Registry overwritten by Win XP repair program, please help!

[Guest]

Stupidly, I made changes to the registry without making a backup of it first.
The computer wouldn't boot after that. So I purchased an OEM Windows XP disk
and ran the repair program after reading that my configuration files and
applications would be left intact. So now, the computer boots, but the
registry was overwritten and I have to start from scratch.

My God and my wife forgive me. It's my wife's computer that I messed up. I
should've restored the registry from the recovery console, but I wasn't
thinking clearly and now it's too late.

Almost nothing works as before. MS Internet Explorer doesn't access the
world wide web. The search program terminates unexpectedly. A message appears
on the screen when Windows starts that says "SQL server could not find the
specified named instance (VAIO_VEDB) - please specify the name of an existing
instance on the invocation of sqlserver.exe." About the only program that
still works is MS Outlook Express.

A friend of mine tried to help me find the registry file automatically
backed up before the debacle. But the only registry files I could find in the
windows folder are dated after the debacle occurred.

What's my best course of action? Should I reinstall windows? Is there yet a
way to find and restore the original registry? How can I get programs like
MSIE to work? I'm too distraught now to solve the problem on my own. I'd be
grateful for your help.

 

[Guest]

Your browser might work if you clear the cache.
Clear the IE cache. (IE, tools, Options, Delete Files button, include
offline content.)
You may even need to use CLEANMGR.exe (from start/run)
That error may clear up after that, but if not, I would try Autoruns to see
what you might find to identify that.
AutoRuns for Windows v8.61:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/SystemInformation/Autoruns.mspx

 

[John Wunderlich]

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Stupidly, I made changes to the registry without making a backup
of it first. The computer wouldn't boot after that. So I purchased
an OEM Windows XP disk and ran the repair program after reading
that my configuration files and applications would be left intact.
So now, the computer boots, but the registry was overwritten and I
have to start from scratch.

My God and my wife forgive me. It's my wife's computer that I
messed up. I should've restored the registry from the recovery
console, but I wasn't thinking clearly and now it's too late.

Almost nothing works as before. MS Internet Explorer doesn't
access the world wide web. The search program terminates
unexpectedly. A message appears on the screen when Windows starts
that says "SQL server could not find the specified named instance
(VAIO_VEDB) - please specify the name of an existing instance on
the invocation of sqlserver.exe." About the only program that
still works is MS Outlook Express.

A friend of mine tried to help me find the registry file
automatically backed up before the debacle. But the only registry
files I could find in the windows folder are dated after the
debacle occurred.

What's my best course of action? Should I reinstall windows? Is
there yet a way to find and restore the original registry? How can
I get programs like MSIE to work? I'm too distraught now to solve
the problem on my own. I'd be grateful for your help.

Have you tried System Restore?

Start->Programs->Accessories->System Tools->System Restore

HTH,
John

 

[Guest]

Yes, and the last restore point is dated after the XP repair program was run.

 

[John Wunderlich]

=?Utf-8?B?YWNjb3JkZW9uaXN0ZQ==?=

Yes, and the last restore point is dated after the XP repair
program was run.

Then you're probably SOL.
System Restore keeps its data in the folder:
C:\System Volume Information
That can only be viewed by enabling hidden files/folders AND by
unchecking "hide protected operating system files".... and even then
you'll have to change permissions to get a look in there.

I would have booted with a Live Linux CD and backed up those files
before attempting any repair.

Sorry & Good Luck,
John

 

[Guest]

Thank you for your reply, John.

You're right, I should've copied the files first. I could've done it either
in Linux or in the recovery console. Now, apparently, the registry files have
been overwritten.

Is that what's supposed to happen with the XP repair program?

I couldn't find the C:\System Volume Information folder, even after enabling
display of hidden files.

Would I be better off reinstalling Windows XP at this point? Hardly anything
is working in this "repaired" version.

