Extreme help needed with winxp home

[crobat]

I have had a problem trying to start windows xp home edition for some time now.

Earlier today, I tried a sytem restore to an earlier date to try and fix a few minor bugs. About halfway through, my laptop restarted unexpetedly.

Right before the logon screen, an error message appeared, something about not being able to bring the logon screen up. it mentioned a .dll file, but I wasn't quick enough to write it down. I think it was wmdmlog.dll.

I tried to reboot, and choose a last known good configuration, but after the Windows XP logo is shown, the screen quickly blinks to a blue box before restarting once again. I cannot get out of this loop.

I tried to use the recovery console from a WinXP professional CD I borrowed from my school's library, but I am not really sure what to do. I really do not wish to format my HD. Any help would be more than appreciated.

[no1_vern]

HI crobat,

Welcome to TechIMO!

Do you have the original restore disks that came with the Lappy? If you do you should use them because almost all Laptops require additional device drivers that usually arent on the normal WinXP cd.

[crobat]

I do have them, but the only options that those disks give me is to restore to factory settings, which of course will get rid of all of my data.

I thought the recovery console would work, since I had the lsass.exe error, and the recovery console took care of that. I have been trying to figure out what to do all day, and although there is little on there I want to lose, it's still data I will lose.

[John Prophet]

got any friends with a regular xp cd?

you can run it to just reinstall windows over the top of your windows without formatting etc....you would just use your product key etc


JP

[crobat]

Thanks for the advice, but I think all of my friends have the same sorta things I do: recovery CDs that came with their system.

Is it possible to perhaps install winxp pro over the home edition and not lose anything? Maybe at least get to my data?

[HeadBand]

if it is a oem cd then no but if it is retail they you can upgrade from xp home...that should probobally fix it

but gah this is why i really hate those stupid restore disks where you can't do a repair install

[crobat]

Originally posted by HeadBand
if it is a oem cd then no but if it is retail they you can upgrade from xp home...that should probobally fix it

but gah this is why i really hate those stupid restore disks where you can't do a repair install

not quite sure what you mean by an oem cd, but the winxp pro CD didn't come with the computer. Our school provides certain sofware titles at their library for all of the students (with licenses, so it's legal). This is where I got the xp pro CD.

[crobat]

I did a bit of looking around in the other forums, and I saw aomething about an install repair. Unfortunately, the xp pro disk doesn't detect my xp home edition. The only thing that is offered is installing directly over the home edition.

[HeadBand]

yeah you will need an xp home cd to do a rapair install

an oem cd is a cd that you purchace with hardware only...it is used for people who build pc's and will not let you upgrade a previous os...by what you said this is probobly what you have

[John Prophet]

yeah, you cant repair cuz its a different version (home/pro)

so it'll have to be an upgrade...but it shouldnt overwrite your data..just dont choose anything that says "format"