[Chorlton]

Hi.

I'm running an OEM version of XP home edition on an AMD Atholon 1800+ 1.54GHz. It's 6 years old and needs some serious sorting out.

The registry is corrupt, I keep getting 429 errors (Sub Main Activex componant can't create object) when trying to run certain .exe programs. I've reinstalled MDAC and repaired it with a $5 program but to no avail. The Task Manager only shows the running processes (the menu bar has disappeared and so the only way to close it is from the taskbar).

I've run the freebies CCcleaner Hijackthis and the paid fors Xoftspy, Regcure and they all do the biz (or so It seems at the time) but still I get the Chdsk bubble appearing telling me this is corrupt or that is corrupt, and when I run it it'll truncate and copy files but it won't completely fix them.

Should I cut my losses back up what I need and use the dreaded 'Return Computer Back To Factory State' disk. And if so being the age it is will Microsoft still have all the necessary updates?

Hope you can help.......

[Dave Hybrid]

If you own an XP CD boot from it and select the second repair option.

This will repair the registry and leave everything inc. your data, shortcuts, favorites as they were.

Be sure to do the second repair option and don't format or partition anything.

[Chorlton]

All I've got is a disc that says 'Return to factory settings'. As far as I know this will just wipe the lot and reset it to how it was when I bought it.

It was one of those buy now pay later deals from a firm called Tiny who not long afterwards went belly up.

[Dave Hybrid]

Yeah that will wipe it, unfortunately if the registry is really screwed it's the best option.

Editing the registry manually is hard and very time consuming.

[Mike0001]

See if you can borrow an XP CD from anyone.

[Chorlton]

I'll see if I can borrow my brothers XP pro discs. It won't make any difference if it's pro or not will it?

[Dave Hybrid]

Yeah, it needs to be the same as what you have.

If you have SP2 it will need to be an integrated SP2 disc too.

[Chorlton]

Is SP2 not available through Microsoft update anymore?

How far back do updates go before Microsoft remove them?

[Dave Hybrid]

Doesn't matter.

If you have SP2 you need a SP2 XP CD to do the repair, how can you repair a SP2 install with a normal disc? It will be missing the data to do the repair.

[Chorlton]

Oh so reinstalling XP won't effect anything else then? I haven't got to completely start again.