restoring registry

[Haley]

Hello-
This weekend I was attempting to fix some problems I was
having with my FTP program as well as some hi-jackers
that had changed my registry keys. Somewhere I read that
I could first export the existing keys on the system
(just in case), then import the registry from another
computer.

This did fix the problem with the FTP program, and I
ended up editing the HOSTS file to block the hi-jacking
websites from loading. However, upon rebooting, I was:

#1 asked to activate Windows XP again. I did this over
the phone explaining the situation to customer service.

#2 Several things are missing and/or not working
correctly. Like both CD drives, of which I can't even get
new updated drivers to get them working, along with
Outlook which keeps asking me for the installation disk
even though if I cancel the request, the program works
fine.

I have since realized the error in importing another
system's registry, but I am now unable to restore the
original one that I exported as a back up. Everytime I
attempt to do this, it gives me an error that not all
things could be replaced because the system is currently
using certan processes.

Is there some way to completely delete the registry
existing now, which is a merger of registrys from 2
different machines, and just be able to load the
saved .reg file I have saved before I started all of this
junk?

If not, what suggestions do you have to fix this? Would
re-installing Windows XP fix everything? If I reinstall,
will I lose any current files on my computer?

I cannot restore the whole operating system through
backup>system state because that option was never
previously installed on the computer before all this
started.

Please help! I promise never to touch the registry files
again!
Any comments are appreciated!
Thank you


(e-mail address removed)

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

You'll need to start over from scratch and perform a "clean install".

The Windows XP CD is bootable and contains all the tools necessary
to partition and format your drive. Follow this procedure and allow
Windows XP to partition and format your drive:

NOTE: It would be best to physically disconnect all your peripheral hardware
devices, except the monitor, mouse and keyboard, before installing XP.

1. Open your BIOS and set your "CD Drive as the first bootable device".

===> Accessing Motherboard BIOS
===> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

2. Insert your Windows XP CD in the CD Drive and reboot your computer.
3. You'll see a message to boot to the CD....follow the instructions.
4. The setup menu will appear and you should elect to delete the existing
Windows partitions, then create a new partition, then format the primary
partition (preferably NTFS) and proceed to install Windows XP.

5. Clean Install Windows XP
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

[Courtesy of Michael Stevens, MS-MVP]

6. After Windows XP is installed, visit the Windows Update website
and download the available "Critical Updates".

7. After installing the critical updates, be sure and visit the support website
of the manufacturer of the computer to download and install any
available Windows XP compatible drivers, such as video adapter
and audio drivers.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------


| Hello-
| This weekend I was attempting to fix some problems I was
| having with my FTP program as well as some hi-jackers
| that had changed my registry keys. Somewhere I read that
| I could first export the existing keys on the system
| (just in case), then import the registry from another
| computer.
|
| This did fix the problem with the FTP program, and I
| ended up editing the HOSTS file to block the hi-jacking
| websites from loading. However, upon rebooting, I was:
|
| #1 asked to activate Windows XP again. I did this over
| the phone explaining the situation to customer service.
|
| #2 Several things are missing and/or not working
| correctly. Like both CD drives, of which I can't even get
| new updated drivers to get them working, along with
| Outlook which keeps asking me for the installation disk
| even though if I cancel the request, the program works
| fine.
|
| I have since realized the error in importing another
| system's registry, but I am now unable to restore the
| original one that I exported as a back up. Everytime I
| attempt to do this, it gives me an error that not all
| things could be replaced because the system is currently
| using certan processes.
|
| Is there some way to completely delete the registry
| existing now, which is a merger of registrys from 2
| different machines, and just be able to load the
| saved .reg file I have saved before I started all of this
| junk?
|
| If not, what suggestions do you have to fix this? Would
| re-installing Windows XP fix everything? If I reinstall,
| will I lose any current files on my computer?
|
| I cannot restore the whole operating system through
| backup>system state because that option was never
| previously installed on the computer before all this
| started.
|
| Please help! I promise never to touch the registry files
| again!
| Any comments are appreciated!
| Thank you

 

[Guest]

When I do a "clean install" this will take off everything
I have currently on the computer, such as programs and
files, correct? How can I go about backing these up if my
cd-rw drives are not recognized?

-----Original Message-----
You'll need to start over from scratch and perform a "clean install".

The Windows XP CD is bootable and contains all the tools necessary
to partition and format your drive. Follow this procedure and allow
Windows XP to partition and format your drive:

NOTE: It would be best to physically disconnect all your peripheral hardware
devices, except the monitor, mouse and

keyboard, before installing XP.

1. Open your BIOS and set your "CD Drive as the first bootable device".

===> Accessing Motherboard BIOS
===> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

2. Insert your Windows XP CD in the CD Drive and reboot your computer.
3. You'll see a message to boot to the CD....follow the instructions.
4. The setup menu will appear and you should elect to delete the existing
Windows partitions, then create a new partition, then format the primary
partition (preferably NTFS) and proceed to install Windows XP.

