Linux & windows xp Booting Problem

[sly]

Hi I'm new to these boards
I used to have Mandrake 9.2 installed on one partition on my computer
and Windows XP on the other. Then one day I decided to try redhat 8.0 so I installed it
over mandrake after redhat finished Installing I went to the Grub bootloader and the name
for my Windows XP partition was changed to NT so I selected NT anyways because it was my XP partition.

and to my suprise it said the file hal.dll is Missing or corrupt
I then Installed Mandrake 9.0 (I lost the 9.2 cd) Thinking it would fix the error
though now when I try to start x the screen just crashes even if I select the correct configuration in the drakconf command. so I went into the command and went into my
mounted windows drive and in the root I saw the file boot.ini had been modified by redhat
lucky enough it made a copy of the original boot.ini before it was edited. I cant overwrite the
copy of the file and replace it with the original and when I try to edit it. using the vi command it pretends to overwite the file and save though when I go back into it using the vi command the file is just the same....is there some way I can replace the file through the command

I know there has to be a way because Redhat edited the original and save a copy of it before hand. and once WINE edited the windows registry. So I would like to give it a shot at fixing my system before paying alot of money for some one to come over and do it for me.

I have tried inserting the windows xp disk at startup to fix it. Though I get error " 7 "
and when I insert a windows 98 boot disk to fix it. It says C:\ is a Invalid Drive Specicfication.

I DONT WANT TO FORMAT MY COMPUTER because it has alot of important files.
if some one could please help I would be greatfull.
Thank you

[Ricky]

Man.. You don't need to format you computer at all.

What you have to do to first recover your winXP then install your Redhat or Mandrake as per your requirements.

To recover your XP you have to RUN "recovery console" using winXP installation CD then type "/fixboot " and "fix mbr" or rather see M$ website for "NTLDR MISSSING" option.

Then again reinstall your Linux ..
RH never alter boot.ini .. it has to do nothing with it.

Lastly. .. give a close look to Booting Linux from windows bootloader b'coz that contains solution to your problem..

[sly]

Thanks, I got another xp cd off a friend wich works. though now when I try to fix it
it asks me for my adminastrator password. I dont even think I set one so I just pressed return though it didn't work. I only know how to change the password for XP using safe mode though I dont know how to do it in linux. I tryed some password changing app from  on a floppy drive wich never worked do you have any tips on how to recover/change my password or know of any working programs wich can do so

thanks again, sly

[Ricky]

Well without password u can't recover ntld .. btw.. search for that answer in some windows forum.. that can u recover winXP without knowing admin password or not !!

Other is simple and straight forward

[sly]

are you trying to say there's no such linux apllication that can find an admin password for windows?

[Ricky]

are you trying to say there's no such linux apllication that can find an admin password for windows?

As i said..  i have no idea about that !!

[sly]

are you trying to say there's no such linux apllication that can find an admin password for windows?

As i said..  i have no idea about that !!

Are you trying to say you have no idea about that?

[Ricky]

Yes.. I don't have idea in that concern .. may  be some other knows..

[GNUrag]

are you trying to say there's no such linux apllication that can find an admin password for windows?

You can try john the ripper for windows.
There are many more unix/windows based utilities that claim to crach windows passwords.
look at http://neworder.box.sk