XP Repair Install gone to hell...

I can't tell by that log, so, was the file successfully zipped? Can you move the zip file, and then extract the file from it?

I don't know where the encryption certificate is stored, so I can't say if it will matter that the original profile folder is still present. Maybe try logging on to the Administrator account and add either the admin or your current profile as authorized user??

 

No, the zip file was unsuccessful. I'm going to try to change the current name of my computer (AMFANGEL) back to SAGE-3 and see if that works. I already have admin access on the file

 

If the Administrator account is an approved user, log onto the Administrator account and remove the encryption.

You can log off the current user, press Ctrl+Alt+Del twice, then type in Administrator and enter password to logon in normal mode.

 

My current user (Sage) is a member of the Administrators group. It still won't let me remove the encryption.

 

Administrator and Administrators group are not the same thing. Is the Administrator an approved user? If so, it's worth trying from the Administrator account.

 

I only have one user account (Sage). If I go to the switch user screen only Sage comes up.

Even though my computer name was AMFANGEL (which was changed from SAGE-3 - the original name of my second windows installation), it still came up in the encryption details as the original name, SAGE-3.

And when I go to the Chicks.xls properties/advanced/details/add/select my user certificate/add, it says "Error in adding new user(s). Error code 5. "

 

Switch user is not the right action. Log Off. At the welcome screen, press Ctrl+Alt+Del twice. This will display the classic logon style box. Type Administrator for the username, enter the password (leave blank if you did not set it) and press enter.

 

OK I logged on as the Administrator and it still said access denied.

 

I'll look into this further over the next day or so and let you know if I come up with something.

Need sleep now

 

Thanks so much for your help!

 

Comment from the Gallery - noeticsage: I think you have given Dave a challenge that will make sleep a tough venue until he gets this figured out (and, that assumes there is a solution).

 

LOL! Sounds as though I might look like a bulldog that's just got a new bone to chew on

 

Any other ideas?

 

So far, nothing that I have tried has been succesful, and I've tried alot of things. Short of getting a hacker or data recovery agency to attempt to decrypt the file(s) for you, the only other way I know of to date is to boot back to your original installation where the files were encrypted, which is, as I previously stated, very possible to do.

To recap, the repair installation of the original OS hung during the setup stage?
The first parallel install went bad installing drivers?
The second parallel ............. ???
And you are currently using the third parallel install?

 

Here's the current state of things:

Windows 1: My original operating system. Currently it boots up normally, gets to the Windows splash screen (where the bar moves), and then after that displays a black screen with just the pointer. I can move the pointer. After about 15 seconds the computer automatically restarts. I have tried to replace msgina.dll, userinit.exe, loginui.exe, and winlogon.exe using files from the other operating systems but nothing has worked.

Windows 2: This operating system doesn't really matter. It was my first parallel install and it ended up having driver issues so I did a repair install on it. I haven't tried to boot it in a month or so.

Windows 3: This is my current operating system and my second parallel install. Everything works great on it and I plan on keeping it.

If there's any way to boot into Windows 1 that would most definitely solve my problems. I could decrypt the file, transfer any remaining settings, and I'd be good to go.

 

Well lets have a closer look at Windows1. Upon starting the computer, begin tapping F8 to enable the Advanced boot menu. Select 'Disable Automatic Restart' from the menu. When the computer gets to the point where it normally reboots, it should instead go to a blue screen with error information. Write down the entire error message and post back with it.

 

I did that and it still restarted without any blue screen. I also tried safe mode and safe mode with command prompt but the same thing happens.

 

Hmmm......have you yet tried the 'Enable VGA Mode' and 'Last Known Good' boot options?

Here's another possibility you could look into. Open regedit and load the system hive (it's name is just system) from C:\Windows\system32\config (the original Windows folder) under a key named fix, or test, or something. Expand the key and note the number of ControlSet00* keys there are. Often times there are only 2, but you may have more (hoping you do). Now click the Select key and look at the right hand pane. You will see DWord entries for Current, Default, Failed and LastKnownGood. The Data values for each entry represent a ControlSet00*. Assuming you have only two ControlSet00* keys, lets say ControlSet001 and ControlSet003, then the Default and Current Data values might be 0x00000001 and LastKnownGood might be 0x00000003. A normal startup would use the ControlSet001 configuration and a LastKnownGood startup would use the ControlSet003 configuration. Now, if you by chance have another ControlSet00* key, such as 002 or 004, and the value for the Failed entry does not correspond to it (0x00000002 or 0x00000004), you could double click the Default entry and change the 1 to a 2 or 4. Unload the hive when done and close regedit. Now reboot and attempt to start the original installation.

If none of the above work either, are you wanting to try editing/replacing the hives to get the original operating system to boot? If so, you will need to be able to boot parallel #1 or have possesion of a bootable OS cd such as BartPE. In the absence of either of those two things, you may be able to do what is needed from the recovery console.

 

OK I'm somewhat confused as to what will work best. I could try things, but I assume your expert advice will be better

When I load the original system hive I only have one ControlSet: ControlSet003

Under the Select key I see the following:

Current: 0x00000003 (3)
Default: 0x00000003 (3)
Failed: 0x00000000 (0)
LastKnownGood: 0x00000003 (3)

Should I change anything? Is there any other way I can edit the hives from this original install so it can boot? I will try the other suggestions you mentioned and get back to you in the meantime.

 

I tried "Enable VGA mode" and I got an lsass.exe error on boot:

"When trying to update a password this return status indicates that the value provided as the current password is not correct "

This message appears for about 3 seconds and then it automatically restarts.

I tried replacing my msgina.dll from my Windows2 OS a little while ago so I will see if it works when I use the original msgina.dll.