Please help! Cannot complete bootup into XP SP2 in any modes...

[lestatar]

Hi all, desperate for some help here - hope all is well as I have not had to post here in ages.

WINXP PRO SP2 [all patches current]

In a nutshell, I believe that my issue is related to the problem described here, with SPTD.sys and a registry setting:
http://www.greatis.com/security/What%20is%20SPTD%23%23%23%23.sys.htm

and

http://www.daemonpro-help.com/en/problems_and_solutions/registry_and_sptd_problems.html

I recall recently deleting a file with this similar name: SPTD9885.SYS from my system.

Things were running fine for several days.  However, tonight I simply restarted my machine and now I am unable to boot into XP either normally or in Safe Mode, no success under any profiles.

The behavior is one I have never encountered before:  The login screen appears normally in all modes, I can attempt to log in under all profiles, but once the process begins and before the START bar or desktop icons appear, the machine immediately initiates a LOGOFF/SHUTDOWN.  The last message I see is CLOSING NETWORK CONNECTIONS and I am thrown back into the login/profiles screen.

- There is no blue screen error.
- This infinite loop occurs in all boot modes.

I have:
- Done an inplace REPAIR INSTALLATION with no results - I still cannot complete the XP bootup sequence after login.
- I do not have Recovery Console installed [and in fact have been unable to install it - so I could use help with this as well in case this could be productive].

I have reason to believe that this may be the cause of my problems as the SPTD.sys file described is installed on my system [I do believe I have Daemon tools installed, though I never really use it]. 

I have been able to successfully rename the SPTD.SYS file in c:\window\system32\ to SPTD.OLD but I suspect the registry entries are still causing my issues as the inability to complete bootup persists.

Formatting the machine is not an option - using XP CD I can see my data/partitions/disks are fine.  CHKDSK /R has been successfully run with no errors.

I am unclear how to access the registry to locate and delete the entries [or even to attempt] the steps in either of the possible solutions above. 

Can someone please assist me with step-by-step instructions on how to access my registry from outside of XP so I can try and find and remove any of the offending entries?

Or am I going about this completely wrong and there are other options to explore?

Desperately need help/advice.

tia,
-lestatar

[patio]

Uninstall Daemon tools...
Re0boot and run Revo Uninstaller to get rid of any stray files from it...
Then go to Start/Run and type in sfc /scannow and hit Enter...
Have your XP CD handy as it will ask for it.
When it finishes remove the CD and re-boot.

Recovery Console Guide...

Hope this helps...

[lestatar]

Patio, thanks so much for the response.

However, I am unclear as to how to proceed with your suggestions. 

Given that I cannot stay logged into XP as I originally described [as soon as I select a profile, enter the password under any mode, the boot process begins but never completes to Windows desktop, instead bouncing me immediately back to the XP Login screen], how do I:

- Uninstall Daemon Tools?
- How do I run Revo Uninstaller?
- How do I access Start/Run and launch SystemFileChecker?

Also, as for Recovery Console....How can I install Recovery Console directly from my XP CD?  The link you include describes the process from within XP [which I cannot get into].

Thanks so much again - this really does appear to be an odd issue and I really can use all your help please.

-lestatar


EDIT:  I forgot to add that one of the first things I already attempted was to use F8 and select Last Known Good Configuration to try and enter XP.  The result is the same as I described above.

[patio]

Boot to F8 and choose safe mode with networking...then follow the steps outlined...

[patio]

And Here  is the guide to installing it from the CD...

[lestatar]

Boot to F8 and choose safe mode with networking...then follow the steps outlined...

Hi Patio:  Just tried this. 

The result is the same.

- F8 to Safe/w networking
- select profile, enter password
- settings begin loading then process aborts, network connections close and I am kicked back to login screen

Simply unable to remain in XP atm...

perplexed,
-lestatar

[patio]

At the PWord prompt try just hitting Enter...this should get you to the hidden Admin account with full priveledges...

[lestatar]

At the PWord prompt try just hitting Enter...this should get you to the hidden Admin account with full priveledges...

Hi Patio, still no joy.

Booting to Safe w/networking, I see 2 accounts, Administrator and Henry.  Selecting either and pressing "enter" does not allow me to log in at all.

thank you again for your continuing assistance,
-lestatar

[patio]

Do you have a password for the Admin account ? ? If so this is where the changes need to be made...

[lestatar]

Do you have a password for the Admin account ? ? If so this is where the changes need to be made...

Patio, yes, I do have a password for the Administrator account.  Entering the password beings the login process, but still results in the same effect, where the XP does not complete loading to desktop and I get tossed out to the safe w/networking login screen.

[lestatar]

All/mods, this topic can be closed or marked SOLVED.

I was able to resolve my issue with guidance from ##windows on freenode irc.

For information sake, the steps described starting here [especially from Step 4 on] were 100% successful in my case.  Following them to the letter allowed me to to fully boot into SAFE mode and then make the registry changes indicated in the links in my first post.

http://saveme.danfischbach.com/safemode

Thanks so much again [Patio] and hopefully this info may be useful to others who encounter the same thing.

regards,
-lestatar

[patio]

Good to hear you're fixed up...