Registry corrupted / Add or Remove programmes disabled

I think I may have inadvertently corrupted my Windows XP registry when doing
a clean up at the weekend. Windows takes ages to boot up and the Add or
Remove Programmes appears to be disabled. I noticed also that Automatic
Windows updates were disabled.

I have tried different restore points but this doesn't seem to make any
difference.

I have run OneCare and it found a couple of Trojans which it couldn't get
rid of. I have emailed AVG for their help with this.

Any suggestions as to what to do? My inclination is to do a re-install of
Windows, but I would need to do a major back up first. Is there anything else
I could try?

Many thanks.
--
mercurius

I've had good luck cleaning out malware with Malwarebytes.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Just my opinion, It could be very difficult to troubleshoot different
problems, but doing a clean install will probably be the quickest and less
troubling. I'd backup any data that you can and then copy it back after the
reinstall.

Performing a repair install might be better solution before the drastic
clean install.

"mercurius" wrote:

I think I may have inadvertently corrupted my Windows XP registry when doing
a clean up at the weekend. Windows takes ages to boot up and the Add or
Remove Programmes appears to be disabled. I noticed also that Automatic
Windows updates were disabled.

I have tried different restore points but this doesn't seem to make any
difference.

I have run OneCare and it found a couple of Trojans which it couldn't get
rid of. I have emailed AVG for their help with this.

Any suggestions as to what to do? My inclination is to do a re-install of
Windows, but I would need to do a major back up first. Is there anything else
I could try?

Many thanks.
--
mercurius

Thanks CTOS.

Can you advise how to do a repair install?

--
mercurius


"CTOS" wrote:

I've had good luck cleaning out malware with Malwarebytes.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Just my opinion, It could be very difficult to troubleshoot different
problems, but doing a clean install will probably be the quickest and less
troubling. I'd backup any data that you can and then copy it back after the
reinstall.

Performing a repair install might be better solution before the drastic
clean install.

"mercurius" wrote:

I think I may have inadvertently corrupted my Windows XP registry when doing
a clean up at the weekend. Windows takes ages to boot up and the Add or
Remove Programmes appears to be disabled. I noticed also that Automatic
Windows updates were disabled.

I have tried different restore points but this doesn't seem to make any
difference.

I have run OneCare and it found a couple of Trojans which it couldn't get
rid of. I have emailed AVG for their help with this.

Any suggestions as to what to do? My inclination is to do a re-install of
Windows, but I would need to do a major back up first. Is there anything else
I could try?

Many thanks.
--
mercurius

Some sites I found explaining about repair install:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...ps/doug92.mspx
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/operat...txprepair1.htm
http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/How-t...s-XP-t138.html

"mercurius" wrote:

Thanks CTOS.

Can you advise how to do a repair install?

--
mercurius


"CTOS" wrote:

I've had good luck cleaning out malware with Malwarebytes.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Just my opinion, It could be very difficult to troubleshoot different
problems, but doing a clean install will probably be the quickest and less
troubling. I'd backup any data that you can and then copy it back after the
reinstall.

Performing a repair install might be better solution before the drastic
clean install.

"mercurius" wrote:

I think I may have inadvertently corrupted my Windows XP registry when doing
a clean up at the weekend. Windows takes ages to boot up and the Add or
Remove Programmes appears to be disabled. I noticed also that Automatic
Windows updates were disabled.

I have tried different restore points but this doesn't seem to make any
difference.

I have run OneCare and it found a couple of Trojans which it couldn't get
rid of. I have emailed AVG for their help with this.

Any suggestions as to what to do? My inclination is to do a re-install of
Windows, but I would need to do a major back up first. Is there anything else
I could try?

Many thanks.
--
mercurius

Will a Repair Install get rid of a serious malware infestation, which it
seems Mercurius may well have.



--



Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CTOS wrote:
Some sites I found explaining about repair install:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...ps/doug92.mspx
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/operat...txprepair1.htm
http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/How-t...s-XP-t138.html

"mercurius" wrote:

Thanks CTOS.

Can you advise how to do a repair install?

--
mercurius


"CTOS" wrote:

I've had good luck cleaning out malware with Malwarebytes.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Just my opinion, It could be very difficult to troubleshoot
different problems, but doing a clean install will probably be the
quickest and less troubling. I'd backup any data that you can and
then copy it back after the reinstall.

Performing a repair install might be better solution before the
drastic clean install.