5. Clean Install Windows XP
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

[Courtesy of Michael Stevens, MS-MVP]

6. After Windows XP is installed, visit the Windows Update website
and download the available "Critical Updates".

7. After installing the critical updates, be sure and visit the support website
of the manufacturer of the computer to download and install any
available Windows XP compatible drivers, such as video adapter
and audio drivers.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

--------------------------------------------------------- -----------------


| Hello-
| This weekend I was attempting to fix some problems I was
| having with my FTP program as well as some hi-jackers
| that had changed my registry keys. Somewhere I read that
| I could first export the existing keys on the system
| (just in case), then import the registry from another
| computer.
|
| This did fix the problem with the FTP program, and I
| ended up editing the HOSTS file to block the hi- jacking
| websites from loading. However, upon rebooting, I was:
|
| #1 asked to activate Windows XP again. I did this over
| the phone explaining the situation to customer service.
|
| #2 Several things are missing and/or not working
| correctly. Like both CD drives, of which I can't even get
| new updated drivers to get them working, along with
| Outlook which keeps asking me for the installation disk
| even though if I cancel the request, the program works
| fine.
|
| I have since realized the error in importing another
| system's registry, but I am now unable to restore the
| original one that I exported as a back up. Everytime I
| attempt to do this, it gives me an error that not all
| things could be replaced because the system is currently
| using certan processes.
|
| Is there some way to completely delete the registry
| existing now, which is a merger of registrys from 2
| different machines, and just be able to load the
| saved .reg file I have saved before I started all of this
| junk?
|
| If not, what suggestions do you have to fix this? Would
| re-installing Windows XP fix everything? If I reinstall,
| will I lose any current files on my computer?
|
| I cannot restore the whole operating system through
| backup>system state because that option was never
| previously installed on the computer before all this
| started.
|
| Please help! I promise never to touch the registry files
| again!
| Any comments are appreciated!
| Thank you

.

 

[Durand]

Haley,

Ouch! I feel your pain, and Carey is right: you do need to reinstall.
There are two (three) ways of going about it. One is the 'format and
install' approach which is the cleanest of them all but time consuming.
The second is the "dirty re-install" approach, which is basically
reinstalling windows into the original install but wiping it's registry
with a clean one. The files from any third party software still remains
and would have to be reinstalled anyway. Time consuming as well. The
third is the repair install, which wouldn't help you now as you have a
merged registry and all this would do is save your settings and registry
as much as possible while replacing your modified system files with the
originals from the installation cd. Now that you know what your options
are, and at this point, I'd go with the format and install approach as
suggested by Carey. But, if you really need those files, then you'll
have to use the dirty reinstall, only to backup your needed files to
cd-rw and then do a format and install. On the other hand, if you have a
copy of Norton Ghost v.7 or better, you can boot from that cd and image
your hard drive to cd-rw directly and then do the format and install.

When I do a "clean install" this will take off everything
I have currently on the computer, such as programs and
files, correct? How can I go about backing these up if my
cd-rw drives are not recognized?

-----Original Message-----
You'll need to start over from scratch and perform

a "clean install".

The Windows XP CD is bootable and contains all the tools
necessary

to partition and format your drive. Follow this

procedure and allow

Windows XP to partition and format your drive:

NOTE: It would be best to physically disconnect all

your peripheral hardware

devices, except the monitor, mouse and

keyboard, before installing XP.

1. Open your BIOS and set your "CD Drive as the first

bootable device".

===> Accessing Motherboard BIOS
===>
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

2. Insert your Windows XP CD in the CD Drive and

reboot your computer.

3. You'll see a message to boot to the CD....follow

the instructions.

4. The setup menu will appear and you should elect to

delete the existing

Windows partitions, then create a new partition,

then format the primary

partition (preferably NTFS) and proceed to

install Windows XP.

5. Clean Install Windows XP
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

[Courtesy of Michael Stevens, MS-MVP]

6. After Windows XP is installed, visit the Windows

Update website

and download the available "Critical Updates".

7. After installing the critical updates, be sure and

visit the support website

of the manufacturer of the computer to download

and install any

available Windows XP compatible drivers, such as

video adapter

and audio drivers.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

---------------------------------------------------------
-----------------


| Hello-
| This weekend I was attempting to fix some problems I
was

| having with my FTP program as well as some hi-jackers
| that had changed my registry keys. Somewhere I read
that

| I could first export the existing keys on the system
| (just in case), then import the registry from another
| computer.
|
| This did fix the problem with the FTP program, and I
| ended up editing the HOSTS file to block the hi-
jacking

| websites from loading. However, upon rebooting, I was:
|
| #1 asked to activate Windows XP again. I did this over
| the phone explaining the situation to customer service.
|
| #2 Several things are missing and/or not working
| correctly. Like both CD drives, of which I can't even
get

| new updated drivers to get them working, along with
| Outlook which keeps asking me for the installation
disk

| even though if I cancel the request, the program works
| fine.
|
| I have since realized the error in importing another
| system's registry, but I am now unable to restore the
| original one that I exported as a back up. Everytime I
| attempt to do this, it gives me an error that not all
| things could be replaced because the system is
currently

| using certan processes.
|
| Is there some way to completely delete the registry
| existing now, which is a merger of registrys from 2
| different machines, and just be able to load the
| saved .reg file I have saved before I started all of
this

| junk?
|
| If not, what suggestions do you have to fix this?
Would

| re-installing Windows XP fix everything? If I
reinstall,

| will I lose any current files on my computer?
|
| I cannot restore the whole operating system through
| backup>system state because that option was never
| previously installed on the computer before all this
| started.
|
| Please help! I promise never to touch the registry
files

| again!
| Any comments are appreciated!
| Thank you

.