Help fixing a windows problem.

[some_guy]

I am not a windows guy but wanted to help my nephew.

He has a dell laptop running XP. He powered it down when it was running and it no longer booted, not even safe mode. Was getting a BAD_POOL_CALLER.

I effectively did this which I got from microsoft's website. ( by attaching the disk to a linux box)

I copied the files system, software, sam, security and default from c:\windows\repair to c:\windows\system32\config backing up the old files.

( PS: I tried to paste the actual commands from microsoft website but could not for it was parsed as 25 images which is too many for a post.)

First I tried just copying the file "system" and that did not work.

Then I copied the rest, software, sam, security, default and it booted XP. Later it did a long chkdsk. Good news.

The problem that is left is that there is only an admin account. His files are still there but there is no logname in to get there.

I would appreciate direction to get his account back without deleting his files.



( I did back up his user files on another disk.) He does not have an XP restore disk or back up disks. He has a vista restore disk that came with the computer but it has so many scuffs that I would bet too much that it still works.



Thank-you.

 

[xSauronx]

probably should have done sfc /scannow or an xp repair install

the default admin account should not have a password. if it does i think hirens boot cd has tools to change that or set it blank so grab a copy of that.

 

[haaiamerica]

update your main board chipset software or go to nearer hardware service panels.

 

[some_guy]

probably should have done sfc /scannow or an xp repair install

the default admin account should not have a password. if it does i think hirens boot cd has tools to change that or set it blank so grab a copy of that.

Thank-you for your help.

I believe I couldn't do a sfc from the hard disk because the system didn't boot, or I wasn't sure how to get it on a CD.

I didn't have a problem with the admin account having a passwd.

The system came with a Vista disk for repair, though when he got it he had dell downgrade it to XP but dell didn't give him an XP repair disk.

I think it would be nice if dell sent him one for free for that seems to be a pretty good way to do it.

I ended up having him use the restore partition to get back to square one, the system as I restored it was messed up. Most obvious was I couldn't mount a USB drive.

Then I installed Paragon's free back up software, and backed up the "virgin" system, and made a recovery CD, trying to get him started on defensive computer smarts.