App to change XP Registry, IE entries to default

[Guest]

On a new XP install the registry was backed up before anything else was
installed.

What good is it to export the registry if you import it and it does not
change / delete the hi-jacked entries in the registry?

After a PC has been spy botted or hi-jacked - how can you delete that entire
registry and import the registry you exported for a day such as this?

Is it possible to delete the XP registry and import the backed-up registry.

Is there an App to change XP Registry, IE entries to the default?

 

[Ted Zieglar]

It does no good at all. Exporting the registry is not the same thing as
backing up. When you import, whether a single key or an entire registry, you
are merging. Any additional keys created since exporting continue to exist.

Furthermore, spyware buries itself in other places besides the registry, so
restoring the registry alone is not going to restore you to a spyware-free
state.

Neverthless, you are on the right track. What you want to do is to backup
your entire system partition (presuming it is known to be spyware- and
virus-free). This is what you want to restore if you are unable to rid
yourself of spyware. Obviously, you want to backup your system partition
often, so that your backup will be current.

Backing up a system partition is most easily accomplished, IMHO, with
imaging software. An "image" is an exact bit for bit copy of a partition -
or an entire disk if you want. You can restore the image in minutes
(literally). It's the only proven method of time travel.

Look at Symantec's Norton Ghost or Acronis' True Image. Just be aware that
imaging is not a simple thing, so be sure you read the documentation
thoroughly before using this software. And I mean thoroughly.

To give an example: Yesterday I had a software install go south on me. Who
cares - I restored my system partition in minutes and was back in action as
if nothing happened.

If you want a registry with all the default settings, do a clean install.
Restoring an image works much faster.