Solved Registry is corrupt Again.

[bluedino]

So I cleaned installed after a corrupt registry (might had been caused by a Windows Update). And the second time, it corrupted again in an hour. So I clean installed again and the third time said something about a patch (error 0x490 I think) was the cause but since I ran chkdsk before removing the patch, the check disk started eating registry files so I was not able to salvage it. Then, I tried reinstallation with an Win 7 SP1-u and made sure it booted with all the programs I have and saw that all the updates were installed. So after having it working well, I turned it off last night. This morning, it gives me the registry is corrupt again. I'm starting to think that it might be the hard drive failing but I don't hear any funny noises. Or maybe one of Windows Updates is still messing with me however unlikely. Is there any other reason why this keeps happening? If the hard drive is the cause, could I use a system image on another hard drive and retain the Windows license key(for this you can just point me to the right tutorial on this site if so)?

 

[seavixen32]

It may well be the hard drive that is the problem.

If you decide to transfer the image to another hard drive, have a look at this tutorial.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/135077-windows-7-installation-transfer-new-computer.html

 

[Kaktussoft]

Perform from http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/783-elevated-command-prompt.html

chkdsk/f/r  C:

It says something like "system cannot lock drive C. Do you want it to be performed on restart?" Say Y and reboot. It takes many hours to complete!

 

[bluedino]

Do I need to have my Security ID (SID) resetted just for a hard drive change? Can I just:

1. Shut down the computer, dismount the HD and mount the new one
2. Boot from Windows 7 installation DVD, choosing Repair > Restore an image

 

[bluedino]

Perform from http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/783-elevated-command-prompt.html

chkdsk/f/r  C:

It says something like "system cannot lock drive C. Do you want it to be performed on restart?" Say Y and reboot. It takes many hours to complete!

I have done that the first three times the registry corrupted, but it never solves the problem. It always end with a log error 50 or something like that. I followed http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219533-troubleshooting-windows-7-failure-boot.html and I've tried repairing it using System Recovery Options and Startup Repair 3 times but they didn't work. I've tried to copy the files from windows32/system/config/regback to windows32/system/config still no luck (the back-up files seem to be more corrupt too, actually worse as it doesn't seem to follow the numbers in Startup Repair Infinite Loop Recovery, so I reversed it when I couldn't save that either as I made a backup of the original registry before using regback as suggested in Startup Repair Infinite Loop Recovery). I tried:
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /RebuildBcd

But that didn't work.

I tried chkdsk d: /f /r with dismount (my windows files are in d: with c: as a reserve). I tried sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=d:\windows also.

Edit: Also, C: is my reserve, D: is where my files are stored

 

[Kaktussoft]

Do I need to have my Security ID (SID) resetted just for a hard drive change? Can I just:

1. Shut down the computer, dismount the HD and mount the new one
2. Boot from Windows 7 installation DVD, choosing Repair > Restore an image

That should work... why not. As long as the new harddrive is large enough. Do you trust the backup? I mean has it been made prior to corruption?

 

[Kaktussoft]

Perform from http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/783-elevated-command-prompt.html

chkdsk/f/r  C:

It says something like "system cannot lock drive C. Do you want it to be performed on restart?" Say Y and reboot. It takes many hours to complete!

I have done that the first three times the registry corrupted, but it never solves the problem. It always end with a log error 50 or something like that. I followed http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219533-troubleshooting-windows-7-failure-boot.html and I've tried repairing it using System Recovery Options and Startup Repair 3 times but they didn't work. I've tried to copy the files from windows32/system/config/regback to windows32/system/config still no luck (the back-up files seem to be more corrupt too, actually worse as it doesn't seem to follow the numbers in Startup Repair Infinite Loop Recovery, so I reversed it when I couldn't save that either as I made a backup of the original registry before using regback as suggested in Startup Repair Infinite Loop Recovery). I tried:
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /RebuildBcd

But that didn't work.

I tried chkdsk d: /f /r with dismount (my windows files are in d: with c: as a reserve). I tried sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=d:\windows also.

Edit: Also, C: is my reserve, D: is where my files are stored

So chkdsk/f/r c: gave errors? repairable or not? So disk is failing (or memory, or motherboard)

 

[Kaktussoft]

Perform from http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/783-elevated-command-prompt.html

chkdsk/f/r  C:

It says something like "system cannot lock drive C. Do you want it to be performed on restart?" Say Y and reboot. It takes many hours to complete!

