Access to root to place boot.ini?

[#1]

Hi,
Thanks to a friend i obtained the jamesgo virus and i was in the process of removing this (very simple) though i made one mistake (i deleted the boot file).  As i now need to login to the recovery console to re-create a boot.ini file i thought this would be easy though i have one problem. The laptop has an admin password that i do not know and you need to know that to login to c:/windows (via the console manager).
So my question is do can you login to the c: root without knowing the admin password as it should only be required for the windows directory (i think thats correct)?
I am 99% sure that i am correct though just want confirmation before i strip my laptop.
Thanks
Mark

[#2]

I'm not sure about loging in to root as the recovery console does expect you to login with the admin password.
Why not just wipe the admin password. Several boot CDs available for download allow you to do this and I have used them in the past when the local admin password was not known.
e.g. this one.
Or boot a linux live cd and access the C drive that way.

[#3]

Thanks peter, i did not even think about going in through linux... should have done really as i have done it before!
This will teach me (again) to do more back up's as all i wanted were my photos
Mark
[Moderator's note by Peter (PJ): Please do not quote the previous post in full, as per the link:rules]

[#4]

In XP's recovery console, unless you have specifically set an admin password, there isn't one. Just hit enter when it asks. At least that's been my experience. (I know nothing about Vista.)
Jim

[#5]

Might be a bit late for you but: http://www.rockxp.org/ could be an alternative.
Patrice

[#6]

Quote

This will teach me (again) to do more back up's as all i wanted were my photos

There's a nice little MS Powertoy program called SyncToy for making backups of photos etc:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalphotography/prophoto/synctoy.mspx
As the name implies it synchronises the files in two separate folders, I use it to backup photos and music downloads onto an external drive, works a treat & the price is right.
Regards,
Neil