Registry issue....

[Some Guy...]

I was fixing a friends computer and ran a reg checker. When it got
done and I went to Start, Programs, it was blank. Browsing the C drive
and running the .exe manually I discovered the programs are still
there. How do I get start, programs back?

I am running XP, system restore failed. Before I did all this I
manually backed up the registry (using regedit), but when I try to
restore it in safe mode or normal mode, it fails and complains keys
are open and fails. The reg program does not have a 'undo' feature.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Jimmy
CCNA

(e-mail address removed)

 

[Guest]

You can't use Regedit to back up the Registry in XP. You can try Last Good
Config.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307852&Product=winxp
If that doesn't work you can do a repair or reinstallation.

 

[zag]

What do you mean you can't use Regedit to backup the
registry in XP? I just did it about 5 minutes ago.
z --------------------------------------------------

 

[Alex Nichol]

What do you mean you can't use Regedit to backup the
registry in XP? I just did it about 5 minutes ago.

There is no effective way to restore such a Export backup to replace the
present damaged one. The normal registry backup is through System
Restore - which is evidently ineffective in this case. The OP might
manage by booting and hitting F8 at BIOS info goes to black to get the
startup menu and taking 'Last Known Good', but the needed material may
have been lost from there.

But the start menu is the sum of two folders, not in the registry:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu
- communal items - and
C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Start Menu
for those personal to <username>. See if those folders have got
deleted - they might be in the Recycle Bin