I have done that the first three times the registry corrupted, but it never solves the problem. It always end with a log error 50 or something like that. I followed http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219533-troubleshooting-windows-7-failure-boot.html and I've tried repairing it using System Recovery Options and Startup Repair 3 times but they didn't work. I've tried to copy the files from windows32/system/config/regback to windows32/system/config still no luck (the back-up files seem to be more corrupt too, actually worse as it doesn't seem to follow the numbers in Startup Repair Infinite Loop Recovery, so I reversed it when I couldn't save that either as I made a backup of the original registry before using regback as suggested in Startup Repair Infinite Loop Recovery). I tried:
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /RebuildBcd

But that didn't work.

I tried chkdsk d: /f /r with dismount (my windows files are in d: with c: as a reserve). I tried sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=d:\windows also.

Edit: Also, C: is my reserve, D: is where my files are stored

fixmbr and fixboot aren't needed! They reset to mbr and bootsector, not registry

 

[bluedino]

Do I need to have my Security ID (SID) resetted just for a hard drive change? Can I just:

1. Shut down the computer, dismount the HD and mount the new one
2. Boot from Windows 7 installation DVD, choosing Repair > Restore an image

That should work... why not. As long as the new harddrive is large enough. Do you trust the backup? I mean has it been made prior to corruption?

Well it was made after the last clean reinstall and the computer booted normally several times after the backup was made. I am assuming it is trustworthy, but I am not sure, what do you think

 

[bluedino]

Perform from http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/783-elevated-command-prompt.html

chkdsk/f/r  C:

It says something like "system cannot lock drive C. Do you want it to be performed on restart?" Say Y and reboot. It takes many hours to complete!

I have done that the first three times the registry corrupted, but it never solves the problem. It always end with a log error 50 or something like that. I followed http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219533-troubleshooting-windows-7-failure-boot.html and I've tried repairing it using System Recovery Options and Startup Repair 3 times but they didn't work. I've tried to copy the files from windows32/system/config/regback to windows32/system/config still no luck (the back-up files seem to be more corrupt too, actually worse as it doesn't seem to follow the numbers in Startup Repair Infinite Loop Recovery, so I reversed it when I couldn't save that either as I made a backup of the original registry before using regback as suggested in Startup Repair Infinite Loop Recovery). I tried:
bootrec /fixmbr
bootrec /fixboot
bootrec /RebuildBcd

But that didn't work.

I tried chkdsk d: /f /r with dismount (my windows files are in d: with c: as a reserve). I tried sfc /scannow /offbootdir=c:\ /offwindir=d:\windows also.

Edit: Also, C: is my reserve, D: is where my files are stored

So chkdsk/f/r c: gave errors? repairable or not? So disk is failing (or memory, or motherboard)

The exact error is:

Failed to transfer logged messages to the event log with status 50

 

[F5ing]

Your BIOS may have a testing function for the connected hard drives. Usually found by accessing the BIOS page that lists your drives.

 

[bluedino]

Your BIOS may have a testing function for the connected hard drives. Usually found by accessing the BIOS page that lists your drives.

Well I ran the chkdsk one last time and it still said I had bad clusters, so to confirm, I was going to clean install windows, then restore my backup since the option restore was greyed out at system repair. Then, run seatools or hitachi's HDD testing freeware and confirm its status.

I admit that using the bios tools will probably be way easier, but I'm still afraid to mess with the bios without a guide. I think believe all the other hardware is okay as I open my computer and made sure all the wires were connected properly and secured.

I know it sounds like I know what I am doing but really, I'm still learning as most of this I learned from the internet and a tiny bit from a person who loved teaching me about Windows DOS and Linux Terminal commands through a virtual machine on a Mac (we were hanging out at the college's art lab). So unless I know what to do in Bios, I'm not touching it as I may make things worse. I looked at the MSI manual and there were no instructions either. Thanks advice though.

 

[karlsnooks]

Perform from http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/783-elevated-command-prompt.html

chkdsk/f/r  C:

It says something like "system cannot lock drive C. Do you want it to be performed on restart?" Say Y and reboot. It takes many hours to complete!

the /f does no harm, but is useless since /r implies /f.

In other words,
chkdsk c: /r

is sufficient to check all files and all sectors.

the /f /r pair is a left-over from the Dos days.

How long a full chkdsk takes is dependent upon speed of disk, size of disk, speed of computer. Many hours is an exceptional case. Of course, time is much shorter when using a SSD.

