Don't know what I've done.

anksta · 25 Mar 2007 at 13:21

Recently my computer had been bottin up and comin up with an error message, could not load or access a certain file. Yesterday I copied and pasted the error message into google to see what it said, apparently it was somethin malicious so I searched for the value in the registry and deleted it. That was last night.

Turn on my computer, log on, starts to load up but before the start bar has even loaded it logs off on its own. Tried it a few times, restarted still doin it, got a bit annoyed but thought can just log in in safe mode check the history, restore the file everything would be fine. Tried to log in in safe mode, exact same thing happens. Gutted.

I have another hard drive that I back up onto also with XP on that I am logged in on now.

Firstly does anyone know what file I could have deleted to make it do that? Secondly, how can I find out from my Firefox history which file it was and assuming I find the file and where it goes, how can I put it back in from another OS?

If anyone can help me with this I'd be very grateful.

Cheers

Fr0dders · 25 Mar 2007 at 13:34

randomly deleting registry entires isnt normally a good idea

im guessing the registry entry you deleted needed to be cleaned rather then deleted

i'd bet a re-install would be the best way to resolve this

anksta · 25 Mar 2007 at 13:41

a reinstall of what? Windows?

Really dont want to do that.

I managed to find the file name of what I deleted, I'm pretty sure it was winsys16_070221.dll, if I did delete that is there anyway I can put it back in the registry from a separate OS or do you need to be logged into the one your editing, locally?

Fr0dders · 25 Mar 2007 at 13:57

anksta said:
a reinstall of what? Windows?

Really dont want to do that.

I managed to find the file name of what I deleted, I'm pretty sure it was winsys16_070221.dll, if I did delete that is there anyway I can put it back in the registry from a separate OS or do you need to be logged into the one your editing, locally?

you may be able to hook the drive up as a slave and boot into another OS and copy the file across

it may not work however, you may have to re-install windows. I mean this in the best possible way, but if you need to remove virus' dont delete stuff, get an antirvirus program to do it

anksta · 25 Mar 2007 at 13:59

MrLOL said:
you may be able to hook the drive up as a slave and boot into another OS and copy the file across

it may not work however, you may have to re-install windows. I mean this in the best possible way, but if you need to remove virus' dont delete stuff, get an antirvirus program to do it

yeah wish I had now, just thought cos it was one registry value causin the problem anyway, what about if I boot of the windows cd and try and do a repair? Thats worked before for somethin different.

anksta · 25 Mar 2007 at 15:28

anyone know if doin a repair thing on the windows disc will do any good?

Also a reinstall of windows, what am I gonna lose? Its just settings and stuff isnt it if I dont format?

Priapus · 25 Mar 2007 at 15:40

Do a repair install, that's the only way you can reinstall Windows XP without loosing data. All your user data and most settings will remain.

anksta · 25 Mar 2007 at 15:47

cheers, just need to get my hands on one now.

Priapus · 25 Mar 2007 at 15:59

Good luck with it. :cool:

masslac · 25 Mar 2007 at 17:42

o lawd

Priapus · 25 Mar 2007 at 18:10

masslac said:
o lawd

What's the point in posting within this thread with comments like that? :rolleyes:

anksta · 27 Mar 2007 at 13:52

hi an update on this. I got an XP disc, booted off it, started the recovery console, logged in as administrator and was presented with black screen. I've found a list of commands and websites which tell you what they mean and things but I dont get what I'm sposed to choose.

I seem to be just missin somethin in the boot sequence or I have something that shouldnt be there etc so I thought I was just lookin for a repair command but there doesnt seem to be one,

If anyone can point us in the right direction with this I;d be very grateful.

Cheers.

anksta · 27 Mar 2007 at 14:20

Ice On Fire said:
Do a repair install, that's the only way you can reinstall Windows XP without loosing data. All your user data and most settings will remain.

Isnt this just reinstallin windows? If I do this I'll lose all my programs and things wont I? Office and drivers and things.

I onyl deleted one registry entry, surely that cant be the only way of fixin it?

greeny_fastcar · 27 Mar 2007 at 14:26

Try this in the Recovery Console:

chkdsk drive /p /r

Should do a scan on the drive and see if there are any files missing etc.

If that fails just do a repair boot of the XP disc and press R when it says it.

Priapus · 27 Mar 2007 at 15:32

anksta said:
Isnt this just reinstallin windows? If I do this I'll lose all my programs and things wont I? Office and drivers and things.

I onyl deleted one registry entry, surely that cant be the only way of fixin it?

No you won't loose anything at all. I've done it enough times to know.

I mess around with my PC too much lol.

Fr0dders · 27 Mar 2007 at 16:55

anksta said:
Isnt this just reinstallin windows? If I do this I'll lose all my programs and things wont I? Office and drivers and things.

I onyl deleted one registry entry, surely that cant be the only way of fixin it?

you can choose "repair" in the list of advanced options when you enter setup. i cant remember what stage its at. but keep looking for it, its just after the option to boot into recovery console i think.

The_KiD · 27 Mar 2007 at 23:27

Dude it sounds like your missing the Userinit section in your reg.

If you mean you get as far as logging in, but then it just logs you back out to the login screen again

What you need to do is remotely open the registry and repair these two areas:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Shell=explorer.exe
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Userinit = c:\windows\system32\userinit.exe

YOu can do this across a network or with the damaged hard disk as a slave.

masslac · 28 Mar 2007 at 09:50

Ice On Fire said:
What's the point in posting within this thread with comments like that?

lol @ your +1 too tbh.

sWiZzLe · 29 Mar 2007 at 20:10

The_KiD said:
Dude it sounds like your missing the Userinit section in your reg.

If you mean you get as far as logging in, but then it just logs you back out to the login screen again

What you need to do is remotely open the registry and repair these two areas:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Shell=explorer.exe
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Userinit = c:\windows\system32\userinit.exe

YOu can do this across a network or with the damaged hard disk as a slave.

Got this problem today, well had it on some other computers. While removing a virus, it deleted, supposedly those entries

Today mine logging working after following a Microsoft fix, to repair a corrupted System file...... Thanks Microsoft, very helpful :mad:

Is the problem with mine likey to be the same problem? - I didn't have a virus, today i just booted up to a windows\system32\config\system is corrupt!! Grrr

Oh and btw, this:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Userinit = c:\windows\system32\userinit.exe has a comma at the end of it:
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\Userinit = c:\windows\system32\userinit.exe,

sWiZzLe · 29 Mar 2007 at 22:31

Hmm Userinit was pointing to d:\ not c:\

So im logged in.... except now all i have is that horrible bright green default grassy background..... and the task manager

Bugger!

YAY im in!

Scanning computer for problems....

Registry - 2649
Programs - 8649

Gaaaaaagh