is, go into that folder, to a recent restore point from when things worked - look at the dates - and file the SAM, software, security, and System files)
Go to c:\windows\system32\config and back up those 4 files into c:\windows\system32\config\backup.
Copy those four files from c:\system volume .... to c:\windows\ssytem32\config.
Find and rename all files that this patch changed on your system. We'll assume that's just the file it renamed as .original, so find out where it put the file and replace it with the original.
Reboot and let us know what happens. You're essentially putting a backup registry back into place. If the problem was with the registry, that will fix it.
And does the safe mode no network config do anything different?
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mail: bluescreens at gmail dot com; pls include URL of the topic & your AT alias. Microsoft antispyware tool: AntiSpyware MPSRpts
Date Posted: 09/05/2005 10:16 PM Posted By: Evander(Member)
I tried BartPE, but when I boot the cd it gets as far as the windows logo with the blue progress bar endlessly going back and forth, waiting a little while the cd stops accessing, so it's not gonna load.
Is there another way? I never even knew about the C:\System Volume Information folder, it doesn't show up even if i show all files\folders including hidden. If I try to access it directly, it says "access denied", but I guess it must be there b/c it doesn't say no such file\folder.
edit: to answer your question, none of the safe modes act any differently
Edited: 09/05/2005 at 10:17 PM by Evander
Date Posted: 09/05/2005 10:21 PM Posted By: dclive(Golden Member)
quote:
Originally posted by: Evander
I tried BartPE, but when I boot the cd it gets as far as the windows logo with the blue progress bar endlessly going back and forth, waiting a little while the cd stops accessing, so it's not gonna load.
Is there another way? I never even knew about the C:\System Volume Information folder, it doesn't show up even if i show all files\folders including hidden. If I try to access it directly, it says "access denied", but I guess it must be there b/c it doesn't say no such file\folder.
edit: to answer your question, none of the safe modes act any differently
It's there. You need to add yourself to the Security tab (in properties) and you'll be able to open it.
If you can't boot the OS, how can you see the folder?
If PE won't boot that box, chances are your PE CD is bad, but test it - use it to boot another PC. If it works on the other box, it's starting to sound like that original PC has other issues....
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mail: bluescreens at gmail dot com; pls include URL of the topic & your AT alias. Microsoft antispyware tool: AntiSpyware MPSRpts
Date Posted: 09/06/2005 12:53 AM Posted By: Evander(Member)
I couldn't actually see the folder, I just typed the path into file explorer:
F:\System Volume Information
and it said access denied.
Is there no other way to access it besides partPE? You mentioned the security tab, but I'm not sure exactly what you're talking about (fyi, xp on current drive has no sp1 or 2 installed (probably not enough space anyway), and if I can alter the security of my original install from the outside, that doesn't sound like much "security" is going on there).
Edit: OK, I found the setting in folder options to make the folder show, but still it says access denied
I tried again making the iso and also using a different burning program but the results were the same. I don't have another pc to try the cd out on, except for a win95 p75 laptop with pcmcia cdrom drive, which won't?boot jack from a cd. I could maybe send the iso to you if you wanted to test it. I really don't think there's anything wrong with the pc itself (it boots other cds), maybe an error with my boot cd making process, or perhaps bartpe doesn't like Japanese versions of xp.
If worse comes to worse, I did a system backup on 2 dvdrs some months ago just prior to installing sp2. Although some programs would need to be reinstalled to get where I am now, at least I would still have full access to all my files and restore them easy enough.
Edited: 09/06/2005 at 12:58 AM by Evander
Date Posted: 09/06/2005 01:28 AM Posted By: Evander(Member)
Ok, I found out how to gain access to the folder. For anyone who's wondering:
http://www.theeldergeek.com/system_volume_information_folder1.htm
Now I'll try using those files
Date Posted: 09/06/2005 02:12 AM Posted By: Evander(Member)
Tried using the restore files from 2 days, made no difference. That patch is evil. Guess I've got no choice but to format
Date Posted: 09/06/2005 06:35 AM Posted By: Evander(Member)
Well you're not gonna believe it. I backed up all my save data from the drive, and backed up my previous preSP2 2-DVDR recovery set (in case there were read errors during recovery, I'd have spares). Also attempted to copy the associated boot floppy in case of read erros, which failed, so I made 2 new ones. Unhooked the 2.5gig HD, rebooted the system (didn't yet format b/c the recovery program will do it for me), and for some reason the floppy boot failed and went to the hard drive boot instead. I figured what the hell, I'll give windows one more chance to load. And it did! System appears to be working 100% now, except for my 2 very last installed progs before this crap all started, but I can restore those easy enough. I'm not quite sure how it got fixed, but I'm sure it was b/c of the help of those who contributed here, thank you. And a special thanks to dclive. I'll be more careful now and make DVDR backup images more frequently
Date Posted: 09/06/2005 06:46 AM Posted By: dclive(Golden Member)
Glad it works; I suggest putting SP2 on it plus all other *Microsoft* updates.
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mail: bluescreens at gmail dot com; pls include URL of the topic & your AT alias. Microsoft antispyware tool: AntiSpyware MPSRpts
Date Posted: 09/06/2005 08:07 AM Posted By: Evander(Member)
Yep, strictly ms updates from now on (since i didn't have to use my restore dvds, sp2 is still on there. it was my 2.5 gigger that had no sp 1/2)
Date Posted: 09/06/2005 08:13 AM Posted By: dclive(Golden Member)
IC ... when you booted with that, it probably overwrote the restore information you had in system volume information folder. Can you confirm? Were there any RPxyz folders from prior to your doing that secondary install of XP on the 2.5Gb drive?
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