Profile error: Can't login to XP after EasyBCD (dualboot W7-64/RAID1)

D

donse

Member
Used EasyBCD to restore an entry of XP-SP3 that was gone from boot-menu in dualboot environment (W7-64 originally installed on top of XP-SP3 - all running RAID1 on two 2GB HDDs). The error was caused by conflicting HD-signatures (from moving around RAID-arrays on SATA ports: a no-no, i realised).

The XP-boot sequence now works again. But not the XP-login. XP exhibits a bad login profile-error hence I can't log in to my admin profile on XP (not in safe mode nor in any other mode) - and there is no other profiles ever installed on this XP except for the single 'admino').

The login error happens just after hitting <return/enter> in the login-profile menu. Form there the system simply starts logging out my profile immediately (in one closed cycle like this: very brief recognition and then logging out and returnning to profile login-window).

Is it a fried system, or is there a way to regain login to XP?

Any help is most appreciated :smile:)
 
When you experienced the disk signature conflict and resolved that, the mapping between disk signature and drive letters was lost. You need to go into the registry and change the volume letter for the system drive back to what it was (likely C:\).

You can do that by changing the data in HKLM\System\MountedDevices
 
You should read the link Terry posted, it's very useful. Additionally, what's currently happening in your situation is that your Windows installation assigned the system drive a new drive letter but the registry (and everything else) still has paths that contain the old drive letter, including the path to your user profile. So Windows is searching for your profile under C:\Documents and Settings\ but now that does not exist and it's instead accessed under D:\Documents and Settings\ or something; leading to the error you experienced.
 
mqudsi said:
When you experienced the disk signature conflict and resolved that, the mapping between disk signature and drive letters was lost. You need to go into the registry and change the volume letter for the system drive back to what it was (likely C:\).
You can do that by changing the data in HKLM\System\MountedDevices
Click to expand...

Thx for heads up : )))
So there's still hope... great!
However, my regedit-skills is nothing near adequate for such an operation i'm afraid; i can manage to locate HKLM\System\MountedDevices in regedit. But from there the whole thing turns in to greek (or tralfamadorian, thx Vonnegut). I have no clue what to do really :[

Is there perhaps a tool out there, that can facilitate such an operation?
 
It's actually really easy. You just have to change the name of one key. If the Windows drive is now X: and it used to be Y:, find X: there, and change it to Y:

That's it.
 
OK... looked, read and looked... and read again and again and looked...
However it seems to me, that it is a problem, that i can only access regedit from W7 (can't logon to profile in XP-error);
When in W7-64 using regedit there is a DosDevices\C: (and a DosDevices\D: too)
Now when booting in W7 the C: is the system drive and XP is located on D: (according to device/disk management).
But the system was originally constructed by a primary XP-install on drive C: - and then i did an upgrade (dualboot) install of W7-64 on a (logical) partition D:
Now if i change any drive letters involving the value DosDevices\C: here in regedit of W7-64 it seems to me, that i will corrupt the very installation of W7-64 hence not being able to boot W7-64 again (or maybe nothing at all then)?
Or have i got i wrong, please?
 
Don't touch the MountedDevices under Windows 7 x64. You can mount the XP registry hive in regedit, it's C:\Windows\System32\config\SYSTEM on the Windows drive.
 
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