Used MG recommended registry cleaner, now computer won't boot up

I sure hope someone can help. My laptop computer won't boot, either in regular mode or safe mode.

I had removed AVG 8 because it was slowing down my computer and came to MG to download Avast. On the download page was a link for a registry cleaner recommended by Major Geeks, called Registry Mechanic. After I installed Avast, I ran this program and rebooted. Now Windows won't load. I can't get into safe mode. I don't have a Windows XP disk, only recovery disks supplied by HP. I posted for help in another forum and was basically told running registry cleaners was a bad idea and since I don't have a Windows disk, I'm hosed. Is this true? Is there anything else I can do other than a system recovery? I really don't want to lose all of my data.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

I'm sorry to hear that you're having problems. The free version of Registry Mechanic should actually not be able to do this. But anyway it happened. What you suggested yourself is a method that in all likelihood will help: boot from a CD and perform a repair. Good luck to you, Larkie...

 

I purchased the program after the free scan reported several problems with the registry. I figured it would help speed things up after AVG 8 slowed everything down.

I don't have a Windows XP disk and the computer manufacturer no longer supplies them...recovery disks only.... so I cannot repair it. Is my only choice a system recovery?

The people at Aumha forums said that registry cleaners can often damage computers like this and shouldn't be run for routine maintenance. Does MG still recommend this program?

 

I don't know. But Majorgeeks is a business first and foremost. I'm not a part of that.

About registry cleaners in general: only 2 of then are safe. CCleaner and Microsoft's relatively new online service Windows Live OneCare safety scanner.

The free version of Registry Mechanic really can't do much so it is unlikely to do any harm. But you have the full version now. Since you have purchased the program you're also entitled to support from the company. Have you contacted them? Also there is a Forum on their homepage.

 

There is no such thing as a safe registry cleaner. This is a risk for mucking around with the registry. I could tell people til I am blue in the face that you take a risk at hosing your machine using any autmoated tool that thinks it knows best for the registry, but nobody would listen.

At any rate...what is the error?

 

your right Adrynalyne,i learned that long time ago..when people divulge into their registry too long and too much..whoops their goes the computer..

 

Well, I've learned my lesson. My stupidity was not asking in here first and taking the word of a site I trust to not steer me wrong. I've done a system recovery on my computer. Everything is gone that I hadn't backed up, but I've learned a valuable lesson. I'll never touch a registry cleaner again. It's too bad that MG advertises them so heavily. I know that is not the fault on anyone in here, it's just a shame.

 

I have Erunt 1.1j from http://www.majorgeeks.com/download1267.html installed. It creates a backup copy of your Registry at each days first bootup. Rating: 4.83 (106 votes) is an almost perfect Rating by MG members.

If anything goes wrong with your Registry you can simply restore your Registry to the first bootup of the day. :major :cool

Remember to visit C:\WINDOWS\ERDNT\AutoBackup once a week, or so, to delete old Registry backups. I usually keep the most recent 2 and delete the rest.

As for Registry Cleaners, I use Advanced Windows Care, CCleaner and Cleanup! on a very regular basis with no problems for me. It is a comfort to know I have a very recent full Registry backup if I stuff up, in editing or whatever.

Bazza

 

Log in as administrator and search. For example - go to documents and settings. Look for you old documents and folders. It's a long-shot but try anyway. Depending on what you did things could still be there. A repair install should not wipe everything out..

 

Tweaking isn't for everyone, and thats all that a registry cleaner is. Its not neccessary, it provides risk to your system, and it will not ever give you a performance update. You are much better off removing offending keys ONLY when there is a problem.

Pity you didn't tell us what the error was. We probably could have saved you some lost data. The great thing about Windows, is that unless you went out of your way to disable a bunch of crap running by default (like system restore), there is almost always a backup of your registry that can be used.

Lastly, don't be harsh on Majorgeeks. They provide the software, but do not make it, support it, or control how someone usues it. Certainly the tech forums here are to help you, but not if you do not provide any information to those who can help you.

 

Thanks for your suggestion, but even if I had done a registry backup, I couldn't have restored it. Windows wouldn't load. I would get to a black screen with a flashing cursor on the upper left and it would go no further. Trying to get into safe mode got the same result. I'm glad you haven't had problems, but I don't think I'm going to be using any kind of registry cleaner in the future.

 

Thats probably a good idea. There are ways to restore the registry outside of Windows, just for future information.

 

How would I have done that without a Windows disk? All I had were recovery disks.

 

Also: Use Search and the star key * when looking for documents. Like this:

*.doc
*.txt
*.jpg

and so on.

There is a chance that Google's Picasa program will find your old images if they are still there. Just download it.

 

Microsoft provides setup floppies for XP that include the recovery console. Thats just one of several options.

 

Thanks Cordialis. I'll give that a try. I appreciate your helpfulness and not treating me like a complete moron, even though I feel like one right now.

Thank you as well Adrynalyne, but my laptop doesn't have a floppy drive. I will Google for instructions in case this ever happens again and I could probably either borrow or purchase an external floppy drive. Hopefully, it won't happen again, but at least I'll have other options if it should.

Also, I was not trying to be hard on Major Geeks. I had posted that I realized this was my own fault and not the fault of anyone here. My disappointment is that Registry Mechanic is advertised on every single download page I've encountered here, so I assumed it was a good program. That was my mistake and I take full responsibility for that. I just wish there was a warning posted somewhere about the potential for damage. It might make people like me think twice before blindly downloading and running a recommended program.

 

You are not a moron. Of cause not. I don't know who you can trust these days but PC Tools have an obligation to be one of them. I use ThreatFire but other than that I don't really like their freeware products.

 

Larkie,i wasnt tryin to be any disrespect,no you are not a moron,ive made same mistakes myself with this and other things.you didnt know what was comin.thats how i learned alot about computers..im no expert but i think revert myself as a trial & error type of computer worker...have you try to push F8 and go to the last settings that worked..try it a few times see if that does the trick also what iwas think about avast has a built in web generator ive heard people had prolbems with it.maybe it had a conflict between the regisry mechanics and avast virus..