Fixing problems in the Windows registry with regedit
The news group discussion had traveled through various other topics until discussion turned to problems with the Windows Registry. Various attempts had been extended using scanreg /fix & /opt [which work unless the registry becomes severly corrupted or VERY large]. Third party programs were used to eventually return the Windows registry to a fixable state.
However, a simpler and, at times, far more effective fix for Windows registry problems can be achieved by using regedit from the DOS command prompt. This useful when you know you have installed and uninstalled many programs but not all the entries were removed; or, Windows loading times become slow; or, Windows produces errors when starting. Maurice extended the method to use.
From: "MEB"
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion
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Subject: Re: remove "Computer" from Start > Find
sub-menu
Date: Fri, 12 May 2006 03:43:54 -0400
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MEB> Ah, you ,might try this the next time:
1 restart your computer in dos safe mode ( do not exit to
dos)
2 back up system.dat and user.dat to a safe folder
3 remove the system, hidden and read-only attributes from
system.dat and user.dat as follows
a type in cd \windows
b when you see the c: prompt type in attrib -s -h -r
system.dat
c when you see the c: prompt type in attrib -s -h -r
user.dat
4 when you see the c: prompt type in regedit /e fixreg.txt
be patient this might take a while
5 when you see the c:prompt type in regedit /c fixreg.txt
this may take a long time
6 when you see the c: prompt restart windows
7 if you have problems you can always copy the backed up
system.dat and user.dat files you made over the new files
"LuckyStrike"
<LS@smokedamagedfurniture.youcandriveitawaytoday.com> wrote
in
message news:OcFXGwXdGHA.3996@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> "glee" asked in message
news:eFtvN1VdGHA.4912@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...
> > "LuckyStrike" wrote in message
> > news:%23Cj3XXTdGHA.5048@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> > > snip
> > > BTW, this brings up the registry bloat and
fragmented registry
> System.dat /
> > > User.dat issue. Yes... I had finally arrived at
the "point of no
> return"
> > > with *Scanreg /fix* --> Problem "checking the
registry structure" in
> > > System.dat
> > > Scanreg /opt was OK though. Fortunately, I found a
'fix' (a
workaround
> > > actually) for that.
> >
> > What is the workaround you found, LuckyStrike?
> > --
> > Glen Ventura, MS MVP Shell/User, A+
> > http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
> >
> >
>
> Short version - (for those who have other things to do with
their lives) :
> Acelogix Registry defragger and compactor (version 1.1).
That was the one
> which fixed it for me.
> http://www.acelogix.com/regcompact.html
> ----------------------------------
> My version <G> for those who want the gory factual
details.
>
> First a "history" of what was up before this failure. This
was all
> documented as it was occurring, so there isn't any guesswork
here.
>
> Just before this failure of the Scanreg /fix occurred,
System.dat and
> User.dat were:
> 04:33 9/6/05 (Last good scanreg/ fix)
> System.dat = 8.69 MB (9,121,824 bytes)
> User.dat = 2.11 MB (2,215,968 bytes)
>
> Total = 10.8 MB (11,377,792 bytes)
>
> The next time I tried was after removing Acrobat Reader so
as to replace
it
> with Foxit Reader. As everyone knows, Adobe Acro Reader is
*huge* and
> slooo-oow. So, I figured a clean up and optimization of the
Registry was
in
> order before installing the very modest sized Foxit Reader
(which by the
way
> is fast and tiny).
>
> At that time just before the un-install of Acro Reader, the
System.dat and
> User.dat were:
>
> 16:10 10/1/05 (Acrobat Reader 6.02)
> System.dat = 8.78 MB (9,216,032 bytes)
> User.dat = 2.14 MB (2,244,640 bytes)
>
> Total = 10.9 MB (11,460,672 bytes)
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Then, after the un-install and subsequent compaction /
fixing is when the
> problem occurred:
>
> 16:29 10/1/05 - Scanreg /fix
> Problem "checking the registry structure" in
System.dat
> System.dat remains same size and cannot be rebuilt.
> User.dat was not problematic.
>
> User.dat: 2.11 MB (2,215,968 bytes)
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> System.dat never completed. It just hung forever. Of course
a Ctrl-Alt-Del
> got me out of DOS and back to an operational system, but not
as I would
have
> liked, with a fully completed Scanreg /fix.
>
> I ran the Scanreg /opt, but opted out of a scanreg /fix. The
results were:
>
> 18:25 10/1/05 - Still will not repair ('Fix') System.dat. ;
but apparently
I
> can run an Optimize ('Opt').
> Current sizes are:
>
> System.dat = 8.47 MB (8,884,256 bytes)
> User.dat = 2.10 MB (2,211,872 bytes)
>
> Total = 10.5 MB (11,096,128 bytes)
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 18:36 10/1/05 (did 4 more Scanreg /opts)
>
> System.dat = 8.47 MB (8,884,256 bytes)
> User.dat = 2.09 MB (2,195,488 bytes)
>
> Total = 10.5 MB (11,079,744 bytes)
> ===============================
> User.dat would change, but System.dat was forever stuck at
the last figure
> derived.
>
> I then removed 2.5 tons of programs <g>. But with
little positive results.
> Naturally, the User.dat shrunk considerably, but System.dat
was "slow to
> catch up" (so-to-speak)
>
> Removed more programs (probably took out so 30 programs.
True, many were
> small, but Photoshop 7.1 / SpywareBlaster 3.51 and Snagit
7.24 are not
small
> by any means. There were others there of some size as
well.
>
> Ran it several times further with the same results. Scanreg
/fix would
hang
> at anywhere between 0% - 2%.
