followed this step by step:

Step 1:
***************************

Boot with the windows XP CD

At "Welcome to setup screen" Press R

Select the appropriate path for windows and press enter
If it asks you for the administrator password, type the administrator password and
press enter or just hit enter

We will now see the Prompt c:\windows>

Step 2:
***************************
cd system32\config

ren system system.old
ren software software.old
ren SAM SAM.old
ren security security.old
ren default default.old

Then type cd Type cd system~1\_resto~1 and press Enter

If you get "access denied" (Error) then

Restart the computer by type Exit and get back to recovery console

type cd \ and it will display C:\>
type cd system~1\_resto~1 and press Enter

Step 3:
***************************
Type dir
It will list you restore points
(e.g. RP1, RP2, RP3, RP4, etc...)

Select the one from the list except the last one
Say RP4

· type cd RP3 (or RP2 or RP1 or RPn) and enter

· type cd snapshot and enter

· type copy _registry_user_.default c:\windows\system32\config\default and enter

· type copy _registry_machine_security c:\windows\system32\config\security and
enter

· type copy _registry_machine_software c:\windows\system32\config\software and
enter

· type copy _registry_machine_system c:\windows\system32\config\system and enter

· type copy _registry_machine_sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam and enter

· type exit and enter



so I reboot and I get the Windows XP loading screen, but after that... nothing!

please help as I'm trying to help a friend out

You would have benefitted from avoiding Recovery Console, and just look for the R for Repair.

Try again and see if you can bypass where you were. There is another R for repair After the R for Recovery Console... and that one will allow your to remove and reinstall windows from the disk, provided it is the same windows installed originally, without damaging the other folders, files or installs.

Cold boot. Get passed the first R

I will try that tomorrow when I go to his house.. also, he lost his original windows xp home disc that came with his laptop, so I used one of mine xp home sp3, would it matter if it was a different sp at this point? All I want to do is backup all his files and docs and upgrade him to xp pro

thanks for the quick reply.