windows wont boot, trying to fix registry from knoppix

[jl]

windows will freeze and reboot, and will not boot into safe mode even.
im using a knoppix cd and accessing the windows partition (ntfs)

how can i look at/modify the registry files and other system files in windows from
knoppix?

[Harry Kuhman]

Knoppix can not safely write to or even delete files on a NTFS partition.

[foamrotreturns]

OTOH, what have you got to lose? It already won't boot. As long as all the critical data that you need is backed up, why not give it a shot? The captiventfs driver is not completely stable, but I've heard plenty of success stories.

[Harry Kuhman]

OTOH, what have you got to lose? It already won't boot

Complete loss of data, or even worse thinking that you have things fixed and doing even more work, only to have everything lost as the corrupted disk system crashes again. We can assume that jt thinks there is something out there worth saving (although apparently not worth having made regular backups even though using a windows system well known to do this). If there is nothing worth saving then I would suggest just reinstalling fresh and not risking a corrupt partition even more likely to fail again; if something is worth saving then it would be wise to do the normal recovery steps (since Knoppix can read from the NTFS partition just fine) such as writing to a disc, transfering the files across a network, saving to an external USB device, or even adding drive with a FAT partition and moving important files there. After recovering any desired files then a complete reformat and reinstall is the safest bet.

[foamrotreturns]

Precisely why I said "As long as all the critical data that you need is backed up, why not give it a shot?"
I would always recommend a complete reformat, but there is always a chance that jl is looking for a bootable solution, even if it's only for a short time. For instance, Outlook needs to be running in order to export its settings & data into a .pst file.

Telling a person that they should have backed up in case something like this happened is like a cop telling the driver of a wrecked car that she should have braked to avoid rear-ending the car in front of her. It's completely pointless, as the person a) already knows what they should have done, and probably feel pretty sheepish that they didn't, and b) could have deduced that solution without assistance.
It's easy to be the answer man, but when you're on the asking end, nothing hurts more than someone talking down to you.

[|enouf|]

gosh.....i HATE giving Ms advice in a KNOPPIX/Linux forum..

Boot to XPoop CD (set BIOS to boot from CDROM as 1st in boot order) and choose "R" for repair and load recovery console....then try these one at a time;
(ONLY if you did NOT use HDD manu utilities to partition and format)

FIXMBR
FIXBOOT
BOOTCFG /rebuild

if you DID use HDD DDO software - load the backup floppy, otherwise you're SOL

[rcook]

This is a boot disk - linux based:
http://home.eunet.no/~pnordahl/ntpasswd/

It will edit the registry. It is primarily used to reset administrative password. It also accesses the registry. Registry writes to NT form linux are hazardous if you are creating or expanding the file. If you tinker a file and write it back, it apparently does not cause difficulties. This utility has been around for 4-5 years that I am aware of and doesn't cause problems.

Read the website for conditions and uses. The editor is a little clunky as a registry editor, but it works. You can also copy the registry hives off to the floppy to better peruse or analyze them.

Dick