Dear Forum:  Please advise me on a process to recover a restore point in DOS. I executed a RegVac routine, all went well.  Then I executed a Registry Pack routine. (I did not reboot before initiating Registry Pack routine)  The popup instruction advised to reboot the computer.  Now, Windows will not load completely, the computer stops responding after the initial Windows logo..  then I just get a dark screen.    Windows will not boot in Safe Mode either.  The computer will boot to the Recovery Console from the Windows installation CD.  I am able to access the limited DOS tools.
How do I access and execute a restore point that I created before this Registry Pack corruption  problem happened??    thank you all for any help.  Cordially.
running Windows XP SP2, RegVac 5.01.08.

Try the DOS commands in the following order in the boot partition;-
chkdsk drive
xmbr  (this fixes the MBR)
fixboot (this fixes the Windows boot sector)
If all else fails run the WinXP setup wizard from the installation CD and choose the "Repair" option.
Best of luck.

thanks for your suggestions...  
i ran the chkdsk /r, fixmbr, and fixboot...  these routines ran ok, but Window XP still will not boot up.  I can only load the Recovery Console from the CD.
No graphical interface will load. I am not able to access the d:\ drive via the Recovery Console nor the CD. I must be missing somethin...
How do i load the Windows CD setup wizard to choose the "Repair" option??
thanks in advance.
cordially
AH

When you boot from the Windows installation CD goto to the option to install Windows and then choose the repair option. I presume the windows install option does appear as a choice ?

   The only time I have heard of that happening with a Registry Pack is if you did not disable Norton the correct way or if you have RecoveryAngel (which is old software shipped with some computers but no longer around).  It is those programs, not RegVac, that causes the crash.
   Windows does not allow you to restore Restore Points from outside of Windows.
   RegVac actually made a backup before it performed the Registry Pack.  It is in the Windows directory in a System32\RegVac subdirectory.
   The registry is kept in C:\Windows\System32\config.  Usually the file that Norton messes up is system.  If you copy the system file from the RegVac backup to the config directory, it should work (this has to be done in DOS, it will not work while Windows is running).

To Ray and the Forum:  thank you very much for all your helpfull information posted....
I am not running any Symantec AV or other programs, but i am (was) running Trend Micro PC-cillin 2007 AV, ...I did not think to disable it before running the Registry Pack routine.

the question is:  I have an archive file "system" in the Windows\system32\Regvac\Undo> directory ...  Is this the 'Registry file' to copy to the 'config' directory?
Thanks for all your help !
AH

yes

Dear Ray and Forum Group:
I am very pleased to report a successful Windows XP OS recovery.  The process was described in a blog posted by Charlie White, in March 2002:
"Windows XP Crashed? Here's Help
A salvage mission into the depths of Windows XP, explained by a non-geek
By Charlie White*
http://webcast.broadcastnewsroom.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=8658-0

When Windows will not boot, proceed with the Window Installation CD in the  disc D:\ drive
F12 to open the boot to CD Dos screen
select R for the Recovery Console and perform the following DOS commands:

(...THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF CHARLIE'S ARTICLE*...)
md c:\windows\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

Section Addendum Note: In the following commands, we are simply copying some repair (basically default window install) files so that we can get windows XP to boot. (It may look awful and perhaps none of previous setup and programs will show up, but that is fine.) We simply need to make windows runnable so that we can do the next parts (that will restore our full configuration as it was prior to the crash).

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

type EXIT to reboot to Normal Windows.  There is more to the routine described, but this is all I needed to do for a full recovery of the OS.
This procedure worked very well indeed!!!  most of my desktop was recovered fully!!
12/22/2007
*NOTE in the Article by Charlie White: there is an error in his instruction, there is no such c:\windows\repair\system\software  directory.  I have made the correction above.