JRT error 0x80074EC

A simply stated problem:
"Checking for update
================================================================
[ ]
[ Junkware Removal Tool (JRT) by Malwarebytes ]
[ Version 7.5.9 (08.27.2015:1) ]
[ Information about this tool can be found at ]
[ www.malwarebytes.org and www.thisisudax.org ]
[ ]
[ This software is free to download and use ]
[ ]
[ Please save any unsaved work before proceeding as ]
[ the program will terminate most applications during cleanup ]
[ ]
[ ]
[ ** DISCLAIMER ** ]
[ ]
[ This software is provided "as is" without ]
[ warranty of any kind. You may use this software ]
[ at your own risk. ]
[ ]
[ Click the [X] in the top-right corner of this window ]
[ if you wish to exit. Otherwise, ]
================================================================

Press any key to continue . . .

Creating restore point... FAILED 0x800704EC
The tool failed to create a restore point!!!
Tool paused. If you would like to continue...
Press any key to continue . . ."

I just downloaded the newest version of the Junkware Removal Tool (auto update of the earlier version I had didn't work - couldn't be downloaded). I tried running it and I got that.

How do I fix this ?
Notes:
1. internet searches indicate system file corruption, (is this this the problem ?)and offer the use of tools for correcting this: are they trustworthy ?
2. I cannot seem to manually create a system restore point either, going to system protection show any buttons greyed out with the message "...is disabled by your system administrator"....ME !!!
3. I have set Volume Shadow and Windows installer to automatic
4. JRT v6.1.4 runs successfully on same machine

Dumb_Question
31.August.2015

HP Pavilion dm4-1050ea - i5M430 2.27 GHz dual core w/HT 8GB RAM - Windows 7 home Premium 64bit

 

.
Greetings Dumb_Question.

Have you tried to create a Restore Point when the machine is booted into Safe Mode? If so, what happened?

and:

I certainly wouldn't trust them - seems like your next best step would be to run Microsoft's own System File Checker (SFC).
.

 

Thanks for those helpful suggestions, Caliban.
I will certainly try them, but it might be a few days.
I'll look up how to SFC, I think I've used it once before on another system.

Au revoir !

Dumb_Question
1.September.2015

 

You're welcome.

Here's a quick SFC tutorial.

 

Also, the author of the Junkware Removal Tool is a member here. You might try to send thisisu a PM or visit the JRT homepage.

 

Thank you for the tutorial

I decided to re-install AVG because the email scanner had stopped working and the 'fix' button briefly cured it - for less than 1s - before it reverted to not working state.
I chose the repair option and this ended with a failure, and some error codes.
(more later)

Then I ran sfc /scannow > Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations

Next I rebooted into safe mode with networking, and went to restore option in CP ('recovery'). There was no option to make a restore point, and the return to an earlier time was greyed (whited) out, possibly because all earlier restore points - well there aren't any.

Returned to normal mode. Boot seemed slow, slower than I remember

Looked (checked)at AVG - the four options (free version) were all green !!

What now ??

Dumb_Question
2.September.2015

system details at bottom of OP

 

I am now able to create a system restore point, so I have one ! (just one)

Searching on 'system restore disabled by your administrator' (which I found from Start>Computer>Properties>System Protection) turned up the article in thelink below

I followed the registry edit method (although I don't like editing the registry = I am afraid of what I might do !) described in this link, as there was no gpedit.msc command found on my laptop (??)

I don't know about the reliability of the link or the forum, I've never seen it before, but it seemed to work.

Dumb_Question
25.September.2015

HP Pavilion dm4-1050ea - j5 430M - 8GB RAM - Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit

 

plodt, thank you for your tip, but why do you need a tool to this ? I thought I had a special problem that I couldn't solve for ages. Windows 7 is supposed to enable the creation system points by default...isn't it ? I don't how my ability to create them was changed, I am the system admin. and I did not make that change, nor did I delete all my restore points !

Dumb_Question
26.September.2015

 

Thanks for the answer plodr.
I wasn't thinking that Windows created restore points daily, it's just that mine had all disappeared, which I found concerning, and that I couldn't create any (a point thrown up the RT). I then took to wondering why there weren't any at all surely rhere should be some ?

So you aren'r telling why the restore points disappeared, nor how W7's "policy" on that was (presumably) changed ? ...is this latter the work of a virus maybe ?

Dumb_Question
26.September.2015

 

Thank you for that information plodr.

That couldn't, I do not think, be the issue in my case because I do not dual boot from the same HDD on the computer in question. What I have done in the distant past (but this may just coincide with loss of recovery points, I don't know when I lost tem or the recovery point creation ability was lost), is boot in one of a small number of CDs or USB flash drives, into Easeus, a backup of my HDD to check that the backup was working, and Linux. Could doing this have caused loss f the ability to create recovery points or the loss of existing ones ?

Dumb_Question
29.September.2015

dm4-1050ea - Windows 7 Homer Premium x64

 

Thank you once again, plodr, for another useful contribution.

While I agree that it is not strictly relevant to my situation, I, and others, may find it useful in the (near) future.

I also make images (of a special type - perhaps you would not call them images) from time to time,for all-important back-up purposes. On my old XP system I have found restore points on a (small) number of occasions.

Dumb_Question
29.September.2015