Registry error...

Hi folks!

Just built a new system (first time), and everything works great except...every time I fire up WinXP SP2, I get an error stating... "One of the files containing the system registry data had to be recovered by use of a log or alternative copy. Recovery was successful" When I click the "OK" box, all is good until the next time I start windows. The message pops up after windows has completely loaded. Now, what I wonder of course, is there an easy fix? The system has been up and running for about two weeks...error first popped up after a few days. I'm reluctant to go mucking about in the registry if I don't have to, or re-install the OS, but might this manifest itself in a more serious manner down the road if left "un-fixed"? I mean, again, all else seems just fine...

Thanks for any replies,

K.

 

I did some quick (and fairly limited) research... it seems this problem might be related to malware (viruses and spyware and such). It may also be due to a corrupt registry (duh). The question I have (rhetorical) is- how did the registry on a new build get corrupted after only a few days? I have had lots of exposure to lots of messed up PCs and have only seen this particular issue maybe 5 or 10 times. I can't remember any specifics on how I fixed it mainly because it's so uncommon. But it can probably be repaired by following some malware removal steps (here: http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=35407), doing some general maintenance like cleaning junk files, your startup, cleaning dead registry links, etc. CCleaner is great for this; it has hard drive and registry cleaning tools and has proven itself to be safe and effective. Here's the link http://www.majorgeeks.com/CCleaner_Slim_No_Toolbar_d4191.html. It wouldn't hurt to use the Microsoft User Profile CleanUp utility also. You can get it here http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...6D-8912-4E18-B570-42470E2F3582&displaylang=en You can also try the steps in this next link, but this is usually for PCs that aren't booting and if not performed perfectly, you may end up with greater problems, but it may be informative to just read it so you have some knowledge of the registry and how it works; http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545/en-us
That's alot to chew on, so if you have questions, post 'em here. A repair install of the OS might not be a bad idea if all these steps seem like a bit much. You can also try the system file checker. Insert your XP disc in your CD drive and click Exit when the big blue window opens. Click Start > Run and type cmd and press Enter. In the window that opens, type sfc /purgecache and press Enter and let it do its thing. It rarely takes over 30 seconds or a minute. When it's done, type sfc /scannow and press Enter. This step can take some time, so be patient. If you are prompted to insert your XP disc, click retry. If this keeps coming up, click Retry a few more times. If it still continues, and you have a 2nd CD drive, move the XP disc to it and click Retry. When it finishes, type exit and reboot the PC. Hopefully all be well. NOTE: there is a space between "sfc" and the slash "/" in both commands above.
Good luck!