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Windows XP SP3 was installed during Windows Update. The computer will not boot, not even in Safe Mode.
Is there any way to push it back to last restore point or fix the registry? Probably a driver that was non compliant with SP3 caused the problem.
The last driver that loads on safe mode is tdi.sys. Then it waits a little while and reboots again.
Dani
Posted 2011-08-17T17:21:55.250
Reputation: 713
1
How to do a Manual SYSTEM RESTORE in XP
A. Connect your non-bootable hard drive to another computer, as a secondary drive or use a usb adapter or enclosure, If you can see your data on the drive, back it up Now, then follow the rest of these instructions.
B. Open Windows Explorer. Click on Tools|Folder Options|View. Check the box beside "Show hidden files and folders". Apply your change.
NOTE D: may not represent the hard drive you connected to your PC, it may be E: or F: or G:, it all depends on how many other drives (including cd/dvd) you have in your PC, So substitute the appropriate drive letter in the instructions below.
C. Navigate to the D:\System Volume Information folder. You will see a folder named something like _restore{.........} the dots represent an alpha-numeric sequence.
In this folder you will see folders named RP0....RPnn. Find the one with the highest number.
These are your System Restore points. In the highest numbered folder you will see a folder named snapshot. In this folder are registry hive files which you need to recover your system:
_registry_user_.default
_registry_machine_security
_registry_machine_software
_registry_machine_system
_registry_machine_sam
D. Create a subdirectory; i.e, D:\Windows\TMP. Copy these files to the TMP subdirectory. Rename them to:
default
security
software
system
sam
Note Be sure to lose the period (.) in the file named _registry_user_.default
E. Delete the files in the D:\windows\system32\config subdirectory with the same short names.
F. Copy the D:\windows\tmp files to the D:\windows\system32\config. subdirectory.
G.Put your drive back in its original system. Your system should start normally. If you get the same error repeat the procedure and choose another folder ( RPnn) (next highest number). You can repeat this procedure choosing lower RPnn numbers until you get it booting again.
If you are denied access to any folders you will have to take "Ownership" of the folders first. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308421
If this procedure fails to work you need to repair or reinstall Windows.
Moab
Posted 2011-08-17T17:21:55.250
Reputation: 54 203
0
This sounds like it could be pretty hard to get running again. You might consider creating a UBCD4Win boot disk from another computer. Once booted, you could backup your data files over the network or to a USB drive. Then you could reinstall XP and applications from scratch. I would install SP3 as soon as the OS is installed and before any other applications are installed. At this point, you may even consider upgrading to Windows 7.
jftuga
Posted 2011-08-17T17:21:55.250
Reputation: 2 877
10x, This is my last option plan. I would prefer to repair this system some how before going to the reinstall option. – Dani – 2011-08-17T17:34:32.080
One note - needed to copy also the old files to the system folder and then it helped. – Dani – 2011-08-24T19:18:57.313
@ Dani, You need to explain exactly what you did. I have used this method as posted for years without issue. – Moab – 2011-08-24T19:38:09.267