"mercurius" wrote:

I think I may have inadvertently corrupted my Windows XP registry
when doing a clean up at the weekend. Windows takes ages to boot
up and the Add or Remove Programmes appears to be disabled. I
noticed also that Automatic Windows updates were disabled.

I have tried different restore points but this doesn't seem to
make any difference.

I have run OneCare and it found a couple of Trojans which it
couldn't get rid of. I have emailed AVG for their help with this.

Any suggestions as to what to do? My inclination is to do a
re-install of Windows, but I would need to do a major back up
first. Is there anything else I could try?

Many thanks.
--
mercurius

After running Malwarebytes I would run Spybot S & D and see if there are
still signs of malware as distinct from adware.

There is a freeware version buried in this link:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd/index.html

What real time anti-spyware protection is in place?

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



mercurius wrote:
Thanks CTOS.

Can you advise how to do a repair install?


I've had good luck cleaning out malware with Malwarebytes.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Just my opinion, It could be very difficult to troubleshoot different
problems, but doing a clean install will probably be the quickest
and less troubling. I'd backup any data that you can and then copy
it back after the reinstall.

Performing a repair install might be better solution before the
drastic clean install.

"mercurius" wrote:

I think I may have inadvertently corrupted my Windows XP registry
when doing a clean up at the weekend. Windows takes ages to boot up
and the Add or Remove Programmes appears to be disabled. I noticed
also that Automatic Windows updates were disabled.

I have tried different restore points but this doesn't seem to make
any difference.

I have run OneCare and it found a couple of Trojans which it
couldn't get rid of. I have emailed AVG for their help with this.

Any suggestions as to what to do? My inclination is to do a
re-install of Windows, but I would need to do a major back up
first. Is there anything else I could try?

Many thanks.
--
mercurius

Just doing a repair install will not, that's why I suggested first
Malwarebytes. If after Malwarebytes cleans out what it finds and the repair
install does not seem to correct the problems the OP discussed, then do the
clean install.

"Gerry" wrote:

Will a Repair Install get rid of a serious malware infestation, which it
seems Mercurius may well have.



--



Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CTOS wrote:
Some sites I found explaining about repair install:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...ps/doug92.mspx
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/operat...txprepair1.htm
http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/How-t...s-XP-t138.html

"mercurius" wrote:

Thanks CTOS.

Can you advise how to do a repair install?

--
mercurius


"CTOS" wrote:

I've had good luck cleaning out malware with Malwarebytes.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Just my opinion, It could be very difficult to troubleshoot
different problems, but doing a clean install will probably be the
quickest and less troubling. I'd backup any data that you can and
then copy it back after the reinstall.

Performing a repair install might be better solution before the
drastic clean install.

"mercurius" wrote:

I think I may have inadvertently corrupted my Windows XP registry
when doing a clean up at the weekend. Windows takes ages to boot
up and the Add or Remove Programmes appears to be disabled. I
noticed also that Automatic Windows updates were disabled.

I have tried different restore points but this doesn't seem to
make any difference.

I have run OneCare and it found a couple of Trojans which it
couldn't get rid of. I have emailed AVG for their help with this.

Any suggestions as to what to do? My inclination is to do a
re-install of Windows, but I would need to do a major back up
first. Is there anything else I could try?

Many thanks.
--
mercurius

Gerry,

I'm using AVG Internet Security.
--
mercurius


"Gerry" wrote:

After running Malwarebytes I would run Spybot S & D and see if there are
still signs of malware as distinct from adware.

There is a freeware version buried in this link:
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/spybotsd/index.html

What real time anti-spyware protection is in place?

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



mercurius wrote:
Thanks CTOS.

Can you advise how to do a repair install?


I've had good luck cleaning out malware with Malwarebytes.

http://www.malwarebytes.org/

Just my opinion, It could be very difficult to troubleshoot different
problems, but doing a clean install will probably be the quickest
and less troubling. I'd backup any data that you can and then copy
it back after the reinstall.

Performing a repair install might be better solution before the
drastic clean install.

"mercurius" wrote:

I think I may have inadvertently corrupted my Windows XP registry
when doing a clean up at the weekend. Windows takes ages to boot up
and the Add or Remove Programmes appears to be disabled. I noticed
also that Automatic Windows updates were disabled.

I have tried different restore points but this doesn't seem to make
any difference.

I have run OneCare and it found a couple of Trojans which it
couldn't get rid of. I have emailed AVG for their help with this.

Any suggestions as to what to do? My inclination is to do a
re-install of Windows, but I would need to do a major back up
first. Is there anything else I could try?

Many thanks.
--
mercurius