Solved How do I repair msconfig?

[spiderplant0]

I changed a setting in msconfig (cant remember exactly, but was something to do with reducing the number of things that get launched on start up). And now msconfig refuses to run, with error....

Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library "this application has requested the runtime to terminate in an unusual way. Please contact the application's support team for more information".

I tried doing a system restore from safe mode. The restore was successful but it didnt help.

Any ideas how I can fix msconfig.exe. Can I uninstall it and reinstall it?

 

[gregrocker]

Unchecking everything except your AV in msconfig>Startup and >services (after hiding all MS Services) is recommended for best performance and would not cause system problems. Have you done other tweaking or used optimizer suites which are death to Win7?

Check for infection and run SFC to check System file integrity from the Troubleshooting Steps for Windows 7. Report back as you go. If you cannot access anything from desktop, move to Safe Mode. If that fails then work from boot mode using the bootable alternatives for everything in Troubleshooting Windows 7 Failure to Start

 

[Urthboundmisfit]

Run the sfc /scannow command: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

The sfc /scannow command will scan all protected system files, and replace corrupted files with a cached copy.

HTH

 

[spiderplant0]

Thanks gregrocker, Urthboundmisfit.

I have not run any tweaking/optimising tools or registry changes except previous to running msconfig I shut down some startup things using ccleaner. It is not a virus problem. I dont have any problems accessing the desktop - the pc is fine except that msconfig will not run.

msconfig broke after changing its setting. 20mins after pressing OK in msconfig it still had not closed. I assumed that it had crashed so just rebooted PC. Or does msconfig take a very long time to do its thing - should I have waited longer?

I ran sfc /scannow. It reported back: Windows resource protection did not find any integrity violations.

Is there any way to fix msconfig other than resisntalling windows etc from scratch

 

[Layback Bear]

If you ran sfc /scannow and it reported
Windows resource protection did not find any integrity violations.
Then sfc /scannow is working properly and doesn't need repaired.

 

[gregrocker]

What malware scans have you run? Malwarebytes and SuperAntiSpyware at the minimum. Then run SFC again. It may not repair if infected.

Is this the factory Win7 which is problematic in itself, or a Clean Reinstall? If the grossly inferior factory install I'd do a perfect reinstall from link in my sig pic below to experience win7 performance for the first time on that PC.

 

[Pete4]

I'm not 100% clear: did you just shutdown some startup programs or did you also shutdown some services as well? Can you access start up programs and services any other way? from cc or from control panel/administrative tools/services? If so you could get the list of all services enabled by default and try manually do the same? Did you look at event viewer and see what errors were recorded when MSconfig is run, if any? If I had to make very wild guess, you shutdown a service Msconfig was using and therefore it hang up, but I'm not sure why restore wouldn't fix it.

 

[spiderplant0]

Thanks for all your help. In the end I just used the program 'Autoruns' which has similar capability to msconfig. (Some time later I will use clonezilla image to rewind o a known good installation.)

 

[gregrocker]

This is an interactive forums, so if you'll interact with the steps we give you then we can help you solve the problem just like we do for everyone else.

I asked you what malware scans you ran, after you announced that its not infected. We go by scan results here and not faith.

We always solve the problem when there is cooperation, which is why this is the top tech forums in web history.

 

[spiderplant0]

I have antivirus etc running, dont visit dodgy sites, dont install dodgy s/w, firefox phishing protection, did a clonezilla rollback a few months back + other reasons. It is often not practical to give out every detail of the setup.

If one cant get the problem fixed directly, we just have to move on and choose something else that gets the job done (use alternative to msconfig in this case). The solutions in this, and an other forum, were moving towards a reinstall - hence my decision to rollback to a clonezilla disk image when I have an opportunity.

I do appreciate all the time and help though.

 

[gregrocker]

Having an AV running is not enough. I specifically said you need to run at the minimum Malwarebytes
and SUPERAntiSpyware - Downloads which you ignored. Yet your system is not clean until those scans say so.

You don't need to work with us if you don't want the problem fixed, but I think it needs to be said for the record that you didn't make the effort because we will not quit until its solved and we were still waiting for your responses at the starting gate.

 

[spiderplant0]

But the problem is fixed! Use autoruns. It might even be useful for others how stumble upon this thread.

 

[gregrocker]

How exactly does using AutoRuns repair msconfig, which is an important System component that needs to be functioning correctly to know that there might not be cascading failure?

We don't do things halfway here and call it good. Countless others will find this thread in searches and see sloppy work well beneath the standards of the top tech forum in history. So we want to complete the record as well as fix your issue.

 

[Britton30]

I have antivirus etc running, dont visit dodgy sites, dont install dodgy s/w, firefox phishing protection, did a clonezilla rollback a few months back + other reasons. It is often not practical to give out every detail of the setup.

If one cant get the problem fixed directly, we just have to move on and choose something else that gets the job done (use alternative to msconfig in this case). The solutions in this, and an other forum, were moving towards a reinstall - hence my decision to rollback to a clonezilla disk image when I have an opportunity.

I do appreciate all the time and help though.

Hence you still have issues. Hopefully you will answer the questions if you really desire help for a correct fix, not some shoddy workaround.

If your system specs are correct, you haven't installed w7 SP1.