Windows stores its configuration information in a database called a registry that contains profiles for each user on the computer, information about system hardware, installed programs, and property settings that Windows keeps referencing in its run. Win XP provides a new way to restore the registry, which eliminates the long ordeal of reinstalling Windows after the system is corrupted.
L Restart your computer, and when you see the "Select Startup operating System" message, press the "F8" key.
2. Use the arrow keys to highlight Last Known Good Configuration, and then press ENTER. Num LOCK must be turned off, and the arrow keys on the numeric keypad will work.
3. If you have a dual-boot or multiple-boot system, use the arrow keys to highlight the operating system you want to start, and then press Enter.
When Windows is successfully started, the registry reverts to its state when the computer was last successfully started. Selecting the last Known Good configuration is a way to recover a system from a problem, such as a newly added driver that does not match the hardware, but it does not resolve the problem caused by a corrupted or missing driver or file. and Windows restores only the information in the top hklm\system\currentcontrolset of the registry, and any changes made in other registry keys remain unchanged.