Member Avatar for mik*2

I'm using win XP pro sp2. I have just downloaded the latest updates from the ms update page for XP. Now i can't use adaware or nort utilities(system works 2003) cause my PC shows a blue memory dump screen. I have reinstalled Norton and adaware but still no good.

The blue screen says i have a damaged registry!!

Where do i start?

cheers
mike

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Short summary and next steps for : the crash when regedit or registry-aware tools run often comes from either a corrupted registry hive, a disk error, or a driver/antivirus component that hooks registry access. Try the boot-time options first: use F8 to pick Last Known Good Configuration (restores the last working control set) or Safe Mode to uninstall/update Norton/Ad-Aware before trying anything invasive. (learn.microsoft.com)

If Safe Mode won't run or that doesn't help, boot the XP CD to the Recovery Console and repair the disk first — run chkdsk /r on the system volume before touching registry hives. A damaged file system will block registry-recovery attempts, and chkdsk is the usual first fix. After chkdsk completes, you can try restoring registry hives from backups (either the System Restore snapshot or the installer’s Repair folder). (learn.microsoft.com)

Recovery-Console example (run these only if you understand the risk; backing up data first is essential). The typical sequence is to back up the current hives, remove them, then copy the installers’ originals back:

md tmp
copy c:\windows\system32\config\system c:\windows\tmp\system.bak
copy c:\windows\system32\config\software c:\windows\tmp\software.bak
... (sam, security, default) ...
del c:\windows\system32\config\system
del c:\windows\system32\config\software
... (sam, security, default) ...
copy c:\windows\repair\system c:\windows\system32\config\system
copy c:\windows\repair\software c:\windows\system32\config\software
... (sam, security, default) ...

If System Restore is available, copying the hive files from the appropriate System Volume Information_restore{GUID}\RPx\Snapshot folder is preferable; you may need to grant yourself access to that folder first (see notes about System Volume Information permissions). (learn.microsoft.com)

If the Recovery Console approach fails, a Windows XP in-place (repair) install will refresh system files and the registry while leaving user data and apps intact — but always back up personal files first (use a live CD or attach the drive to another PC). Also scan for rootkits/malware (offline rescue media) before reinstalling Norton/Ad-Aware; older builds of security tools have caused similar problems when updated or when Service Pack 2 changed system behavior. Finally, ’s advice to scan and reinstall updates one at a time is sound when you get the system bootable again.

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Member Avatar for mik*2

I'm using win XP pro sp2. I have just downloaded the latest updates from the ms update page for XP. Now i can't use adaware or nort utilities(system works 2003) cause my PC shows a blue memory dump screen. I have reinstalled Norton and adaware but still no good.

The blue screen says i have a damaged registry!!

Where do i start?

cheers
mike

Just to add to this, it appears anything to do with opening the registry or even if i type in regedit in the run box, the blue screen comes up.

Member Avatar for antioed

Use System Restore, then go back and apply updates one by one until you figure out which one causes the registry to blow up.

Click Start-->All Programs-->Accessories-->System Tools-->System Restore

Note: Make sure your virus software is up to date and run a scan on the machine! You being unable to run regedit concerns me...try running regedit after the system restore to insure the problem didn't already exist. That sort of behavior stinks of virus.

...restore back to before the updates were installed. Go to Windows update and pick a custom install and install each update one by one with a restart after each one until you find out which one caused it. Once you've figured out which update it is you can use System Restore again and try uninstalling Norton before the update...if the problem goes away until Norton is reinstalled then contact Norton's support group with the name of the update that's causing the problem so they can send you an update or work on a solution with Microsoft.

Member Avatar for mik*2

system rstore doesnt work. Uninstalled the updates and as i was doing it, a warning box came up which said some to the tune of, "programs such as adaware may not function correctly" wish it had of told me this before i installed them.
Does the XP disk have a repair feature on it, instead of having to do a full installation again??

cheers
mike

Member Avatar for dlh6213

How to repair Windows XP:

Member Avatar for antioed

Maybe try uninstalling Service Pack 2 and then reinstalling - could knock it back in line...make sure you turn on System Restore as well if possible. Good luck!

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