jmke

what do you mean, you can't modify it?

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wutske

Start the windows xp installation again, go to repair and type fixmbr
Not sure if it works, but I guess it would

jmke

bootcfg /rebuild
fixboot
if those don't work >> fixmbr

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jmke

right mouse click the file, choose properties, remove system & read-only attributes
try those first, the other steps are if the manual edit of the boot.ini doesn't work.

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jmke

Tools -> Folder Options -> Show Windows Protected Files

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jmke

boot from XP cd, choose recovery console; log on to recovery console
type

BOOTCFG /rebuild
then
fixboot

restart machine

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wutske

problem is that he can't get into the recovery console because he doesn't have the admin password.

A possible, but rather tricky workaround is to copy the MBR of a working windows disk over the MBR of the bad disk. Only thing you need is a linux live cd like knoppix.

jmke

search the web for boot CD linux to reset XP admin password, works like a charm

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jmke

don't quit now!
download http://home.eunet.no/pnordahl/ntpasswd/cd080802.zip burn the .ISO inside the .zip to a CD (with nero for example) then boot with the broken XP HDD connected; follow the steps outlined to reset the admin password (but as blanco, very easy )
then you access recovery console.

this is how I restored a broken XP install on a laptop last friday from a PC from a friend of a friend, did not have admin password either and trying to boot XP gave "file not found issues" on some system crictical files

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JimmyJump

What happened with your install has absolutely nought to do with what happened with Koensa... In your case, due to the power failure, there's a high probability some HD sectors were screwed-up during the black-out. That happens, especially when the cache of the HD is activated...

A reformat can do the trick, but it's always best to do a checkdisk first, before formatting a HD.

As far as "some hidden files remains in the system which may harm your next OS" goes, you'll have to elaborate on that as it sounds like Mandarin Chinese to me. Since you were in the process of an install, it seems pretty obvious that you re-format the HD after power came back and the first install couldn't be continued.

I've installed XP hundreds of times and never ran into issues with left-behind files, be it after a clean install, upgrade, overwriting an existing XP or quick- or normal formatting...

Then again, maybe I was lucky.


I wonder how Koensa's probs fared?


JJ