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Registry Repairs from 2nd partition

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by john

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I corrupted the registry on Partition 1 so badly I cannot boot Win XP from there. Last known working config made things worse. I installed a new Win XP on partition 2. Can I copy regsirty (and whatever else is required) to partition 1 sufficient to boot from partition 1 and then select a restore point prior to my corrupting influence? If so, how please please please!!!

5 replies

by wcp

There are at least three options you may try. All require that the System Restore had not been turned off.

1. Do System Restore from Command Prompt.
You have to be able to boot to Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
Refer to MS KB Article 304449: How to start the System Restore tool from a command prompt in Windows XP or http://tinyurl.com/3cf7r

2. Do System Restore manually.
If the above does not work, you may try this one.
This basically boots to Windows to the original installation and do System Restore manually to the latest one available.
Refer to MS KB Article 307545: How to Recover from a Corrupted Registry That Prevents Windows XP from Starting or http://tinyurl.com/o5u8

3. Do System Restore using a third party software.
ERD Commander 2003 has System Restore feature you may use.
http://tinyurl.com/2fkdq

4. If all above fails, copy as much data as you can to the partition 2 and start from scratch.

by wcp

If you cannot boot the Windows in Partition 1 to Safe Mode with Command Prompt, you cannot do System Restore as in Option 1.

Option 2 is a lengthy procedure and you have to be very careful. You make a one typo and it?s a history. You have to do the procedure all over again.

Option 3 is not guaranteed solution but it?s a risk you have to consider.

Reinstallation Windows on top of the current one is another Option. But if the registry is so much damaged, the reinstallation process may not recognize the Windows in Partition 1. You can verify this by doing Windows installation process. After the MS license agreement, if you have a choice of Repair (Windows in Partition 1) or Setup, choose R for repair. This will reinstall Windows in Partition 1. All programs (may be, depending on the severity of the Registry damage) and data should be intact. Make sure you do not choose Windows in Partition 2, which will not do any good.

by thechas

With a new installation and registry, you will loose all installed programs and personal settings if you copy the registry files.

Further, any updates will not be properly registered.

The main reason that copying the registry from another partition will not work is that the 2nd partition is likely registered as the D: drive.
You will have numerous errors as Windows looks for system files on the D: drive.

1 good option would be to boot from the XP CD.
Either run the recovery console, or enter setup and choose to repair the existing installation.

Chas

by john

Thank you for Answer 1. I tried the method mentioned in the articles to copy REPAIR files to SYTEM32\CONFIG but still cannot boot partition 1. Is there a restore program/procedure which will work from command prompt and update registry stuff from restore point(s) on volume information (which I can access on NTSC file system)?

by support#netropole.com

if you know whats wrong with the reg, like messed up keys from changing settings then you can use the Avast! BartCD Demo boot cdrom and change the settings back. if its just toast your best bets are to try and copy the reg files from your part2 default user profile to part1 or to run the repair installation with X's on fix reg.

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