Deleted Lsa registry key. Computer no longer runs correctly.

[Spyros Hajisavvas]

Hello,

I am running Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3(RC). I recently got
infected with a virus which I had to clean manually. I got to a point where
the virus was no longer affecting my computer. All that was left was to
delete the registry key/value that was causing a program to autostart at
startup - ddcya.exe. I searched the registry and found a few
occurrences -note that the occurrences were most of the times under a key
named "Lsa"- located under various other key names under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\.

I deleted all of the occurrences (didn't know their purpose at the time) and
now when I boot my computer I get an error message: "lsass.exe Object name
not found".I had another computer with XPSP3 installed so I extracted the
deleted keys and restored them trough a bootable Windows CD that allows you
to access the registry (because I couldn't even access my computer trough
safe mode). That didn't do anything. Now I do not get the error message
mentioned above anymore. Now simply before the login screen the computer
restarts.

Last I tried a repair trough my original XP SP2 CD but I still cannot get
trough. The re-installation process has been left unfinished.

Please advice.

Thanks in advance,
Spyros

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Hello,

I am running Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3(RC). I recently got
infected with a virus which I had to clean manually. I got to a point
where the virus was no longer affecting my computer. All that was left was
to delete the registry key/value that was causing a program to autostart
at startup - ddcya.exe. I searched the registry and found a few
occurrences -note that the occurrences were most of the times under a key
named "Lsa"- located under various other key names under
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\.

I deleted all of the occurrences (didn't know their purpose at the time)
and now when I boot my computer I get an error message: "lsass.exe Object
name not found".I had another computer with XPSP3 installed so I extracted
the deleted keys and restored them trough a bootable Windows CD that
allows you to access the registry (because I couldn't even access my
computer trough safe mode). That didn't do anything. Now I do not get the
error message mentioned above anymore. Now simply before the login screen
the computer restarts.

Last I tried a repair trough my original XP SP2 CD but I still cannot get
trough. The re-installation process has been left unfinished.

Please advice.

Thanks in advance,
Spyros

You may have found out the hard way not to play with the
registry unless you know exactly what you're doing. Normally
you can use System Restore to recover from such an event.
In your case this is not possible because Windows will no
longer start. The alternative is to restore the registry manually,
using the method described here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545
In your case I'm not sure that it will work because after
damaging your registry, you went through a re-installation
process with may have further damaged the registry or a
number of system files. If it does not work then you should
do this:
1. Back up all your important files, including your EMail files.
2. Re-install Windows, allowing the disk to be formatted.

 

[Spyros Hajisavvas]

I'll try to restore the registry manually and if it does not work I'll make
a new fresh installation of XP.
Thanks for the tip, I guess I'll have to keep that in mind.

 

[Just.some.guy]

If windows won't start, how do you back up your files? I have some files in
another computer I'd like, but the registry got all messed up, and I just
said the heck with it and bought another computer. But if I *knew* how to
get those files, I would.

 

[Terry R.]

The date and time was 1/30/2008 4:31 PM, and on a whim, Just.some.guy
pounded out on the keyboard:

If windows won't start, how do you back up your files? I have some files in
another computer I'd like, but the registry got all messed up, and I just
said the heck with it and bought another computer. But if I *knew* how to
get those files, I would.

Install the hard drive from the old computer into the new one as a slave.

--
Terry R.

***Reply Note***
Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.
Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.

 

[Just.some.guy]

The date and time was 1/30/2008 4:31 PM, and on a whim, Just.some.guy
pounded out on the keyboard:


Install the hard drive from the old computer into the new one as a slave.

Oh...that simple huh? Well thanks

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Oh...that simple huh? Well thanks

The larger issue (which I did not previously mention) is that if
you have important files on your disk and if you want to run a
robust show then you must back up these important files
to an independent medium regularly (e.g. weekly). Waiting with
the backup until you have a disaster is just plain . . .