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Arik Klaggy

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Transfer configuration between Windows XP installations

I have a partition on which I have two installations of Windows XP - one in c:\windows and a new one in c:\windows.0. The first can't boot, even in safe more, but it was my main working OS for a while, meaning a lot of installed programs and configuration, start menus etc.. When booting from windows.0, I can manually activate the programs of course, but their configuration is lost, file extentions are not associated correctly etc. Is there any way to fix it without installing everything again? I guess it has to do with the registry. I can't simply copy the files from system32\config to the new windows.0\system32\config while windows is running, as it doesn't let me touch them, but I can boot from a different partition, or the recovery console, and then play with these files. However I want to be sure it's a good idea, or is there any other way to transfer the information between the installations?
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nobus
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when you try to boot from it - what happens?
describe the screens and messages, or post some pictures of it

you can test your disk with the manufacturer's diag  - find them all on the UBCD
Hardware diagnostic CD    UBCD
---------------------------------------------------
go to the download page, scroll down to the mirror section, and  click on a mirror to start the download
Download the UBCD and make the cd   <<==on a WORKING PC, and boot the problem PC from it
Here 2 links, one to the general site, and a direct link to the download

since the downloaded file is an ISO file, eg ubcd527.iso - so you need to use an ISO burning tool
if you don't have that software, install cdburnerXP : http://cdburnerxp.se/

If you want also the Ram tested - run memtest86+ at least 1 full pass,  - you should have NO errors!
 
For disk Diagnostics run the disk diag for your disk brand (eg seagate diag for seagate drive)  from the HDD section -  long or advanced diag !  (runs at least for30 minutes)

http://www.ultimatebootcd.com/      

**  you can make a bootable cd - or bootable usb stick
*** note *** for SSD drives  use the tool from the manufacturer, like intel 's toolbox :
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/18455/Intel-Solid-State-Drive-Toolbox

for completeness -here's how i handle disk problems : https://www.experts-exchange.com/Storage/Hard_Drives/A_3000-The-bad-hard-disk-problem.html

==>>****in order to be able to  boot from CD or usb - you may have to disable secure boot in the bios
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Arik Klaggy

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As I said, the computer boots okay from the second installation, at c:\windows.0, so I don't care much about booting from c:\windows, provided I can transfer everything to the second installation. During this week I tried to repair that old insllation in many ways, and failed. If there's an easy way to transfer the personal configuration, I'd go for it.
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noxcho
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see my comment for repairing the old one