I've never had a chkdsk take more than one hour, but I also do not use monster partitions, for example, 2 TB. ChkDsk time is dependent upon the size of the partition to be checked.

 

[F5ing]

Well I ran the chkdsk one last time and it still said I had bad clusters, so to confirm, I was going to clean install windows, then restore my backup since the option restore was greyed out at system repair. Then, run seatools or hitachi's HDD testing freeware and confirm its status.

I admit that using the bios tools will probably be way easier, but I'm still afraid to mess with the bios without a guide. I think believe all the other hardware is okay as I open my computer and made sure all the wires were connected properly and secured.

Hey that's okay, and in a sense, better. Because if you had posted back that the BIOS test found problems, I would've replied suggesting for you to then use Seatools anyway.

But I think I would run the test first, before reinstalling Windows. I would want to ensure that the hardware is good to begin with.

 

[karlsnooks]

Bluedino,

Well I ran the chkdsk one last time and it still said I had bad  clusters, so to confirm, I was going to clean install windows, then  restore my backup since the option restore was greyed out at system  repair. Then, run seatools or hitachi's HDD testing freeware and confirm  its status.

That statement rather alarms me.

When you run ChkDsk, does it report more and more bad sectors every time you run chkdsk.

Bad sectors are not unusual, however, a growth in their number is very alarming and means you should save off all data from the disk that is dear to your heart and not use the disk for an OS or for anything of any value to you.

One thing nice about both the Hitachi program and the Seagate program is that you can burn them to CD and boot from the CD. In other words, you do not need an operating system to use the programs to test a hard disk.

As advised by sibbil, you want to ensure that the hardware is good to begin with.

 

[bluedino]

Bluedino,

Well I ran the chkdsk one last time and it still said I had bad  clusters, so to confirm, I was going to clean install windows, then  restore my backup since the option restore was greyed out at system  repair. Then, run seatools or hitachi's HDD testing freeware and confirm  its status.

That statement rather alarms me.

When you run ChkDsk, does it report more and more bad sectors every time you run chkdsk.

Bad sectors are not unusual, however, a growth in their number is very alarming and means you should save off all data from the disk that is dear to your heart and not use the disk for an OS or for anything of any value to you.

One thing nice about both the Hitachi program and the Seagate program is that you can burn them to CD and boot from the CD. In other words, you do not need an operating system to use the programs to test a hard disk.

As advised by sibbil, you want to ensure that the hardware is good to begin with.

Well no growth, It is always been and has been 5870kb (I remember the number because I kept running it) each time I run it. As for the bios test run, what exactly am I looking for. For example, when I was looking to change the boot order to a dvd drive, they said look for "boot." So what word should I look out for to test hardware. And by the way, my memory diagnostic showed no problems.

 

[karlsnooks]

Excellent that the number of bad sectors is not growing.

Forget the bios test run.

If you want to run a test, then burn the hitachi program or the seagate program to a CD and boot from the CD.

To change the boot sequence so that the computer first tries to boot from the DVD, then we need to know your computer specs. Those are quite useful to us.

Many computers will, if you power on and then continuously tap the F12 key, ask yo if you would like to boot from the DVD.

Update your SevenForums System Specs
User CP (located on the top menu bar) |
Your Profile | Edit System Spec (left-hand column)

To gather info, use Speccy (my favorite) or SIW or System Info

Add the word laptop or desktop or netbook to the
“system manufacturer” block, for example,
Toshiba Satellite L305D notebook.

Provide full windows version info, for example:
MS Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit

Use the “Other Info” block for Optical Reader,
Mouse, touchpad, wifi adapter, speakers, monitor, etc

Scroll down and click on SAVE CHANGES.
============================================

 

[bluedino]

Ok, I updated my specs, other info has a link to the actual computer I bought in case I missed something important. And my optical reader (dvd burner) died in three months but I didn't get it fixed since ibuypower didn't care. I use an external slim burner for now though and I set that to boot first via Bios already. So I'm going to skip the Bios test then as I can't see to find it anyway. I took look around and didn't see it, and I was warned to be very careful in the bios and not to tinker with it unless I knew absolutely a function did exactly what I want.

 

[bluedino]

Seatools said the HDD is bad. Thanks karlsnooks and sibbil, I truly appreciate the help you and this forums has provided.

 

[F5ing]

Sorry to hear that. But, I'm glad you found out before going for yet another reinstall!

Thanks for posting back...