Corrupt Registry

[Dwarf]

I think that the root cause of your problem is due to you running Little Registry Cleaner.

I have MbAM (Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware) installed, and it picks the root site of this program as being malicious.


Pinging gives a General Failure, in other words MbAM is blocking the site.

 

[aem]

Registryfix - Registry Repair, Clean Up & File Fix for Windows

Btw, is the machine with the issue the one you are using now?

 

[Agri]

But I only ran Little Registry Cleaner after the registry was corrupt, as a Technet blog was describing how to use it to repair the registry.

Aem, I cant run this software with no desktop...

 

[gregrocker]

How did the Startup Repair go?

It is highly automated in Win7 but must be run repeatedly if there are multiple issues.

 

[aem]

But I only ran Little Registry Cleaner after the registry was corrupt, as a Technet blog was describing how to use it to repair the registry.

Aem, I cant run this software with no desktop...

Indeed, my bad. I'm sure you can find find a DOS utility to try it with.

 

[Agri]

I must of ran it in excess of 10 times in total and no repairs have been made, the report always says 'Registry is corrupt'

 

[jfar]

How am I best to rescue my data so Windows doesent just blindly overwrite it all?

I know you don't want to reinstall if it was possible, but I don't think you have many options left to you.

Reinstall the OS and it will keep a folder called Windows old, all your files will be in there.

 

[Dwarf]

Sorry, Agri, but I think that the only option available is a clean install. You've already tried my earlier suggestion of Last Known Good Configuration, and are unable to boot to the desktop, which is required for the other suggestions, including Repair Install.

 

[gregrocker]

The repair offered when you enter Repair console of the DVD, after it scans and finds an OS to repair, is not Startup Repair.

To run Startup Repair you have to click through to REcovery tools list and choose it. Then run it 3 separate times.

Just checking, because I don't want to give up on it either if it can be saved.

But If it won't start the OS, then it isn't going to start.

Boot from the DVD, select Custom install, use Drive Options to format and install.

Please avoid any Registry cleaners besides the industry standard CCleaner.

 

[Agri]

Gregrocker, i tried all the available options on the repair option - no success.

So if I go to Custom (Advanced) install and select my partition with Windows already on it will all my files appear in Windows.old?

 

[Agri]

The repair offered when you enter Repair console of the DVD, after it scans and finds an OS to repair, is not Startup Repair.

To run Startup Repair you have to click through to REcovery tools list and choose it. Then run it 3 separate times.

Just checking, because I don't want to give up on it either if it can be saved.

But If it won't start the OS, then it isn't going to start.

Boot from the DVD, select Custom install, use Drive Options to format and install.

Please avoid any Registry cleaners besides the industry standard CCleaner.

Wo,wo "Format and Install" - will that not erase everything?

So if I go to Custom (Advanced) install and select my partition with Windows already on it will all my files appear in Windows.old?

 

[gregrocker]

I do not think so, sorry to say.

I have only heard that windows.old folder is created when Win7 is run from the OS, not boot.

But there is a possibility that it might create Windows.old. Maybe others know.

Maybe you should not format the partition you select to install Win7 from boot, in case it does create a Windows.old folder as a result.

I pretty much assume everyone has files backed up at all times, or certainly when they are installing.

 

[gregrocker]

Was there an installation showing in the Repair console to repair when you booted into it?



There are a couple sets of commands you can run from the DVD repair console Command Line:

run "bootrec.exe /fixboot" and "bootrec.exe /fixmbr" then reboot, see if Startup Repair will now work

if those don't work "Bootsect.exe /nt60 all /force", reboot, try Startup Repair again.

 

[Jonathan_King]

I do not think so, sorry to say.

I have only heard that windows.old folder is created when Win7 is run from the OS, not boot.

But there is a possibility that it might create Windows.old. Maybe others know.

Maybe you should not format the partition you select to install Win7 from boot, in case it does create a Windows.old folder as a result.

I pretty much assume everyone has files backed up at all times, or certainly when they are installing.

That is not the case. Windows.old will be created from boot or Windows.

 

[gregrocker]

I do not think so, sorry to say.

I have only heard that windows.old folder is created when Win7 is run from the OS, not boot.

But there is a possibility that it might create Windows.old. Maybe others know.

Maybe you should not format the partition you select to install Win7 from boot, in case it does create a Windows.old folder as a result.

I pretty much assume everyone has files backed up at all times, or certainly when they are installing.

That is not the case. Windows.old will be created from boot or Windows.

Thank you.

Glad to be wrong on that.

Don't format that partition!

 

[Agri]

Whist I was offline I went to a shop and bought 120GB's worth of DVD's (Y).

I tried the bootec commands + start up repair, but I am still locked out of safe mode.

So you say that if I install over the current partition with my current installation, my files will be copied to Windows.old - and still by booting into the install disk. Perhaps that is a better plan than my current, which is to boot into a live cd file manager and burn my data to many DVD's (lol).

What do you think I should do? I think I can safely say so far that I cannot salvage the current install.

 

[Jonathan_King]

Whist I was offline I went to a shop and bought 120GB's worth of DVD's (Y).

I tried the bootec commands + start up repair, but I am still locked out of safe mode.

So you say that if I install over the current partition with my current installation, my files will be copied to Windows.old - and still by booting into the install disk. Perhaps that is a better plan than my current, which is to boot into a live cd file manager and burn my data to many DVD's (lol).

What do you think I should do? I think I can safely say so far that I cannot salvage the current install.

Hit it. I would recommend backing up your important files on an external HD (or DVD, if you find it cost-effective), but there is only a small chance that the Windows backup to Windows.old will fail. I have never seen a case where it failed, but you can never be too safe.

 

[Agri]

Ok. Plan is to salvage the files onto DVD first, via bootable program.
Then install over the installation and fingers crossed Windows.old will hold the old files.
I will report back with the result.

Cheers for all the help so far,

 

[Jonathan_King]

Don't worry about the bootable DVD. Just drag-n-drop the important ones onto the disc.

 

[1Bowtie]

I do not think so, sorry to say.

I have only heard that windows.old folder is created when Win7 is run from the OS, not boot.

But there is a possibility that it might create Windows.old. Maybe others know.

Maybe you should not format the partition you select to install Win7 from boot, in case it does create a Windows.old folder as a result.

I pretty much assume everyone has files backed up at all times, or certainly when they are installing.

That is not the case. Windows.old will be created from boot or Windows.

Am i reading this wrong, if he is doing a clean install not an upgrade, there will NOT be a windows.old folder. As far as i know the only time you get the windows.old folder is doing an upgrade. Just trying to make sure he's not dissappointed if the files aren't there.

Smitty