I'm running Windows XP Pro, and I installed some new software. When I ran it for the first time my PC crashed. Now, whenever I try to load it up it just keeps rebooting before getting to the login screen. Safe mode doesn't help, neither does last known good configuration. There were no recovery points saved. I've searched online for help and tried to repair the version of Windows by inserting the CD and choosing "Repair", but there's no repair option. It wants me to install a new version of Windows onto the partition, which from what I understand will wipe my user accounts. This would be a big problem, as I have a lot of data on there that's very important to me that's not backed up. My fault, always back up, etc. Not after sympathy, just stating the facts! I also have Windows XP 64 installed on a separate partition, and I have loaded this up to see if I can see the user account I want to access. I can. But I can't access it as it's password protected and it just comes up saying "Access denied". So how can I access this user account? Either by doing something from the working XP64 version or else by repairing the other, non-working partition? Any advice most welcome, no matter how much of a long shot it is. I'm getting desperate! Thanks in advance.1 person got this answerI do too

Boot with a Linux Live CD such as Knoppix and copy your data files to external media such as an external hard drive. Then do your clean install of Windows.MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

I can do this no problem. However how will I then re-associate the user profile I want to save with the clean install of Windows? Or does Knoppix allow me to access password protected user profiles (I know the password, so if it needs that then fine)? If Knoppix does this, then great, that's exactly the answer I'm looking for. I know nothing of Linux/Knoppix but will do whatever I need to recover what I've lost.

You will have no need to reassociate user profiles UNLESS by "password protected" you really meant "encryption ". If you used XP Pro's EFS encryption and didn't back up your keys, your data is inaccessible forever. If you only mean that the files were made private, then no worries. Linux doesn't honor XP's permissions which is why it is ideal to retrieve data from Windows systems. Here is general information on using Knoppix for this: You will need a computer with two cd drives, one of which is a cd/dvd-rw OR a usb thumb drive with enough capacity to hold your data OR an external usb/firewire hard drive formatted FAT32 (not NTFS)*. To get Knoppix, you need a computer with a fast Internet connection and third-party burning software. Download the Knoppix .iso and create your bootable cd. Then boot with it and it will be able to see the Windows files. If you are using the usb thumb drive or the external hard drive, right-click on its icon (on the Desktop) to get its properties and uncheck the box that says "Read Only". Then click on it to open it. Note that the default mouse action in the window manager used by Knoppix (KDE) is a single click to open instead of the traditional MS Windows' double-click. If you want to burn CD/DVDs, use the K3b program. *My understanding is that you can now write to an NTFS partition from Linux. If you wish to do this, Google for instructions. http://www.knoppix.netMS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!

Hi Malkeleah, I had real problems trying to get Knoppix to work. I downloaded it on my laptop, then had to put it on a USB memory stick to burn on the PC with Win 64 on (Laptop DVD drive is read only), but I couldn't get it to burn. I kept either getting burn errors using the built-in burner after first unpacking the ISO on the laptop (No native ISO support in Windows XP), or else when I tried to install burning software on the win 64 system I got error messages saying the software wouldn't run as soon as I clicked to install it. And yes, I checked I was using 64-bit compatible software! No idea what this was about, the 64-bit version has really never been used, not even sure why it's installed. Anyway, after much banging my head on the desk followed by a couple of pints down the pub, I managed to find another way round the problem, which was to take ownership of the files as per the instructions on the Microsoft website: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/308421 This worked beautifully for me, and I was able to take ownership under 64-bit Windows, re-install "normal" XP, and then take ownership again under that. 2 files came up with errors and wouldn't cede ownership, but they weren't even remotely important so all's good. I had literally thousands of other files that moved over without any problem. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to help me, I'm sure your method would have worked had I been able to create a CD (I would have posted off for one if all else failed as they'll send one worldwide for about $2 IIRC), but for anyone else who does a search and finds my posting, the above that I mention is worth a go as an alternative method. And no, I hadn't encrypted the files. Just locked the account with some simple password protection. Thanks again, Chris.

I'm sorry you had so much trouble but glad to hear that you finally sorted it out. Thanks for taking the time to post your solution.MS-MVP - Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!