Microsoft Registry Checker!!!

[human1987]

My other comp just sudden hang i think msn caused it. And it just can't start up after that.. it keep going into Microsoft Registry Checker and restore a backup registry when i boot it.
Currently running WIN98SE
I tried to scan disk but no errors were found.
I cannot afford to format as there are some important docs.

[CrazyMike]

Hmm... since your computer keeps freezing you could try running an MSCONFIG in safe mode.

Here's a dictionary on all the processes http://sysinfo.org/startuplist.php (it's old but very helpful with 98SE)

[GaryRouth]

Will it boot to Safe Mode?

Do you have an antivirus program you can boot the system with to run a scan from DOS? [. . . another option is to slave the drive in another computer, and let it run an antivirus scan on the drive]

Why do you think MSN caused it? Did you just install a newer version of their ISP software? [ . . . if so, try uninstalling it]

Did you let it restore a previous Registry? If so, when you did, did you receive an error message?

If the drive is virus and spyware clean, and other efforts to repair it don't work, one that has a good chance is the over-the-top reinstall http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.p...threadid=70846 This can sometimes be a time-saver: it takes about 40 minutes or so on average.
. . . Gary

[catfishjoe_1]

I have this same problem on a win 98se machine too. My aunt was in yahoo games and it froze. On reboot it came up with registry checker was replacing current registry with a previous version because of bad windows system files I think. ( I have the pc here so could check it quick but am working on others at the moment) You get a "hit enter to continue" type message and then it tries to boot again and you get the same message. It is a continuous cycle. It also happens trying to get to safe mode! I was going to try to use f-prot on it and see what happens. After that I was going to save some of the files off of it after a check with trojan and a-v scanners on my machine. I was considering a reg-checker type program but I don't know of any that run in dos. I am not good at all with reg-edit because I have never tried to put it to use. (anyone know of a good site that will help a person through reg-edit). The over the top also came to mind but will I lose anything and will programs still be usable?

My guess is virus activity but not sure because a useless machine can't replicate.

[human1987]

My problem is exactly the same as catfishjoe_1.
It can't boot through safe-mode too. Perhaps i shall try over-the-top reinstallation as mentioned.

[human1987]

Hmm... I tried reinstalling. But half way through getting into setup, it hanged. It hang during the scanning of registry.

[catfishjoe_1]

I am currently doing a scan with f-prot. Maybe something on this end who knows.
I also have found a guide to regedit and have it printed so I might give that a whirl next.
cat

[GaryRouth]

I'm guessing that if you have an extra PC handy, slaving the hard drive might be the fastest way to do an up-to-date virus scan (assuming the virus scan in your extra computer is current). The DOS scanners take a long, long time.

It does seem possible a Registry killer bug is loose.

. . . as far as the reinstall angles go: If the rename win.com method doesn't work, see if the setup /p f method does any better. [It's listed farther down in that Tips&Tricks thread]
. . . Gary

[p.s. catfish - was it the Tech Republic article on how to use the DOS version of regedit to rebuild the Registry that you found? http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-6270-1032874-1-1.html --- it's a bit tricky (I haven't had the occasion to need that particular method - but if Tech Republic stands behind it, it must have some merit). . . ]

[catfishjoe_1]

ok so f-prot came back clean, no virus or suspicious files found. This is very frustrating. This is the second pc I have seen with this problem. The first one was an ex neighbors. He got something very similar and did a reformat to get it gone. He was also in yahoo games when it hit. I am wondering if it might be a bug as I am sure neither of these computers was updated with latest security stuff from M$. He was gonna buy a new pc thinking it was his old pc's innards going bad. NOT. It may be old but it still has a lot of use left in it.

Both of these pc's had updated virus scanners on them too. Norton 2004 in the case of my Aunt and Norton 2002 on the neighbors pc.

it was not the tech republic article that i found, thanks for the link. The one I found is www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/8973/registry.htm nice little overview.

I have not tried anything else yet beyond the scan with f-prot. I need to get some files on the drive backed up before I try anything drastic.
cat

[catfishjoe_1]

Hmm
Tried the fixes on the link Gary provided and it wouldn't go

I created the batch files and put them on floppy. Started the afflicted pc with a win98 boot disk. I have done this two diff ways, with and without cd support. With I get error exporting to e: abort retry fail? and then process errors back to prompt a:\> . without gives following text:

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Exporting registry contents please wait . . .
Bad command or file name
Bad command or file name
Rebuilding the windows registry, Do Not Interrupt
Bad command or file name
Bad command or file name

File Not Found

a:\>
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
I am guessing a bad/corrupt user.dat and system.dat . This has happened after setting attributes like in the tech republic fix.
Any suggestions.
cat

PS - what would happen if I deleted all *.reg files? Or maybe the two .dat files. If this is a reg killing bug how would I replace the current M$ regscanner to make sure it is not the problem? I have thought of trying to load Norton System Works and giving it a go but I could be dumping gas on a fire doing that. At this point though another error could help in pointing to a cause/attack plan. Stumped

[catfishjoe_1]

Got It!

Boot to dos command prompt only. Do this by f8 on boot and making the choice. Once at a prompt type "scanreg/restore" and hit enter.
I had choices come up and I chose a time before the problem occurred. Then scanreg asked me to restart and the system booted up like normal.
cat

[GaryRouth]

Glad you got it fixed. I guess the automatic Registry Checker restore didn't go back far enough. [I'd thought about suggesting that scanreg/restore, but I wasn't sure that you wouldn't get the same errors as before - I guess I gave Registry Checker too much credt (I figured if it didn't successfully restore from a given date, it would go on to the next -previous- date)]

I haven't had a chance to check out that floppy procedure from Tech Republic. From the looks of the comments from the forums, it looks like it's a 50/50 chance with that.

hunan - how is your system going?