Resolved [WIN XP mess after running multiple registry cleaners]

I have win xp pro. Things were not running so well a few weeks ago. Programs taking long time to open. Computer wouldn't shut off from safe mode. I had only 5 items in startup. Ran avast regularly and updates. Ran malwarebytes and spybot regularly. Having read a few sites I downloaded comodo registry cleaner and the glarysoft reg. cleaner, and ran them both many times. Now things are a real mess. Can't find isimn.exe to open OE. Search folder won't open. Everything still takes a long time to open. Some folders won't open. Ran spybot earlier and it scanned half way and then closed.

I did a system restore 2 days ago when things were a bit better but now it's even worse. WMP and IE and OE won't open. Firefox will, as well as some other programs. It connects to the internet yet.

Was going to restore a comodo reg. backup but I thought I would just stop and ask for help. thanks.

 

Gone years without using a registry cleaner and now this.

I have the orig. Dell Operating System disk, called WIN XP Reinstallation dvd.
As I think back it seemed to be Intel Appup that began the real troubles. I uninstalled it but didn't seem to work as well, so I started the reg clnr route. Couldn't hardly get add/remove to work. When you go to open control panel you get the window, Intel (R) Proset, resources are not available. Click ok on that and control panel opens. Add/remove takes 5-10 min to fill. So I dl Revo Uninstaller which seemed to help that.

Opening wmp and ie and oe you get the "missing shortcut, searching for ___, window.

Have never run a windows repair install. Simple to do?

 

I mentioned that I had done a sys restore. Right now I don't see any of my OE msgs....no OE to open, no ibx folder. Should I try restoring to a point 2 weeks ago to see if I can retrieve some of that?

 

I wouldn't advise you to venture far without a backup.

You can find your emails [hopefully] in C:\Documents and Settings\<User>\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{GUID}\Microsoft\Outlook Express.

In Windows XP, the Outlook Express user files, including *.wab and *.dbx files, are by default marked as hidden. To view these files in Explorer, you must enable Show Hidden Files and Folders under Start | Control Panel | Folder Options | View.

See if you can view your messages with DBXViewer. If you can, your mails are safe. Backup & then try Restore.

 

I have Nsoftware Auto OE Backup, and it's having errors in backing up. I do have a complete backup from May on an external harddrive of everything and all emails are still at gmail.com.
So I'll do the oldest restore.
Ok, so I won't restore. SR couldn't restore to earlier date.
I'll do the repair.

Be gone for 6 days. Will do when I return.

 

I'm back. Did the repair. Everything looked good. All data still there. OE was there with all old emails. All pics. But several issues going on. Everything takes quite awhile to open up.
OE wouldn't open before. Now it opens but it's not listed in the start/programs. Neither is mozilla firefox. I open a shortcut on the desktop for OE from explorer and it disappears after a couple of seconds. Click on Help/Support and it won't open. Open Control Panel and it opens after the window pops up saying, "Intel (R) PROset sources not available ".
Sounds like MS update is running a download, but if you click on the icon down below it won't pop up to show what's going on.
Is it possible/helpful to run Repair again?

 

I'm in that process of dl updates. Repair loaded back to sp 2 and apparently you have to dl a bunch of security updates (30 some) before it will load sp 3. I will try all of the other items and see how it goes. Thanks!

 

Finally dl sp3. Then there were about 80 updates to it. Still working on the other issues. Everything takes a couple of min. to open. OE and firefox or IE or Chrome open but won't connect to internet at first. Close them out, reopen and then they will.

Just tried the help and support fix mentioned. When I do the pchealth.inf install, it asks the location of the file dataspec.xml and I point it to win xp disk at D:\I386. Goes to copy them and says setup cannot copy dataspec.xm_.

Would running system file checker be helpful?

 

thoughts?

 

I guess the sfc wouldn't work, since the disk has sp2 and I am at sp 3 now.
Have run the chkdsk several times now. Sometimes it seems like everything is back to normal and then the next day it will take several minutes to open ie or oe, etc. Help and Support opens now.

 

Seems to me that now would be a good time to back up what you need and do a CLEAN install with a format.

 

I guess I would rather not do a complete reinstall if possible. And since I have stopped a couple of things it looks like we're almost back to normal. That Intel Appup and Bonjour and a couple of other things seemed to be the culprits. thanks

 

Take the plunge - backup,format,reinstall,restore.

That's the only advice I can offer.