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Name: gilloz
Hello: First of all, I hope I am not in the wrong forum to ask this. Well, I went and did it this time. My present configuration is dual boot with Ubuntu and Windows XP Pro. Drive C is 80GB and only has Windows XP Pro w/SP3, Drive D is also 80GB and half has Ubuntu 7.10. Windows XP Pro crashed and burned this morning and with all the procedures from Microsoft and different forums, I am unable to boot in Windows XP. My failure is that my system32/config is missing or corrupted. I also tried Repair using my Windows CD to no avail. Like I said, I tried everything. So, I am ready to do a clean install of Windows. Here is my question, what will I have to do, if anything, to get my boot menu back to select either Windows or Ubuntu after the clean install of Windows XP Pro? I haven't started as yet until I get some info, comments or whatever. Thanks guys.
BTW, this configuration has been working for about 1.5 years with no problems.
What happened when you Repaired XP? It's possible the mbr was overwritten, which is why you can't boot to Windows. Boot to Recovery Console, select the Windows install to access (usually 1) enter your password, then type fix mbr.
Steps here:
http://askbobrankin.com/fix_mbr.html
"So won’t you give this man his wings
What a shame
To have to beg you to see
We’re not all the same
What a shame" - Shinedown
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Well,like I said, one of my C:\windows\system32\config files (5 of them) were corrupt or missing. I went into Ubuntu to look at these files from there and the system32/config/system file was an Mp3 type file.???? Go figure. The other 4 appeared to be normal files. But, I went ahead and followed the Microsoft document Q307545, titled "How to recover from a corrupted registry that prevents Windows XP from starting" Did not work. I had a few windows pop up saying I had Fatal Errors in my system. Then it re-booted itself after I said OK to the windows. The original failure message was "Windows XP could not start because the following file is missing or corrupt: "c:\windows\system32\config\system". That's about it.
OH, one more thing, what does fixing the MBR or FIXBOOT do to restore the corrupt file in system32 folder?
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IMO you might as well reformat both drives to NTFS, install and update XP on "C" and install Ubuntu/Kubuntu within XP.
http://sourceforge.net/project/show...
Linux runs a little slower inside Windows, but nothing substantial. Then you can use "D" for data storage.
God gave us beer so we would know he loves us.
Ben Franklin
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I wonder if you used the wrong 'repair. There is the Recovery Console 'repair', which I don't think will help. The other is the 'Repair Install', which has a pretty good chance of repairing the OS.
There 'might' be some more work needed to get Ubuntu booting again.
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What boot manager are you using for your dual boot? Most likely you are using GRUB which is what most Linux installs now use.
If this is so then a re-install of Windows XP will rewrite the MBR with the XP boot loader and you will loose GRUB and the ability to boot into Linux.
You may be able to use your Linux boot media to re-install GRUB once you have succesfully re-installed XP.
Alternatively you can use the GRUB super disk available at http://www.supergrubdisk.org/ to restore the GRUB boot loader after you have installed XP.
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☺ When everything else fails, read the instructions.
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This should also help you get there.
http://justlinux.com/forum/showthre...
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☺ When everything else fails, read the instructions.
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OK aeqis, I ran the setup per your link and it appears that Windows XP has installed itself after depressing the R as it said. Now I am stuck with the Administrator Password which I had written down on a document, just in case, but it will not accept it, so I cannot log in to Windows. I have tried everything I know or tried to use in the past and nothing seems to work. BTW, it booted fine into either Windows or Ubuntu. No problem there. Not sure what password to use now. Any ideas?
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I would probably use a linux Live CD, maybe knoppix, to save as much data as I can and then do a fresh install.
But wait and maybe someone will suggest a recovery procedure.
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Until this morning, I did not have access to my Windows XP through Ubuntu. I do now and have saved unto my flash drive the files I needed from Windows XP. I will ask for the last time, is there anyway that I can salvage my REPAIRED Windows XP by eliminating that darn Administrative Password that it keeps asking for? Also, the pointer, or whatever you call it, that boots up to the boot menu for selecting which OS to open, will I lose that in a clean install of Windows XP or is that on the D Drive where Ubuntu is installed? I am hanging on by my fingertips here guys. Thanks to all who responded to my dilemma.
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Have you tried just hitting return when it asks for the administrator password?
Also I came across this which may help.
I have not tried it myself.
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/...
Another link with ideas to pursue
http://www.petri.co.il/forgot_admin...___________________________________________
☺ When everything else fails, read the instructions.
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See response 5 for your other question about your boot loader selection menu
___________________________________________
☺ When everything else fails, read the instructions.
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Thanks mosaddique for your response. Yes, I tried that 1st link and it appeared like it was going to work because it gave me access to my User Account and I changed the password as instructed, but, when I finished and let the system boot and selected Windows XP, again it asked for my Admin. Password and I entered the new password and the same thing happened. It would not accept it. I also downloaded an .iso file to make a bootable CD that finds all the passwords in my system and it did just that. Guess what, it is the same original passwords that I had documented some time back which is the first one I tried. Still didn't work. Looks like a clean install is in my immediate future. Thanks anyway.
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You are not confusing the administartor with your own user id which may have admin rights are you?
These are two different things if you set up a user when your system was first installed.
As I said have you tried just hitting return without typing anything in the password field?
___________________________________________
☺ When everything else fails, read the instructions.
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Well, I finally solved my problem. mosaddique, I even downloaded two programs that can extract the Administrator Password. Each program did just that and it verified that I had the correct password entered when I tried it. My OS would just not recognize it or accept it. I tried the blank entry and about 12 others that I could recall and none worked. So, I formatted my C Drive and did a clean install of Windows XP Pro. As suspected, my MBR was erased and I no longer had access to my Ubuntu OS. I used the Live CD and reinstalled the Grub bootloader per directions I had previous downloaded. It worked as advertised and I am back in business. Just thought I'd give you guys some feedback. Still working to get my Windows back like it was. Thanks to all who helped and responded to this post.
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