Can't get XP Pro to launch

I am getting a message that Windows can't load because the file C:\Windows\System32\c_1252.nls is missing or corrupt.
I cant run repair console, because I don't remember my Administrator Password.
Safe mode doesn't work, either.
Any way to get XP back up without losing the data on my HD?

Suggestions are greatly appreciated.
(I'm currently using my old laptop with Windows ME. Please help me escape from hell!!)

 

well is the password for the administrator account the default or was it modified by you cause if it is default the account should be called ADMINISTRATOR and have no password so when the recovery console asks for it you just hit enter and it goes right through to it. From recovery console just run shkdsk /p and it should work fine.
-tech guy

 

Thanks for the quick response. I already tried just hitting "enter" but it still wouldn't let me in. I don't remember actually setting up an administrator password when I installed XP Pro (last August).

I'll check out the link in the other post and let you guys know how it works out.

Thanks again,

jtone

 

You can use this to reset the Administrator Password:

Offline NT Password & Registry Editor

 

thanks demented my bad that was a typo. Demented is right it is chkdsk /p

 

umm jtone whats your administrator account called? Is it called administrator or did you change it?

 

When I boot from disc, and select "R", for recovery console, I get the following message: (I'm doing this from my own recollection, so forgive me if the syntax isn't exact)

1:C:\Windows
What Windows installation do you wish to log on to? [Press ENTER to cancel]

If I select the number 1, it then says:

Please type your Administrator Password.
If I select "enter", I get an error message that the password is incorrect.

I am about 96% sure that I didn't use a password when I set up this machine, either for my user ID or for the Administrator. I also have not renamed the Administrator account, but to be honest I've also never used it for anything after loading XP.

FYI, this machine crashed hard when SPII came out-for an exact description of the problem, see C. Quirke's article at cquirke.mvps.org/sp2intel.htm, and my OS has probably been corrupt ever since (yes, I have the dreaded Prescott Edition P4 2.8 Ghz with an ECS 865 motherboard). I need to solve this problem first, than I'll get your advice on the other prob.

 

Just left the aforesaid link. Here are the probs:

1. Password recovery-safest option, but takes them 2 days to process your disc and recover your password, unless you want to pay 10GBP (about thirty bucks US). For that kind of money, the local geeks here can copy my docs and pics, and I'll just format C and reload XP Pro from scratch. At this point, however, it looks like my best choice, for as you all know, starting from scratch on an eight month old machine is still a pain in the rear!!

2. P. Nordahl's program, won't work. It starts the boot sequence, then says "boot failed, replace disc and strike any key". I re-downloaded, and made sure that I used brand new floppies, and made sure that they were formatted. Same problem. Interestingly, when SPII crashed my 'puter a number of months ago, I stumbled across his website. Back then, I got the program to run, but it wouldn't save the changes to my PW. I'd like to have recovery console run without prompting for a password (I hate $@^$$ passwords anyway! I'm on a home computer, I trust my wife, and my kid is too young to use the thing! I don't have some corporate raider looking over my shoulder, and I don't need thirty passwords on my damn machine!!!) but the boot disc wont work. Maybe I'll try to find an older version, or if anyone knows another way........

Ok, it's really hot here, and I'm a little frustrated that my four year old laptop with ME works better than my three thousand dollar "state of the art" machine, which I built from scratch because Dell and Gateway suck, and which worked sweet for about a month (until the dread SPII release began the downward spiral) and which is now a very expensive centerpiece/paperweight. Sorry about the whining.

3. John the ripper: I'm too technologically retarded to figure out how to actually install and use this program. If anyone knows of a good set of instructions, I'd like to try it next.

4&5 are for bootable CD's. Alas, the VAIO I'm using right now has a CD/DVD player, but no burner. Hence, I am unable to make a bootable CD.

And to think, the first machine I had was an 8086! You think I'd have learned by now!!!!

 

GEEKS RULE!!!!

I just got the machine up and running!!!

First, I apparently had a batch of bad floppies, even though they were brand new. Reloaded P. Nordahl's excellent program, and disabled password prompting for recovery console (interestingly, my 'puter agrees that there's no administrator password, even though hitting "enter" prompts the password error message.

Anyway, I used the link to Microsoft provided below, and it worked fine, except for the second step. After running chkdsk, I simply changed to the system32 directory, and typed "expand d:\i386\....etc, etc" I bypassed the second command "ren c_1252 etc", because all that did was say that the file was missing, which i knew anyhow.
I rebooted, then I got the message that c_437.nls was also corrupt. Followed the same as before (expanded c.437 off my cd to c:\windows\system32)
rebooted again,

and now it works!!

I still have my orig. problem, which I'll illustrate in a new thread!!

Thanks again all of you, geek and wannabee alike, for your assistance.

jtone

 

sorry i never wrote back i never got informed that you wrote. well maybe a winxp repair may work (that dont need a password) the only thing that affects is the wndows/system 32 stuff so your files are untouched. That will re write the operateing system itself. Try that and let me know if it helps.
-the new tech guy

 

thats good to hear