This fix is from Mousetrax at http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=305 and is copied below.

I found myself following these directions and found that the computer I was working on crashed so badly that I had to reinstall Windows. I don't think that this was a problem with the process below, simply that the Windows XP cd I used appeared to contain a different version of Windows XP to the one that was installed. I successfully reset the administrator password but then Windows began endlessly rebooting itself.

Would also like to add that at step 10 I thought the procedure wasn't working as I didn't see an installing devices progress bar. Windows kept installing and then a bit later I did see the installing devices progress bar! It is while the Windows installer has the following radio buttons up on the screen;

• Collecting information
• Dynamic update
• Preparing installation
• Installing Windows
• Finalising installation

It was while Installing Windows was running that I saw the installing devices progress bar.

Also be aware that you can exit the black dos screen by typing exit and then pressing enter. Windows will then continue repairing.

The other point to make is that during the reinstall of Windows over the top of the existing installation I re-created the administrator password and as I chose not to format the hard drive during the install the data was still there in all the folders except for the new Windows folder.

This method is easy enough for newbies to follow – it doesn’t require using the Recovery Console or any complicated commands. And it’s free - I mention that because you can pay two hundred dollars for an emergency dow