Hey gang.  I assume that after your excellent advice with the chairs, we probably have some XP geeks here.

Unbeknownst to me, one of my colleagues downloaded and started to install some small .reg file.  It was supposed to automatically create an account in Outlook.  I suspect they interrupted the process or that there was some conflict.  Anyhow, Outlook freaked out and then the whole computer freaked out.  Now it won't boot.  I think that little .reg file went in to the Register database or whatever the hell it's called and screwed something up in the startup.  It won't even boot in safe mode.

I'm running CHKDSK /r right now (at the internet's suggestion) but is there some way I can just get in here and delete this register key?

Here is the contents of the suspect file:



REGEDIT4
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\Outlook\OMI Account Manager\Accounts\c517@waterford.ca]"DCEmail"=dword:00000002"POP3 Server"="mail.waterford.ca""POP3 Port"=dword:0000006e"SMTP Server"="mail.waterford.ca""SMTP Port"=dword:0000001a"Connection Type"=dword:00000003"POP3 User Name"="c517@waterford.ca""SMTP Display Name"="c517@waterford.ca""SMTP Email Address"="c517@waterford.ca""SMTP Reply To Email Address"="c517@waterford.ca""SMTP Organization Name"="""Account Name"="c517@waterford.ca""POP3 Timeout"=dword:0000003c"SMTP Timeout"=dword:0000003c"POP3 Secure Connection"=dword:00000000"Leave Mail On Server"=dword:00000000"POP3 Skip Account"=dword:00000000"POP3 Prompt for Password"=dword:00000001"SMTP User Name"="c517@waterford.ca""SMTP Use Sicily"=dword:00000002"SMTP Secure Connection"=dword:00000000"SMTP Split Messages"=dword:00000000"SMTP Prompt for Password"=dword:00000000


Thanks!

Do you have the XP install media from Microsoft? Can you get ahold of a copy?

If so there is a mode you can use that will reinstall the OS over the top of your current partition... It is pretty intelligent but it may force you to have to reinstall some apps.

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

Try that.

Yes, first make sure the hard drive is ok, then make sure the file system is ok, then if you can, back up as much shit as you can.

After that you may need to muck about with the email accounts.

If outlook is still fubar try doing it from the 'Mail' control panel in settings.

did any of this help? Or did I only state the obvious or already tried?

Dar, it did help.  I used the Last Workable Configuration and was able to get in and get rid of that script.  Your link was helpful too, but I need some time to really absorb it.  It seems insane to me how vulnerable the registry is in Windows.  I mean no wonder it gets hacked so much.  It's an incredibly irresponsible OS structure.  So thanks!