Vista - Control Panel Stopped Working

Like the title says, I know I'm not the only one to whom it happened.
Is there anyway to solve it? At first a reboot cured it, but now it seems
the problem is permanent.
Is there at least a way to access the Indexing Options Control Panel without
opening Control Panel?

The first tutorial may help get Control Panel working. If not, see the
second tutorial about your Repair Vista Options.

Control Panel - Enable or Disable

Repair Vista Options - Preferred Sequence


"cosmin" wrote:

Hi,

Boy, my second post in the same day

I installed the six Important Windows Update components that posted today: 10-Jun-08 and after rebooting I noticed that Control Panel would not load! The window itself opened, with scroll bar, maximize/close buttons, etc., but the window remained blank ~10 sec, then just went away.

Note that I already have SP1 installed.

Not only that, but right-clicking the Desktop and selecting Personalize, nothing happened. I also got notices that several Services were "no longer available", and because of that, Windows Update would not run, nor would Security Center, and I couldn't even start System Restore!

I booted from the CD and used System Restore (the restore points were there and fine) to go back to where I was yesterday, and everything is back. I am loath to do anything else for a while, but I will be sure to post again if I find anything useful.

I would appreciate if anyone else sees this to be sure to post... it was all quite mysterious!

Follow-up to prior post:

The issue is a FATAL BUG in Eusing's Registry Cleaner 1.8, AND the Restore function does NOT undo it! Below is a copy of the email I sent them; I will be sure to post whatever they come up with. Since there are very few registry cleaners that claim Vista support, it's quite possible that many of the users reporting problems on vistax64.com got the problem using Eusing...

I was using Registry Cleaner 1.8 on Vista Home Premium 64-bit, but encountered a FATAL BUG that really must be addressed.

If I allow Registry Cleaner to clean all entries as shown in the attached file (its default) [NOTE: I exported the ~234 entries into a text file and attached to the email], the next time I start Windows, several Services are reported as "no longer available". This prevents several key Vista components from operating, such as Control Panel, Security Center, Windows Update, and System Restore! I had to boot from a DVD just to access System Restore (the restore points were there) and resume operation.

Even worse, selecting Restore previous registry (and rebooting) DID NOT fix the problem!!!

On Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:34:27 -0500, cniggeler
<guest@xxxxxx-email.com> wrote:
[snip of some weeping and gnashing of teeth]

There have been COUNTLESS warnings in this and other Windows groups
about the use of so-called registry cleaners.

Sometimes it takes a lesson like this to make one a believer, doesn't
it?

NO registry cleaner has Microsoft approval!
They are a NO-NO!
--
Mick Murphy - Qld - Australia


"cniggeler" wrote:

Hmm, I would never consider that the gold standard when it comes to maintaining Windows systems. I've used registry cleaners for years with nary an error on Win98 through XP, but Vista would seem to be another animal entirely (Microsoft herself has NO tools for maintaining the Registry under Vista, having abandoned Regclean).

Eusing has been recommended by PC World and PC Magazine, and as mentioned these sorts of tools have worked (well, at least did no harm) for years.

If you had read my post, you'd have seen that wasn't the point. In this Forum there are COUNTLESS people wondering why Control Panel simply stopped working; I passed along a concrete discovery and a theory that the Eusing Registry Cleaner (one of the few that actually claims Vista support) may be the reason other people have experienced the problem.

"Mick Murphy" <MickMurphy@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:0430DC53-3E4C-4AB1-9FE3-48A5E803573A@xxxxxx
Oh yeah. I suppose that's why they do not approve of Microsoft Live
OneCare.

ss.