BAD_POOL_CALLER, Dual XP Installation...

Hi all,

This is a very long and complicated issue, and I'm at a wits end with this!
I've tried many remedies, and spent hours trying to fix this..

Yesterday my XP Home SP2 PC wouldnt boot. It'd get to the starting windows
screen, and then go to a BSOD, with BAD_POOL_CALLER error message. If left
unattended, the PC would have simply rebooted over and over, as it restarts
within 3 seconds of the BSOD coming up.

I tried the F8 menu, and tried every single boot option there, each
returning the same error. The next step was to try the OEM system recovery
option (stored on a pratition). Both their options failed to remedy the
situation - Restore Boot Information and O/S system file restore. There is a
final option within this menu, a 'return to factory state', which I want to
ignore...

I then used the recovery disk that came with the PC. Managed to boot from CD
and enter the setup menu. I wanted to repair the installation, but got
frightened off by the message saying I might lose some or all of my user
data. I proceeded to do a new install, to a seperate windows folder (winxp08).

The installation went fine. When I boot up now, I have two Windows XP
options to choose to boot from. The old installation still doesnt work, but
the new one boots fine. Its a bit bare, but managed to install drivers for
gfx, networking etc.

What can I do to repair the older, faulty installation of windows? The
typical BSOD mesasge (hardware changes, BIOS settings) don't apply, as the
last time I used my PC, i hadn't made any changes and shut down normally.

Additionally, when i boot into the working windows installation, I cannot
access my old User Folder within documents and settings. Its saying access is
denied, but I didnt have a password on the account.

I would quite gladly wipe the hole HD and restore to factory if I could keep
what was in my old user folder.

Sorry for the very long post. I hope I have everything in there to concoct a
suitable

remedy!

-Greg