Unable to log into XP

Enter the Recovery Console

Boot the system using the Windows XP CD-ROM. In the first screen when the Setup begins, read the instructions press "R" (in the first screen) enter the Recovery Console.

1: C:\WINDOWS

Which Windows Installation would you like to log on to
(To cancel, press ENTER)?
After you enter the number for the appropriate Windows installation, Windows will then prompt you to enter the Administrator account password.

Note If you use an incorrect password three times, the Windows Recovery Console closes. Also, if the Security Accounts Manager (SAM) database is missing or damaged, you cannot use the Windows Recovery Console because you cannot have correct authentication. After you enter your password and the Windows Recovery Console starts, type exit to restart the computer.

Type the following command and press Enter.

CD SYSTEM32
(If that does not work, try CHDIR SYSTEM32)
At the prompt type in
COPY USERINIT.EXE WSAUPDATER.EXE

Quit Recovery Console by typing EXIT and restart Windows.

You'll be able to login successfully as you've created the wsaupdater.exe file (now, a copy of userinit.exe)

"WARNING MODIFYING REGISTRY INFORMATION IS DANGEROUS"
Backup the Key before making changes.

Now, change the USERINIT value in the registry
Click Start, Run and type Regedt32 and press Enter.

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

In the right pane you will see that the value of the Userinit key is incorrectly set to "wsaupdater.exe,"

In the right-pane, change the value of Userinit to C:\WINDOWS\system32\userinit.exe,

Type the above value exactly as given, including the comma. Also, change the path to userinit.exe appropriately if Windows is installed in a different drive.

Close Registry Editor and restart Windows.

If you haven't access to an XP CD, here is an alternative.

The Windows Vista Recovery CD can be used to Boot to a Command Prompt where you can run these Commands.

Boot from the CD and on the first screen click Next, click Repair your computer, click Next and select Command Prompt.

It does'nt matter if the Default OS is XP it can still be used on XP PRO or Home.

Creating a Windows Vista Recovery CD

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/window-on-windows/?p=622

Download from here:
http://coblitz.codeen.org/neosmart.net/downloads/guides/Vista_Repair/Vista_Recovery_Disc_x86.iso

< Add a bit to make it easier. Bloody format >

That way you can copy your wife's pictures onto a stable system hard drive.

If this machine was about to be phased out and you were thinking of giving it to the grandchildren, you might as well then wipe the drive (after accessing the photographs) and doing a fresh install of whatever operating system was sitting on it.

Best to give the grandchildren a fresh machine. If the current problem is indicative of a hard drive problem you could perhaps chuck it and install to a fresh hard drive too.

The Coolmax Adapter was recently reviewed in TR:

http://tinyurl.com/42vfbl

You can obtain it for $25 from TigerDirect.com:

http://tinyurl.com/4vpu2o

Assuming the hard drive is working, you simply remove the drive from the ailing computer, and plug it into the Coolmax adapter, plug the Coolmax USB cable into a functioning computer. The removed hard drive will be assigned a drive letter in Explorer. Transfer the files you wish to salvage.

Did you even look at what was required?

If the computer doesn't boot, how do you use it to download the CD boot files?

By the way, deleting your RoadRunner pictures from Photobucket was unwise and is causing problems for the 'illustrated posts' that you forgot about. They're now coming up with 'Image Deleted or Moved' disclaimer notices now!