Vista Forums - View Single Post - Registry Semi-Disaster: I am an idiot

**Dzomlija** · 02-18-2008

Quote: Originally Posted by dczarniak

I used two different registry cleaners /optimizers / whatever on my entire
registry.

Now my control panel is empty, I have no printers, and I am getting messages
to validate my copy of windows. When I try to do that, it fails every time.

All of the usual helpful suspects seem to be inoperable - system restore
won't fly, nor will the shadow copy fire up and on and on and on and on.

Oddly, I seem to be able to do most things, which I hope bodes well for
backing up everything prior to whatever needs to be done next.

What sort of music do I have to face here ?

I did it to myself - I am prepared to pay the piper.

Whatever wisdom you could impart to me would be greatly appreciated.

(I know what I did was profoundly stupid. I willingly accept that fact, also)

How do I atone for my transgressions ?

Using a Registry Cleaner is like throwing out the baby with the bathwater - It's looking for trouble!

You only real chance of fixing this is if these so-called "cleaners" made backups for you. If not, then System Restore may work. Just restore to a point before you ran the cleaners.

The moral of the story is this - DON'T use Registry cleaners. If you can't with confidence manually modify the registry yourself, how can you be sure that such a cleaner is modifying the right things? Many of them do just that - they clean you out.

02-18-2008	#5 (permalink)
Dzomlija Windows Vista x64 Ultimate 2,217 posts	Re: Registry Semi-Disaster: I am an idiot - used 2 registry 'cleaners' Quote: Originally Posted by dczarniak I used two different registry cleaners /optimizers / whatever on my entire registry. Now my control panel is empty, I have no printers, and I am getting messages to validate my copy of windows. When I try to do that, it fails every time. All of the usual helpful suspects seem to be inoperable - system restore won't fly, nor will the shadow copy fire up and on and on and on and on. Oddly, I seem to be able to do most things, which I hope bodes well for backing up everything prior to whatever needs to be done next. What sort of music do I have to face here ? I did it to myself - I am prepared to pay the piper. Whatever wisdom you could impart to me would be greatly appreciated. (I know what I did was profoundly stupid. I willingly accept that fact, also) How do I atone for my transgressions ? Using a Registry Cleaner is like throwing out the baby with the bathwater - It's looking for trouble! You only real chance of fixing this is if these so-called "cleaners" made backups for you. If not, then System Restore may work. Just restore to a point before you ran the cleaners. The moral of the story is this - DON'T use Registry cleaners. If you can't with confidence manually modify the registry yourself, how can you be sure that such a cleaner is modifying the right things? Many of them do just that - they clean you out.
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