System restore driving me nuts

Okay I posted a couple of days ago with some computer problems I was having with the restart cycle. Finally, I did a system restore but my resotre points were deleted so it started from scratch yet I managed to save my documents, lists, the programs were installed and didn't work and so on. So I had to reinstall pretty much everything, reconfigure, update, you know the routine. I've also been following the list of ting to do to protect my computer from spywar in the spyware section of this forum. I go thru that list like once a day! Anyway, everything was going fine til just a minute ago, I started my computer and I got an error message saying that there was a problem with the registry and that windows restored itself. I closed it and opened outlook express to check my email but my two yahoo accounts were gone (I lost all my e-mails) and it was even asking me to choose a name etc. as if i just installed it! I didn't want to have to set up everything again so I went to system restore and tried to restore my computer to different days (I've been created 3 restore points a day) but when it restarts it says it couldn't restore and that ntohing is changed!

Can any help me make things the way I had them about an hour ago so I can get my emails and everything back???? Thanks!

 

when you re-installed, did you do a complete format of your hard drive? or, did you just let windows over-write?

winxp loves a clean, fresh hard drive to operate perfectly. i use a win98 boot disk to use fdisk, then i format drive C, then, restart to load winxp. This leaves no progams, registry lines, or anything behind for a nice fresh start.

 

yeah thanks dude, i understand what you mean. i only did the standard restore or format or wtv it was because i was scared to lose some documents i hadn't backed up before hand.

i'm definitely going to perform the full heavy duty format but first i want to make sure i can't restore the e-mail that outlook downloaded from my yahoo accounts because there deleted from the yahoo sites both yahoo.ca and yahoo.fr . anyone have any idea? if only i can get windows to load my restore points but it refuses to!! grrrrrrr

thanks again,
nick

 

System restore will not restore e-mails.You might be able to find your emails in the outlook store folder.

 

Sorry I wasn't really clear.
I never even used outlook express before the restore I actually started using it and transfered all my yahoo mail to it AFTER the restore. Its just that a couple restarts after the restore I got an error message saying that windows encountered a registry error upon start-up but windows automatically restored it from something. After reading the error I opened outllok and it behaved as though it was my first time. My address book was even there but all my e-mail and details of both yahoo accounts got flushed i think.
I even created restore points after I started using outlook after the recovery but windows won't let me use them.
I understand I'm going to have to do a full format but before doing so I wanted to be sure that my e-mails that got downloaded into outlook from my yahoo accounts AFTER THE RECOVERY and BEFORE THE ERROR are irrecoverable.

Another question I have, (please still answer the first if you can) is I'm running an HP computer and a few months ago I created some recovery disks (its an HP thing. it lets use create a recovery CD, which really takes up 7 CDs) but I don't know what good they are. People keep talking about bootdisks and formatting but I don't really understand it all. I'm guessing my recovery CDs will do the same trick that people do with the win98 bootdisk and format?

Thanks MajorGeek Guys ;c)

- Nick

 

Search for .dbx files in
Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{xxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx}\Microsoft\Outlook Express

Or try from OE
File>import>messages>

 

http://www.scandbx.com/

http://www.oemailrecovery.com/outlook-express-recovery.html

 

Recovery disk will install more than just windows 98,it will install drivers and programs that came with it as well.
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericDocument?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&docname=bph07141

 

Thanks Kadavill! I actually got everything back using oe-recovery what a cool program!

I love you!

 

Glad you got it back.
And the thanks should really go to the app.
Though I take pride in knowing which app can do what.
(I never had the need to use it though)

And I love you too!