> The results were:
> 16:15 10/9/05
> System.dat = 8.20 MB (8,605,728 bytes)
> User.dat = 1.92 MB (2,015,264 bytes)
>
> Total = 10.1MB (10,620,992 bytes
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> This went on for 9 days. Wholesale removing of programs and
trying all
> permutations of the Scanreg /opt, Scanreg /fix, Scanreg /opt
/fix with
and
> without SMARTDRV in the hope that I'd finally crossed a
barrier. It was
not
> to be.
>
> At this point, aside from mega Programs Like Office XP and
IE6 SP-1 and
the
> entire OS for that matter, <G> I'd run out of programs
which would have
> provided any space.
> Mind you, I haven't copied / pasted the entire sweaty
notepad.txt of the
> documented attempts to get this to work. This was to give
you a broad
idea.
> The final results when I finally gave up on it ever
working.
>
> 16:25 10/9/05 - still broken at 2 %
> System.dat = 8.20 MB (8,605,728 bytes)
> User.dat = 1.83 MB (1,929,248 bytes)
>
> Total = 10.0 MB (10,534,976 bytes)
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Then after asking here at w98.gen.disc and getting the
'already known'
> answer (PCR and I have discussed this at length) and I know
this issue has
> been presented and asked here for ages, I sought out the
so-called
registry
> fixers. Most were mouse milk and didn't fix a thing.
System.dat and
User.dat
> figures were unchanged after using them.
> I won't name them unless someone wants to know, but I tried
at least three
> or four of them.
>
> I searched other forums about this issue and 'saw familiar
faces' replying
> to same issue (You / GST/ Martell/ etc.). Usual depressing
news. <g>
>
> Then... one last try of one final 3rd-party
> fix...................................
>
> Acelogix Registry defragger and compactor. That was the one
which fixed it
> for me.
> Now, it does not fix the Native Windows Scanreg /fix (I
tried it
afterwards
> a couple of times and that was my finding), but at least it
does succeed
in
> compacting and rebuilding the Registry System.dat and
User.dat so as to
have
> new ones which are in good shape.
>
> Details:
> 04:12 10/10/05
> Installed and ran Acelogix Registry Defragger and Compactor.
It showed the
> following results after analysis:
> Current Size: 10368 KB
> Compact Size: 10100 KB
> Difference: 269 KB
>
> System.dat : Current Size: 8404 KB / Compact Size : 8280
KB
> User.dat : Current Size: 1964 KB / Compact Size : 1820
KB
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Examination of Files before actual defrag / compaction
were:
> System.dat = 8.20 MB (8,605,728 bytes)
> Created date: Unknown
> Modified date: Monday October 10, 2005 4:00:48 am
>
> User.dat = 1.91MB (2,011,168 bytes)
> Created date: Sunday October 09, 2005 5:12:18 PM
> Modified Date: Monday October 10, 2005 4:03:02 AM
>
> Total = 10.1 MB (10,616,896 bytes)
> ================================================
> 04:12 10/10/05
> After Defrag and compaction with Acelogix Tool:
>
> System.dat = 8.08 MB (8,478,752 bytes)
> Created date: Monday October 19, 2005 3:59:29 AM
> Modified Date: Monday October 10, 2005 4:11:02 AM
>
> User.dat = 1.77 MB (1,863,712 bytes)
> Created date: Monday October 19, 2005 3:59:28 AM
> Modified Date: Monday October 10, 2005 4:22:04 AM (not
accurate
> timestamp, as I am doing this documentation process
here.
>
>
> Total = 9.86 MB (10,342,464 bytes)
> ==============================
> 04:39 10/10/05 - Successful
>
> Ran Windows Scanreg /Opt
> Ran Windows Scanreg /Fix - Successfully
>
> System.dat = 8.08 MB (8,482,848 bytes)
> Created: Monday October 10, 2005 4:39:27 AM
> Modified : Monday October 10, 2005 4:22:34 AM
>
> User.dat = 1.77 MB (1,863,712 bytes)
> Created: UNKNOWN (???)
> Modified : Monday October 10, 2005 4:40:12 AM
> Total = 9.86MB (10,346,560 bytes)
> ==============================
> 07:04 10/10/05
>
> Ran Windows Scanreg /Opt
> Ran Windows Scanreg /Fix - Successfully
>
> System.dat = 8.07 MB (8,470,560 bytes)
> Created: UNKNOWN
> Modified : Monday October 10, 2005 7:03:58 AM
>
> User.dat = 1.77 MB (1,863,712 bytes)
> Created: UNKNOWN
> Modified : Monday October 10, 2005 7:04:40 AM
> Total = 9.85MB (10,334,272 bytes)
> ==============================
> Currently, I am in need of a clean-up and compaction:
>
> 9.59 MB (10,059,808 bytes)
> Thursday, May 11, 2006 9:00:04 PM
>
> User.dat
> 2.53 MB (2,662,432 bytes)
> Thursday, May 11, 2006 9:44:22 PM
>
> Total = 12.1 MB (12,722,240 bytes)
> --------------------------------------
>
> Incidentally, all of these figures are the actual file
sizes, not
allocated
> space used.
>
> For those wanting to know what didn't work:
> Advanced Registry Optimizer
> Rose City Registry Compressor 2.0.1.69
> WinRescue
>
> I might have tried others, but I can't remember now. It was
a trying time.
> --
>
> LuckyStrike
> LS@smokedamagedfurniture.youcandriveitawaytoday.com
> The best Tweak and your ally for IE = **Disable Active
Scripting**
> http://www.infinisource.com/techfiles/surf-safe.html
> How to make a good newsgroup post:
> http://www.dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
> ---------------------------------------
>
>