userinit.exe Application Error

My daughter just brought me her computer--Toshiba laptop1400/2400series,about5 years old.Has a 3 1/2 floppy,CDRW/DvdRom drive,came with XPHome.Other specs not known--every attempt to boot goes as far as Welcom screen,wall paper and then error message as in title with following message " the application ()xc0000005)failed to initialize properly.Click OK to terminate application. "No task bar,no nothing on the screen except the dog wallpaper.
Have used F8 on boot,have tried every option and all end with the same message.Could not try boot with networking--she did not bring her DSL modem.
I know it has SP2 because I put it in,also know she has not been diligent with keeping the machine clean,Also know she has IE6,not sure how many updates she has since XP2.
I have almost decided to use the 2 recovery discs which came with the machine--will there be a problem with these XP discs on a machine which has XP2?She did not get a XP CD.
She says losing what is ion the hard drive is not a problem.Thank you for any help.
Mary

 

Hi marbar

Hold off on recovery disks!

Can you boot to safe mode command prompt?

If not, do you have a regular XP CD (not the recovery disks) that you can boot from and chose recovery console?

This CD only needs to be an XP CD. We are not going to install from it but use it to access the repair/recovery console!

Mike

 

Double post by accident!

Cleared!

Mike

 

Hi Mike
When I choose boot to Command Prompt get a list of sys32 files(no userinit.exe) then it goes to black safe mode screen,then windows opening screen,,choose Administrator and that brings up the same error message.
I did not get a XP CD with my computer either--will see if I can borrow one from someone.Thanks for your reply.

 

I have been doind a lot of reading by way of Google,all the fixes depend on being able to access Windows.This computer just goes to the desktop wallpaper,nothing else and sits there.
I have a feeling there is a bunch of unwanted stuff on the machine--I think tomorrow I will use the recovery disks.

 

Just a quick reply to say the problem is solved.
Booting to command prompt did not work,I tried to borrow a XP CD--no luck.So used the recovery disks,all went well.
I had Sp2 on a disk so put that in,along with Avast,Spyware Blaster,and AdAware2008 and told my daughter to make sue she updates and uses them.
And gets the Windows updates since SP2.
Mary