[cm8765]

I recently downloaded startup manager and fiddled around with the startup processes, now i can't go beyond the blue startup screen - the one thats just before loading the desktop background. It displays messages such as 'Playing Logon Sound' etc. It appears to be logging on, then it flicks to the desktop background for about 0.2 secs, then displays the logoff screen, then it appears to be logging on, all without changing screens except for the 0.2 secs.

I have tried repairing Windows using the CD but to no avail.

I am running XP Service Pack 2.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Blackmirror]

CAn you start up in safe mode and try a system restore ?

to before you used the program ?

[cm8765]

Unfortunately not. If I start it in safe mode, the same thing happens, but with slight variations on appearance.

I think you might have messed up the registry. So you need a system restore !
If you can't do it on your XP, go to a friend and put your disk as slave and do the restore
manually from system volume information - which usually contains all your restore points by date. You can also do this from a Linux, if you know linux (liveCD Knoppix), but be very careful if you don't know linux. Come back if you need more info...

[promom]

1. Insert the Windows XP startup disk into the floppy disk drive, or insert the Windows XP CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, and then restart the computer.
   Click to select any options that are required to start the computer from the CD-ROM drive if you are prompted to do so.
2. When the "Welcome to Setup" screen appears, press R to start the Recovery Console.
3. If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot computer, select the installation that you want to access from the Recovery Console.
4. When you are prompted to do so, type the Administrator password. If the administrator password is blank, just press ENTER.
5. At the Recovery Console command prompt, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after you type each line: md tmp
   copy c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\tmp\system.bak
   copy c:\windows\system32\config\software c:\windows\tmp\software.bak
   copy c:\windows\system32\config\sam c:\windows\tmp\sam.bak
   copy c:\windows\system32\config\security c:\windows\tmp\security.bak
   copy c:\windows\system32\config\default c:\windows\tmp\default.bak
   
   delete c:\windows\system32\config\system
   delete c:\windows\system32\config\software
   delete c:\windows\system32\config\sam
   delete c:\windows\system32\config\security
   delete c:\windows\system32\config\default
   
   copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system
   copy c:\windows\repair\software c:\windows\system32\config\software
   copy c:\windows\repair\sam c:\windows\system32\config\sam
   copy c:\windows\repair\security c:\windows\system32\config\security
   copy c:\windows\repair\default c:\windows\system32\config\default
   
6. Type exit to quit Recovery Console. Your computer will restart.

crossloop.com/ramtech

[markraymond]

Apparently you cannot use the above solution if your XP is OEM

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;307545

[cm8765]

Thanks everyone you've been really good.