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jjohnstn

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NTFS partition improperly dismounted

Running WinXP on a laptop (so drive very difficult to remove). Machine continuously reboots giving "isass.exe error: While trying to enter or update a password this return status indicates that the value provided as current password is not correct". I cannot access the Recovery console since the laptop did not come with a master XP install disk. I can boot on a Win98 boot disk, but it won't let me run chkdsk.

I also tried the Partition Magic recovery disks, it finds the partition and says it is improperly dismounted, but won't let me fix (button is grayed out). It advises running chkdsk, which I can't do. It will not let me convert to Fat32 either, since it encounters the dismounted error.

Just signed up for E-E and trying it out, so only have 75 points thus far to award, sorry.
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CrazyOne
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See if you can run chkdsk using these

Obtaining Windows XP Setup Boot Disks
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;310994 
When you get to the login can you to this Ctrl+Alt+Delete and see if you can get in?

Have you tried booting to safe mode

In either case if you can get in then

Start > Run chkdsk /r
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jjohnstn

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CrazyOne,

Booting into Safe Mode, Last Good Config, etc. all do the same thing: isass.exe error and then reboot all over again. I never get to the login screen.

I did go to the MS site for the XP Setup Boot Disks and have created them. They install up to the last disk (#6) and then I get a blue screen with message "UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME" and advises me to check hardware. No new hardware has been added.  Also

"STOP: 0x000000ED (0x822FA3A0, 0xC0000013, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)"

CrazyOne,

Booting into Safe Mode, Last Good Config, etc. all do the same thing: isass.exe error and then reboot all over again. I never get to the login screen.

I did go to the MS site for the XP Setup Boot Disks and have created them. They install up to the last disk (#6) and then I get a blue screen with message "UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME" and advises me to check hardware. No new hardware has been added.  Also

"STOP: 0x000000ED (0x822FA3A0, 0xC0000013, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)"

There is something wrong with the disk or the files system. Use one of those utilities I posted in a prior coment.
STOP 0x000000ED UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_VOLUME" Error Message When You Restart Your Computer or Upgrade to Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q297185
After trying an XP Home upgrade CD a friend loaned me, I was finally able to access the Recovery Console. However, it asks me for the administrator password. I tried both the password I used for my personal profile (which I believe had admin priveleges) and also hit enter (no password). It did not accept either one.
Just enter a blank password for the built in Admin account
tried that, no go.
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CrazyOne
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