bcastner
Premium,VIP,MVM
join:2002-09-25
Chevy Chase, MD
clubs: 
 ·Verizon Online DSL
4 edits | reply to e2727
Re: [XP Pro] Recovery Console?
If Recovery Console cannot read the registry, you will not be able to use it. It needs a valid registry, (HKLM, HKCR, and SAM), as well as a reasonably valid BOOT.INI file to identify the XP installation(s). When it is incapable of reading the registry, no numbered OS selectiona appears, and nearly any choice at that point leads it to simply restart. Similarly, there is nothing to Repair if an existing OS instance cannot be discovered.
Your hard drive has very serious problems.
If neither using Setup nor Recovery Console can perceive a valid installed XP image, you would have to use a Linux Live CD like Knoppix or similar (if using the NTFS filestore, a DOS or Win9x Boot CD if using FAT32) to be able to copy user data to another drive. Then the drive needs to be reformatted (if it is salvageable) and XP installed clean. Then restore XP from your Backups.
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jaa
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
 ·Optimum Online
 ·Vonage
| I have had the problem before where the registry is not readable. I put the hard drive in another computer, renamed the registry files, and then manually copied them from a recent restore point. The computer then booted properly into safe mode, and I did a system restore.
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bcastner
Premium,VIP,MVM
join:2002-09-25
Chevy Chase, MD
clubs:
·Verizon Online DSL
| Yes, you could try to harvest the registry hives from either a Live CD or as a slave drive. This is decidedly non-trivial, but it can work as jaa  discussed above.
References:
»support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307545
A "plain English" explanation of the process written by Charlie White: »www.digitalwebcast.com/2002/03_m···toot.htm
After harvesting and moving the registry files, remount the drive (if slaved) and use System Restore.
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