Accidently installed Registry Cleaner

M

Mysmasken

New Member
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?
 
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/3000-2094_4-881470.html?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
 
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.
 
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...
 
PC eye said:
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/3000-2094_4-881470.html?tag=pdp_prod
Click to expand...

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 :(
 
Besides learning another method of backing up and restoring the system registry, http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=322756 You could try a manual startup of the system restore from the safe mode command promt only option found in the boot menu. Once you are at the promt there simply type in: "[systemroot]\system32\restore\rstrui.exe" and press the enter key. Follow the onscreen instructions that come up from there.
 
I can get to the restore part, it just wont restore to any date I chose.
Like I just chose sometime in June and it will reboot and say "could not be restored".

So I went to the site you suggested. It says how to take safetycopies of the registry, but how do I know what keys to restore?
 
Great, I can't even make a backup.
It fails because it can't take some printscreen of some restore stuff.
It's all in Swedish, sigh.

I guess I will have to "get" a windows cd, but she doesnt even have a cd-burner installed.

Would it help to repair her windows with the CD?
 
Mysmasken said:
Great, I can't even make a backup.
It fails because it can't take some printscreen of some restore stuff.
It's all in Swedish, sigh.

I guess I will have to "get" a windows cd, but she doesnt even have a cd-burner installed.

Would it help to repair her windows with the CD?
Click to expand...

Some will see the best results with the "install to repair" method outlined in the article seen at http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm The problem is there you would need the original installation disk due to the product key in order to save the current installation. What this does is restore the system files without removing all software installations. Without a working restore point this would be the best move. But you still need an installation disk there.
 
The repair method will want the original product key entered when the numbers have to be entered again. XP is unlike the older versions where now one disk for one machine is the policy there. Businesses however buy licenses for multiple machines called a corporate license. You can but a license for upto 15 systems direct from MS.

This was done to slowdown software piracy. Sorry I don't make the rules there. Fortunately you can find good prices now on full install disks for under $90US at some online vendors. You are better off looking for a deal now with Vista coming out soon and have a full installation disk right there instead of going through the hassles of trying to solve sometimes unsolvable problems where you have to use a method like a repair install if not a total reinstallation of everything.

The alternative method for advanced users only is to manually edit the system registry to locate and remove any values there for the program itself and that one program alone. If there is no uninstaller link seen in the listing in Programs the add/remove seen in the Control Panel is the usual method.

The one thing no one has suggested until now is to remove it from the startup list found in "Settings\Task bar and Start menu\Customise". Along with removing it from the startup listings there the msconfig utility allows you to disable it from starting up along with Windows. Once these things are tried you may be able to use the add/remove method to get rid of it totally. Remember to delete any folder seen in Program Files afterwards.
 
So now I wanted to try to repair with Windows CD.
I booted from CD and didn't get a repair option.
I get:
Press Enter if you want to install XP on this partition
Press C if you want to create a partition
Press D if you want to remove partition

So the guide said to chose the one with XP already installed, and it would repair instead.

I do so and I get
Formate NTFS (fast)
Format FAT (fast)
Format NTFS
Format FAT
Convert to NTFS
Keep actual filesystem

Should I chose the last one? Means it wont format anything?
 
Mysmasken said:
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...
Click to expand...

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

Thanks.
Click to expand...

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

Thanks.
Click to expand...

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.
 
As usual you led him on a wild Google chase because you had no clue what you were doing. He made the mistake of believing you knew what you were talking about (as do others) because you quote a bunch of drivel from your search results without thinking about how it applies. None of it worked, so he gave up. Like I said, when all else fails, format. And that's exactly what he did.

The only person to blame here is you. :rolleyes: No offence or anything dude, but I would get frustrated too.
 
SirKenin said:
As usual you led him on a wild Google chase because you had no clue what you were doing. He made the mistake of believing you knew what you were talking about (as do others) because you quote a bunch of drivel from your search results without thinking about how it applies. None of it worked, so he gave up. Like I said, when all else fails, format. And that's exactly what he did.

The only person to blame here is you. :rolleyes: No offence or anything dude, but I would get frustrated too.
Click to expand...

It's funny that you were the one dicussing the "format" command when that wasn't even needed in most cases. :rolleyes: The idea was to find a working alternative since the system lacked an installation disk to begin with. But apparently that slips past you too easily. :confused:
 
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