Gary

 

[Guest]

Hi John,

Okay, I found the System Volume Information folder and was able to restore
the prior registry. So now the system works more or less as it did before the
debacle. It's MUCH better than it was right after the repair program ran.
Thanks for your help with this.

But these nagging problems remain:

1 the OEM version of XP I just installed isn't activated. The Programs ->
Accessories -> system tools -> Activate option isn't available.

2 Two programs won't run: the weather channel program and Skype. Both ran
fine before.

3 I can't uninstall or install MS Office. When I try to, it says the
Windows Installer servce doesn't work. However, other programs can be
installed and uninstalled.

4 A message shows up saying there's no default Mail program, even though I
selected MS Outlook Express as the default.

I ran a registry cleaner program and it cleaned the registry, but I still
have these problems. Is this because the system isn't activated, or does it
have to do with the OEM installation?

Gary

 

[Peter Foldes]

Now you learned the wisdom why not to run any Registry Cleaning tools. They will cause more problems than they are supposed to fix. Lucky you are able to boot.

The only way that I know of getting back your system to work properly in your case after using the Reg tool leaner that caused these errors is to save all your important Data and re-install your system cleanly.

 

[Serdar Yegulalp]

Now you learned the wisdom why not to run any Registry Cleaning tools. They will cause more problems than they are supposed to fix. Lucky you are able to boot.

The only way that I know of getting back your system to work properly in your case after using the Reg tool leaner that caused these errors is to save all your important Data and re-install your system cleanly.

I'd make an exception for something like CCLeaner, which gives you the
option to back up the reg entries you're cleaning out. Of course, it
doesn't help if you don't elect to do that ...

 

[Peter Foldes]

I would not. Even with CCleaner you can get messed up. I seen it numerous times. Backing up the Reg files will not help you when you are not able to boot. Happens to quite a few. Stay away from ANY Reg Cleaning tools.

 

[4wunders]

Hi John,

Okay, I found the System Volume Information folder and was able to restore
the priorregistry. So now the system works more or less as it did before the
debacle. It's MUCH better than it was right after the repair program ran.
Thanks for your help with this.

But these nagging problems remain:

1 the OEM version of XP I just installed isn't activated. The Programs ->
Accessories -> system tools -> Activate option isn't available.

2 Two programs won't run: the weather channel program and Skype. Both ran
fine before.

3 I can't uninstall or install MS Office. When I try to, it says the
Windows Installer servce doesn't work. However, other programs can be
installed and uninstalled.

4 A message shows up saying there's no default Mail program, even though I
selected MS Outlook Express as the default.

I ran aregistrycleaner program and it cleaned theregistry, but I still
have these problems. Is this because the system isn't activated, or does it
have to do with the OEM installation?

Gary

Good. You were able to find the old restore points.
More than one hive must be replaced when restoring this way.
Try the advice in the following MS KB article and see if you can get
the system restore program to recognize old restore points, and if
so,
re-run system restore

"System restore points are unavailable after you restore the Software
registry hive on a Windows XP-based computer"
<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/915157/en-us>

HTH,
John

 

[Guest]

I found out what caused the problems with Microsoft's help. First, my
IEXPLORE 7 was corrupted. This caused the errors described below. Second, the
Windows activation program was somehow deleted when I ran the XP repair
program. These commands that I received from the MS tech restored it:

regsvr32 urlmon.dll
regsvr32 jscript.dll
regsvr32 vbscript.dll

After that was done, I no longer saw the errors I described and the system
ran as before.

All that was left to do was to reactivate the system. Unfortunately, I
couldn't activate it over the Internet with either the original product key
or the new OEM key. The MS tech advised me that I might have to purchase a
retail version of Win XP. Or I'd have to perform a clean installation of Win
XP with the OEM version. To avoid either of those unpleasant alternatives, I
ran the activation program again and selected phone activation. The phone
support technician gave me an activation ID to enter. It worked.