XP Repair Install gone to hell...

That explains why a 'Last Known Good' boot is no different. You only have one system configuration ......... ControlSet003. Do you have a file named System.bak in the C:\Windows\system32\config folder that is relatively close to the same size as the System file? If so, rename the System file to System.old, then rename System.bak to System. Reboot and try to logon.

 

I have a system.sav file but it's the exact same size as the original system file. I tried copying the system file from my Windows2 installation but I continued to get the lsass.exe error I noted earlier.

 

Rename the System.sav file to System, after renaming system to system.old, then try booting. You did replace the original msgina.dll file, I hope?

You cannot simply use the system hive from Windows2 .......... the path for the system files differs from what is needed for booting the original Windows, among other things. BTW, is the Windows2 system bootable, or do you have a BartPE cd or similar?

 

I replaced it with the msgina.dll from Windows2 but that didn't seem to help things. Is that what you were referring to? I will try to use the system.sav file tonight. I will also see if windows2 is bootable!

 

I was referring to the original msgina.dll ......... last night you mentioned having replaced it with the one from Windows2, and that you were going to again try 'Enable VGA mode' using the original. I guess I should have asked 'did you restore the original msgina.dll?' That original file should remain intact.

 

I have the original msgina.dll file in tact from the original Windows. I tried to boot by renaming system.sav to system and renaming system to system.old but Windows says it needs system.sav to start and thus it will not boot.

As far as Windows2, it does boot so if there's anything I can do with that let me know. Also, I do not have BartPE.

 

Boot up to Windows2. Create a new folder in C:\ named Hives. Within the hives folder, create a folder named Windows1 and a folder named Windows3. Copy all the files from Windows\system32\config (you don't need the systemprofile folder) to the C:\Hives\Windows1 folder. Copy all the files from Windows3\system32\config to the C:\Hives\Windows3 folder. You can continue on from here in either Windows2 or Windows3.

Open the registry editor and load the System hive from C:\Hives\Windows3 under a key named fix. Click the fix key to select it. Right click the fix key and select Find. Type in Windows3 (or whatever the exact name of the Windows folder is for the Windows3 OS) and hit enter. Take note of the registry path displayed along the bottom of the registry editor window. It is important that any changes made from this point are under the fix key only. Double click the value that is found containing the Windows3 path and change it to Windows, then click OK or hit enter. Press F3 to search for the next value and change it. Do this until all Windows3 entries are changed to Windows under the fix key. Again, I can't stress enough the importance of making sure that the changes are made under the fix key only! Unload the hive, then load the C:\Hives\Windows3\System.sav and repeat. Unload when done. Reload each hive and search for Windows3 again, just to double check that you got them all. Now copy C:\Hives\Windows3\System.sav and C:\Hives\Windows3\System to C:\Windows\system32\config, overwriting the ones there.

Reboot and try to logon to Windows1. If it boots, verify that you are on the original profile, most easily done by placing a file on the desktop of Windows3 profile that was not on the original. If not the correct profile, let me know and we'll continue on. If it is, try decrypting the files.

If it does not boot successfully, copy the SAM files from C:\Hives\Windows3 and try (no need to edit first). If still no joy, copy the Security files and try again.

 

We have made progress!! After making the registry changes the same lsass.exe error occurred, but then I copied the SAM and security files over and I finally saw the welcome screen! Unfortunately, I also got the error:


Windows Product Activation
"A problem is preventing Windows from accurately checking the license for this computer. Error 0x80090019 "

I'm looking into solutions right now, but if you have any ideas let me know! Thanks again for sticking with this, I REALLY appreciate it.

PS, I tried to boot with safe mode w/ networking but the same error occurred.

UPDATE: I booted into Windows 1 with regular safe mode successfully. Unfortunately, I was unable to decrypt the file because I was logged on as a different user. I looked in System Properties and it said my computer name was SAGE-3, whereas the details on the encryption say Sage(Sage@AMFANGEL) has access.

