deleted old java, websites don't load, but no system restore.

[Guest]

I’ve been hobbling along with a weird setup that I was afraid to address for
fear I would lose the functionality I did have, but now I can’t use many
websites properly. The pages load slowly, won’t let me do things sometimes,
freezes a lot. Just before this happened, I deleted what appeared to be
earlier versions of Java but kept the latest one. Also some seemingly
trivial Windows things like clip art & themes that I don’t like. And since
Add/Remove Programs wasn’t showing up in my control panel, I just deleted
them manually. (Have since created a shortcut to appwiz.cpl on my desktop.)
And emptied the recycle bin b/c I was running so low on memory.

My computer: Dell, Pentium III, 548 MHz, 128 Mb RAM. Originally bought with
Win98, then converted to Windows XP Pro 2002 SP2, MS Office 2000 English
Language Pack (shows system text in Korean). Have run the genuine MS product
validation application to ensure it was an official version, because I can’t
find the CD’s we used to install it.

Big problem: I can’t get to System Restore except to turn it off or change
the settings. And I see on this board Bert Kinney’s link to help me
re-install it (thanks!), but it says all restore points will be purged in the
process. I take it this means it goes back to the very beginning point?
Which would be Win98SE, so I wouldn’t be able to use my D-Link wireless
adapter. If I have a copy of the Trend Micro antivirus upgrade executable
that I bought last month, can I install that?

It’d be nice if I could use one of the system restore points that I must
have somewhere, if I could get to it. What I have in my Restore folder:
rstrui.exe, srdiag.exe, rstrlog.dat, srframe.mmf.

Thank you in advance!!!

Susan

 

[Rich Barry]

Susan, deleting all the Restore Points will not take you back to
Win98SE. You will simply just not have any restore points
to fall back on. Your system will remain the same which in itself is not
good. You could try reinstalling Java. IF you can
remove your drive and attach it to a working computer I will give you
instructions on how to get to a restore point's registry files.


What I would do is first open Windows Explorer. Go to Tools>Folder
Options>View>Click on Show hidden files and folder and

uncheck Hide protected operating system files.

Then open MyComputer>double click on your C:\ drive Icon. You
should now see a System Volume Folder. Keep double

clicking until you get to the RP numbered folders. Choose a numbered RP
folder about five from the highest. In other words

if the folders are numbered from say 1 to 20 choose RP15.

Then double click the folder and you will see a Snapshot folder. Open
and copy the first five Registry Files.

Then go to C:\Windows\System32\Config folder. Open the folder and
find the DEFAULT, SOFTWARE, SAM, SYSTEM

and SECURITY files. Create a new folder and move the files into it. Drag
and Drop them.

Then paste the files you copied from the Snapshot folder into the
Config folder. Finally rename the files by removing the

_REGISTRY_MACHINE_ from each file you copied. That should leave you
with DEFAULT, SOFTWARE, SAM, SYSTEM

and SECURITY files. That's the complete Registry. Then Restart. Good Luck.

 

[Guest]

:

Then go to C:\Windows\System32\Config folder. Open the folder and
find the DEFAULT, SOFTWARE, SAM, SYSTEM

and SECURITY files. Create a new folder and move the files into it. Drag
and Drop them.

Thanks for your quick reply! It won't let me move the above files, though!
Susan

 

[Guest]

I just found the C:\WINDOWS\system32\Restore\rstrui.exe command so I tried
it. Tried to restore to the previous restore point, but it said restoration
failed, and no changes were made. ?

 

[Rich Barry]

Susan, you cannot do it from your own PC. System Protection will prevent
you from tampering with the Registry files.
That's why I said if you can connect your drive to another computer and
do it that way.

 

[Guest]

Sorry, I thought you meant that you'd sent instructions separately if I could
get to another computer. That would be difficult, so I think I'll try
re-installing Java. I saw a link to Sun's site on some older posts here, but
it seems to be from a developer's site. As long as it is Java Runtime
Environment, is it OK for a regular user?

btw, I use Firefox with a "NoScript" extension, which some say is more
bother than it's worth. Do you have an opinion on it, whether it makes
browsing safer?

Thanks again!

Susan

 

[Guest]

also was just wondering - why did you say to choose a folder about 5 dates
earlier than the latest one in the restore folder?

 

[Bert Kinney]

Hi Susan,

Try running System Restore from Safe Mode.

Starting Windows XP in Safe Mode:
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/safemode.html

For users running Norton applications:
"Restoration Incomplete. Your computer cannot be restored . . . "
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/symantecdoc1.html

Here are some additional troubleshooting steps to take when System Restore
fails to restore:
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/srfail.html

Regards,
Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
http://bertk.mvps.org
Member: http://dts-l.org