Terry's Computer Tips - Newsletter
May 27, 2007
Volume 2, Number 50 — Sunday, May 27, 2007
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
3. Windows Registry sam File Repair
As a followup to the first article, Harold wrote me to say:
Thanks for taking the time to send the valuable info about hard drive. I thought I would try and explain the registry corruption, since it was not clear.
Upon booting one morning after using the computer the afternoon before, I got to the welcome screen and there were no user accounts for me to click on and finish the boot process. This had happened once before so I did what I did before. I removed the hard drive from the computer and put it into the external usb hard drive enclosure (one of my most useful purchases to date, which you recommended) and got the registry file 'Sam' from the Repair folder that windows creates after XP is first installed. I copied that file to the Window/system32/config folder. (I had renamed the existing file as sam_old.) After putting the HD back into the computer I was able to get back into it. Windows did, however, revert back to the way it was right after XP was installed. (no user accounts) But I was able to get back into the PC and am still using it until it happens again or I replace the hard drive.
Thought this might be helpful to someone else in the future. Thanks again.
Harold
Thanks, Harold. This very well may help another reader in the future.
The Windows Registry "sam" file, for most Windows XP computers, is found in the C:\WINDOWS\repair folder, along with a few more backup copies of critical files.
The name of the file is sam — no extension, no capitalization, just sam. The name stands for Security Account Manager and the file contains information stored in the registry HKLM\SAM key about the Security Accounts Manager (SAM) service.
Readers might want to check this article (KB307545) at the Microsoft Knowledge Base, which discusses the sam file.
In particular, the repair procedure in KB307545 advises you to COPY the current sam file (and some other files) as backups before you do the copying that Harold did.
That way, you can at least return to the versions that you had, if the "repair" versions aren't what you expect — your computer's manufacturer might have created different default IDs, for example.
4. Outlook, Outlook Express and Usenet News
Reader Greg H. wrote me about a problem he as having reading Usenet newsgroups.
Hey Terry-
Seems like my newsgroup access has gone away. I'm running XP Pro and never had trouble like this before. Usually, I'd launch Outlook, click on View, then News>Go To and go from there. Now, the News option in the dropdown is completely missing. I am with the same internet provider and haven't really changed anything. I reinstalled Outlook 2000 but nothing changed. Can you help here?
Thanks,
Greg
Greg's first problem is that Outlook really is not a newsreader. Outlook Express is, though, and Microsoft made provisions for Outlook to use Outlook Express for Usenet news.
From Outlook 2003's Help:
Start the newsgroup reader
The first time you use the newsreader, you must add the News command to the Go menu.
- Add the News command to the Go menu.
- How?
- * On the Standard toolbar (toolbar: A bar with buttons and options that you use to carry out commands. To display a toolbar, press ALT and then SHIFT+F10.), click the Toolbar Options arrow .
- Point to Add or Remove Buttons, and then click Customize.
- Click the Commands tab.
- In the Categories list, click Go.
- In the Commands list, click News, and drag it, without releasing the mouse, until it rests over the Go menu. When the menu displays a list of commands, point to where you want the command to appear, and then release the mouse.
- Click the Go menu, and then click News.
(click on the image for a larger version)
Personally, I use Agent, which is available in a free or paid version (I use the paid version). I find it is much friendlier than OE's newsreading functions. You can download Agent from Forte Inc's site - http://www.forteinc.com
I tried their APN news service for a while and found it kept messages longer than cox.net did. But, then I switched over to giganews.com — huge retention times and they're FAST.
See these related articles:
- Usenet = Internet News = News Groups
- What programs can I use to read Usenet News?
- Software Review: Agent Usenet Newsreader
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Volume 2, Number 50 — Sunday, May 27, 2007
Copyright © 2007 Terry A. Stockdale. All rights reserved.
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