Mysmasken

Hello! I was downloading a parental control program and accidently installed Registry Cleaner 4.
This download button was bigger than the one I was downloading from download.com and I downloaded it. And ran it.

Ok, not the whole world, what I thought.
I had to restart the computer and after that the computer gives me about 30 seconds to 1 minute before it freezes.

I can get into the restore config, but never finish before it freezes.

I went into safety mode and managed to do it, it restarts and tells me that nothing was changed, it couldn't restore to earlier today, before I installed java or whatever I did.

So what do I do? Can I restore to another date? I tried to click different dates, but it didn't work.

I've found a way to get into normal mode without freezing. If I go to safe mode and restore september 8 it will restart, if I leave for more than a minute before touching it when it restarts, it will work. Until I restart it.

Any ideas what I could do?

It sucks, cause it's not even my computer

Any ideas?

PC eye

Do you have the Windows installation disk on hand? It sounds like a bad install that crossed linked itself to a few system files. The system file checker is one tool that comes along with Windows since 98 that can repair and replace any files damaged or missing.

With the installation disk in the cd drive type "sfc /scannow" at the Run prompt and press enter to start it up. This can take several minutes at times if any are found damaged or missing. For a registy cleaner that won't cause problems there are two that could be advised while the Microsoft RegClean is aloso found at http://www.download.com/RegClean/300...l?tag=pdp_prod

The one that works well without being intrusive on 95, 98, NT 4.0, 2000, and XP is called RegCleaner found at http://www.majorgeeks.com/RegCleaner_d460.html

Mysmasken

No, I don't have the Windows CD. I'm at my moms place and it's her computer.

Should I run what you suggested?

Mysmasken

I ran that and it didn't help.

Any ideas how I can restore to an earlier point? I keep trying but it says it have not whe it reboots

SirKenin

I swear that guy makes this stuff up over a beer and a smoke. Some of it is pretty funny.

I would restore the registry to an earlier point. It will remove all the bad entries and whatever other damage that Registry Cleaner caused. For instruction on how to do this, see the following:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/en-us

There will be five hives to choose from. Maybe aim for number 3.

Mysmasken

Says I need recovery console but I dont have the windows cd...
Any other ways?

And also how to I restore to an earlier point? All points I have tried it only says it haven't been restored...

SirKenin

Ugh, if you don't have the Windows CD you're kind of out of luck. You use that Format command, even to keep the file system intact, your Windows is history and you're up the creek...

A repair install isn't going to fix you up either more than likely. It will save the registry changes that program made.

You need to get your hands on a Windows CD and run the recovery console. Either that or take it in to a shop and let them do it. Trust me, it works. In some extreme cases I've used it myself with great success. You don't need to do all that other nonsense. You'll go to a lot of trouble and end up right back where you started.

Up to you whether you want to take a trip to "China" and back. It doesn't really matter to me if you take my word for it or not.

Mysmasken

Thank you very much for trying to help me.
I ended up formating.

Thanks.

PC eye

OUCH!!! I thought you wanted to get rid of one program? Apparently you didn't read my last response. You only had to first disable it from starting up along with Windows to insure it was inactive and try to either use the uninstaller or add/remove to get it off of the system there. Hope yoiu were able to backup anything needed there.

PC eye

You'll have to ignore the... (other guy's lame remarks) Hopefully everything will work out anyways. But if you get stuck on something else you know where to come for help.