Hi there,

I've made a big error and set the permissions on c drive wrongly - with the result that the computer will not boot because the SYSTEM account cannot access C drive

System is running Windows XP SP2.

Is there any way I can reset the permissions without formatting C drive?

Maybe by using software off a CD that will boot the system, or using Recovery Console?

If I will have to format C drive, can you advise the way I should go about doing this and reinstalling.

Many thanks in advance,

Matthew

Welcome to PC Help Forum Matthew

Do you have a default Administrator account that you can log into?
Also, have you looked at the Knoppix boot CD - it comes with many tools that could help you...

I had the same problem except I couldn't access anything except the shutdown menu. No HD access, control panel access, etc. Do you WANT to re-format your HD? Because, remember, you lose everything. If you want to, just make sure you have nothing valuable on the HD or else it will be forever lost. If you would like more information on re-formatting, go to Ehow They will show you step-by-step how to format your HD, but I bet you already know how. Hope this helps!

Hello,

Do you still require help with this issue/question?

Please post back if you do need further assistance.

JB.