UPDATE 2: When I boot to safe mode in Windows 1 I am unable to use the run command or hit Ctrl+Alt+Del. Either of these freezes the computer.

 

In safe mode, Windows1 OS, navigate to C:\Windows and double click regedit.exe to open the registry editor. Select the HKEY_Current_User key, then right click>Find. Type in Sage-3 and replace all entries under the HKCU and HKEY_Users keys with Sage. Reboot, again to safe mode. You should now be on the original profile. Try to decrypt the files.

 

I now realize that it's not that Windows 1 freezes in safe mode when I go to run or ctrl+alt+del, it's whenever I hit a key on the keyboard. I can't even type something into text boxes in regedit to search for Sage-3 because the comp freezes at any keystroke. Odd...

 

Hmmm........ not sure why that would happen, but it doesn't matter. This can be done with a mouse. Create a text file on the desktop with the words Sage and Sage-3 in it. You can also right click Windows\regedit.exe and Send To>Desktop for a shortcut. Once in safe mode on Windows1, open the text file and copy the word Sage-3. Open the registry editor and click the HKCU key. Click Edit on the menu, then Find. Right click and paste in Sage-3, then click Find Next. Bring the text file back up and copy Sage. Double click the entry found in the editor and paste Sage overtop of the Sage-3 entry. Click OK to close. Click Edit>Find Next and double click then paste on the next entry found. Do this for every Sage-3 entry found. Close regedit and reboot when done, back to safe mode to attempt decrypting the file(s).

 

I went through and replaced all Sage-3s with Sage but when I restarted the keys simply changed back. The profile that was created before I did this was "Sage-3.000" (I'm not sure why), and so I changed these values to Sage but when I restarted the profile was still set at Sage-3.000. I tried to decrypt anyway but it said I didn't have rights. I tried to encrypt a regular file to see what my user details would be, but it wouldn't let me encrypt - it said access denied.

 

Logon to the Windows1 Administrator account and change the Sage-3s to Sage. Log off and back on to Sage to see if it stuck.

 

I successfully made the changes using the administrator account. However, I still can't decrypt the file. The user that the encryption says is allowed access is Sage(Sage@AMFANGEL) so I changed my computer name to AMFANGEL (as it once was), but got the same results.

Perhaps there is something about encryption not working in safe mode? I tried to encrypt another file to see what my user name was but it wouldn't let me.

 

Look in the Documents and Settings folder. You will have 3 folders for several accounts ........ Administrator, Administrator1(2), Administrator2(3), Default User, Default User1(2), Default User2(3), etc. You now need to logon to Windows1 in safe mode, Sage account, and edit all registry entries for those user profiles associated with the Windows3 installation. Administrator3 becomes Administrator, Default User3 becomes Default User, etc. When done, delete the files wpa.dbl and wpa.bak from C:\Windows\system32 and reboot. Whip out your XP cd and do a repair installation to the C:\Windows OS. Hopefully, all will go well and upon completion, it will activate and allow logon in normal mode.

 

Once I do a repair install will I still be able to decrypt my file?

 

I'm hoping so. All of the original registry hive files are safely backed up, so you've nothing to lose in trying.

 

I'm not worried about the registry hives, I'm worried about the certificate that gives me access to the file.

 

You had already done multiple repair installations to the Windows1 OS by the time you started this topic, so at this point, I don't see that there would be any difference after doing yet another. If the certificate is there now, it should also be there after another repair, if the certificate information is even stored in a file. I have been unable to determine, despite multiple attempts with different tools, where the certificate information is stored.

 

OK. I just tried to do a repair install after deleting wpa.dbl (there were no other references to Windows3 in the registry of Windows1 - at least under the administrator account - and there was no wpa.bak). After setup extracted the files and restarted the computer it did the same thing that happened when I originally was having problems: it did not continue setup and instead boot to Windows 1 which was a black screen with just the pointer.