System Restore inopertive

G

Guest

XP Home 256MB Ram
Sony
Norton Anti-virus was out of date. Purchase McAfee, uninstall Norton via
add/remove programs in control panel.
System restore program will not load w/o error.
Unable to log onto AOL web site through IE [no apparent scripting]
IE help about will not return verson number.
Ctrl+Alt+Del acts like dead Keyboard. KB known good.
== Attempted cures: Installed HD as slave in working computer w/AVG anti-virus
Scanned slave w/reported 475 viruses found and deleted.
Ad-aware reported 436 spyware quaranteened.
MS-MSRemoval tool reports >>Clean
 
U

Unk

XP Home 256MB Ram
Sony
Norton Anti-virus was out of date. Purchase McAfee, uninstall Norton via
add/remove programs in control panel.
System restore program will not load w/o error.
Unable to log onto AOL web site through IE [no apparent scripting]
IE help about will not return verson number.
Ctrl+Alt+Del acts like dead Keyboard. KB known good.
== Attempted cures: Installed HD as slave in working computer w/AVG anti-virus
Scanned slave w/reported 475 viruses found and deleted.
Ad-aware reported 436 spyware quaranteened.
MS-MSRemoval tool reports >>Clean

You won't like this, but sometimes it just takes waaaay too much time and effort to clean up and
restore an OS with all the problems like yours. Put the hard drive back in the other machine as
a slave, transfer your important data and files, then do a fresh format/install. That takes
less than an hour and everything works.

Performing a Clean Install of Windows XP
http://www.microsoft.com/WindowsXP/expertzone/columns/honeycutt/02october07.asp
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sg_clean.asp
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm

Clean Install XP Procedure with Illustrative Screen Captures
http://theeldergeek.com/xp_home_install_-_graphic.htm

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Ok, you want to do it the hard way........... First, go make a pot of coffee....

Then download & run Spybot and HijackThis:
Spybot - Search & Destroy by Patrick Kolla
http://security.kolla.de/
NOTE: After you install the above, click "Online" and get the latest updates for the database.

HijackThis
http://www.tomcoyote.org/hjt/
http://mjc1.com/mirror/hjt/
http://www.spywareinfo.com/~merijn/files/hijackthis.zip

Advertising Spyware: Blackstone Data Transponder and its derivatives
http://www.cexx.org/vx2.htm

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Next, do a system file check. (Have your Windows CD handy)
Reboot, press F8 after the BIOS post, select "Safe Mode with Command Prompt", at the prompt,
type "sfc /scannow" (without the quotes) and press Enter. Follow the prompts, reboot.

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Next, the Norton problem:
Run regedit, and clean 2 entries:
1. HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Symantec
2. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Symantec

Delete folders:
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared
C:\Program Files\Symantec
C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Application Data\Symantec
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Symantec

XP - Loss of Internet access after uninstalling Norton Antivirus software
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;812335
1.Click Start, and then click Run.
2.In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
3.Locate the following Registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\DHCP
DependOnService
Note The variable lists SYMTDI.
4.Edit the value to remove SYMTDI from the dependency list.
5.Restart the computer.

Also get the Norton Removal tool - Freeware
http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/Norton-Removal-Tool-Download-26173.html

See: Symantec NAV, NIS, NSW Removal
http://basconotw.mvps.org/SymRem.htm

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Next, fix the TCP/IP winsock settings on your Windows XP machine.
It can often cure the problem of lost connections after the removal of Adware components or
improper uninstall of firewall applications or other tools that modify the XP network and
Winsock settings. (Like Norton)
Read : http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4372.html or http://www.find.pcworld.com/48609
Direct download:
http://files4.majorgeeks.com/files/708be71b9ab6e0a84252760579ade9f1/spyware/winsockxpfix.exe
http://files.webattack.com/localdl834/WinsockxpFix.exe
Winsock Repair Utility: http://www.spychecker.com/program/winsockxpfix.html

Also get LSP-Fix http://www.cexx.org/lspfix.htm
Repairs Winsock 2 settings, caused by buggy or improperly-removed Internet software, that result
in loss of Internet access. LSP-Fix is a free utility to repair a specific type of problem
associated with certain Internet software. This type of software is known as a Layered Service
Provider or LSP, a piece of software that can be inserted into the Windows TCP/IP handler like a
link in a chain. However, due to bugs in the LSP software or deletion of the software, this
chain can get broken, rendering the user unable to access the Internet.

Now, after you fixed the winsock settings, reboot, and optimize them for your connection:
Download TCP Optimizer: http://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php

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Next, fix System Restore:
Disable System Restore; Click Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore,
System Restore Settings, "System Restore" tab, and check the box. "Turn Off System Restore on
all drives", click "Apply" and "OK".

Reinstall System Restore:
1. Click Start, Run, In the Run box, type "C:\windows\inf" without the quotes and press enter.
2. Look for SR.INF and RightClick on it, then select "Install"

Follow the prompts, Reboot, and System Restore will be ready to use.
NOTE: If it asks for the Windows CD, point it to C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386
NOTE: If it asks for "srframe.mmf", point it to C:\WINDOWS\system32\dllcache

System Restore Resources:
System Restore Information, Issues and Tweaks
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_abc.htm
Select S and scroll to System Restore (Near the bottom of the page)

How to troubleshoot the System Restore tool in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=302796

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Finally, go to the Windows Update site and update the OS.
http://update.microsoft.com/windowsupdate/v6/default.aspx?ln=en-us

Phew....

PS, You STILL might have problems after all that. I TOLD you to reinstall.... :(
 

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