Trying to help a friend

[Hoov]

I keep an image on my second partition. I don't use the windows backup and restore feature, but others do and it works fine. You should be able to play with your install as much as you want to test different settings.

But to do a system restore from a previous install, try booting windows cleanly and then doing the restore.

If you need instructions for that,

I need you to reboot windows cleanly. To do that please go to the run command and type in msconfig . Once that starts, select selective startup, and then uncheck the load startup items. Now click on the services tab, and down near the bottom of the window, check the box that says Hide all Microsoft Services now go up and uncheck all the services still listed, make sure you scroll down the list if need to unselect all the non Microsoft services. Now click apply, then click OK and reboot the computer.

To boot normally after, just run msconfig and select normal startup then click apply then OK and reboot.

[FD]

Thanks,  I'm a bit confused.  I have a nice image of windows I created on my second hard drive, can I use that directly from the second internal hard drive in my computer and not use the external drive?  That would save a few minutes.  Although as long as rebuilding the system, [more than a few times doesn't cause any harm I don't totally mind doing it.  I learn from it.]

I'll boot up the way you suggested first, I haven't ever done that when I restored from my external drive in the past, could that be why I've had  problems with my machine?

OR

Can I use the win 7 installation DVD and do a repair install instead, and see if that makes system restore work? Then call it a day w/o any loss of additional programs I installed, and fixes that MSFT came out with since I created that Virgin Image?  If that fails then go to the Virgin Image I have and rebuild from there?

FD

PS I hope you don't mind all the questions I learn a lot by asking them....  :)

[Hoov]

Yes you can use it right from where it is at. When you are restoring from a backup image from inside of windows, then the software that is running when you do it will affect how the reimaging works. 

You can also do a repair install, or you can even try running a sfc (system file check).

[FD]

i decided to go back back to the Virgin Image and rebuild from there. I installed some junk I don't want which might have caused the conflict, I also want JAVA out of there!  I have the time, and the energy today.

After the  Virgin Image I plan on DL the MSFT fixes, then re-install MS OFFICE, then update AV software, anti-spyware and go from there.  Is that a good plan.  MSFT patches are downloading while I run out and cut the lawn.  I'll check this thread before proceeding past the patches. Thanks!

[Hoov]

It is a good plan. My backup image is of my entire C: drive, after updating windows and all my standard programs including all my security.

[FD]

That's what I'm striving for, however I made changes, some good, some not so good from what I can tell. So any good images I made of the HD are a bit outdated and need patches etc now.

[FD]

Ok All drivers were up to date and working. So Patches, Anti Virus, and MS Office is in..  As it turns out the AV software was on "my Virgin Image", so it just updated itself.


I plan on installing

CCleaner.

Windows Live Mail

Google Chrome

Skype

Super Anti-Spyware

Malwarebytes

VLC Media Player

Auslogics Disk Defrag

Is there a preferred order? Above are my thoughts on the order.

Thanks

FD

[Hoov]

The way I do it is OS, OS updates, security programs, updates to security programs and then everything else. But you can do it however you want.

[FD]

I guess MS Office is a bit out of sequence then.  How much of a difference will that make?  I'm not that far into it yet, and can start over. I tend to like to do things right, but can also over think things.

If leaving it as is won't have much of an impact then I can get the Super Anti-spyware and Malwarebytes in next.  Then wrap up with the larger programs, to smaller programs.

One of the things that often puzzled me is people buy programs and install them at different times, and windows has frequent updates. The AV programs constantly update as well as the Anti-Spyware programs, so everything is out of order at some point so to speak. 

Thanks,
FD

[Hoov]

With the programs you have, you should be able to do it in any order you like. If something does cause a problem, just reboot the computer and try again.

[FD]

Will do! 

Thanks!

FD

[FD]

System Restore is still not working, doesn't matter what Image I use, even going back to the Virgin Image.  This really is annoying. 

I still get this message if I try a system restore from a restore point, even while in Safe Mode.

The message sums up like this:

X System Restored did not complete successfully.  Your computers files and settings were not changed.

Details: System restore failed while restoring the registry from the restore point.  The restore point was damaged or deleted during the restore.  Try a different point.  If you continue to see this error try an advanced recovery method. [Which I did].

[1972vet]

If it were me, I think I'd consider looking for malware on that thing.

[FD]

We did a while back and found nothing.  But I was thinking along those lines myself.

I have Comodo AV and their Firewall installed could that be the problem? I thought it was AVG and the windows firewall I mixed that up with another PC I have.  I exited the program when I tried to restore from a system restore point. I also tried in Safe Mode. It works fine from an Image though.

Thanks,
FD

[1972vet]

Why not follow These Instructions and post a log in that forum. If you'd like, I'll take a look at it for you.