Need to log into recovery console as user created admin

[Karmashock]

The registry hive on one of my computers got corrupted preventing me from even logging into safemode.

I know how to fix it if I get into the recovery console, however the recovery console asks for the Administrator password and that account has been disabled.

The result is that no matter what I type into that field the recovery console says that it's the wrong password and kicks me out.


I have already tried several password resetters for the admin password to no effect. Again I think it's because that account was disabled and therefore doesn't have access to the harddrive.



I therefore need some way to be able to log into the recover console under my normal admin account name.

OR

Reenable the admin account without being able to load up that specific OS.


I can access all the files on the drive. I have another OS on the same system that I can load up at will for repair purposes. But I don't know how to either fix the registry hive on the other OS or change the admin account without first loading up that specific OS.


Any suggestions?

 

[fastco]

Can you boot off of a floppy and get to a dos prompt? If so you can install the recovery console and you would then be able to access it easily without the password problem. I had the same problem until I installed it to my hard drive.
At a dos prompt switch to your cd drive with the windows cd in the drive and type d:\i386\winnt32.exe /cmdcons where d is the drive letter for the CD-ROM drive.

 

[Karmashock]

I'm sorry... can you walk me through that real quick? Just in brief... I'm pretty savvy but I'd like a little more detail on that.

and are you saying the recovery console won't ask for the password if installed on the HD?

 

[fastco]

Correct if you install it it will become part of the boot menu, basically you will have the option of booting into the recovery console once installed on your hard drive. You will get through the POST then the next screen will give you the option to go into Windows or the Recovery Console and will default to Windows after 30 seconds.

 

[Karmashock]

how do I install the recovery console without being in windows? I know how to do it from within windows but can you do it from the dos prompt?

 

[fastco]

Read this it might be easier to run it from the XP cd.

 

[Karmashock]

I'm sorry... that thing says I need to enter the Administrator password which won't be accepted because that account has been disabled.


Can you just really quickly walk me through installing the recovery console on a OS that won't boot without using the Admin password?


It seemed like you said I could boot to Dos with a floppy and then use that floppy to install the recovery console on the system. But doesn't the recovery console install program need to be logged into a given install of the OS to even begin the install process? Or will it ask which install of the OS to install it into? And then won't it ask for the admin password before it proceeds?


Sorry... I just need a one or two sentence explaination of what this process needs me to do.

 

[Peddant]

Iinstead of using the Recovery Console you`ll have to use Bart`s PE CD
Some say it`s easier than the console anyway.
The exact hive you need to restore depends on the error message you got.

This is version of what you have to do for the System hive (not my words) -

"First, boot with a Barts PE disk,
Next, navigate to the Windows\system32\config folder and rename the SYSTEM file to system.bad.
Now, do a search on the hard drive for _REGISTRY_MACHINE_SYSTEM.
This will give you a list of all of the system restore files for the system hive.
Check the dates and pick one from a couple of days in the past and copy it to c:\windows\system32\config.
Once it has been copied then go and rename it to system.
Presto the system hive is restored and you can boot again. :clap: "

This will also work with the other hives as well.

From HERE

I have never done the above, so can not give you a step by step.