Is there a way to only restore part of the backup?

[funkmasterj]

Early last month, I followed the this multi-software process because booting up had started to become very slow when it worked, but often hung without starting up. It would often take multiple boots to get a successful one.

 

You'll need these free tools to complete this list.

Combofix

Malwarebytes

Spybot Search and Destroy

CCleaner

Avast!

 

- Turn off system restore

- Turn computer off. Turn it back on and hit F8 several times as it's booting up. If the Windows screen comes up you didn't get it - try again. If a screen comes up giving you options for Safe Mode you've done it correctly. Choose Safe Mode with Networking and press enter

- Run Combofix. You can press "Yes" to all of the options. If it asks you to restart go ahead and do it - just make sure you're there to press F8 to get it back into Safe Mode w/ Networking

- Run CCleaner (both Cleaner and Registry)

- Install, Update (it should update automatically after install) and run the FULL SCAN of Malwarebytes. Remove anything that might pop up (if it asks to you restart do the same as before)

- Run CCleaner (both Cleaner and Registry)

- Install, Update, and Run Spybot Search and Destroy. Remember to Immunize after updating!

- Run CCleaner (both Cleaner and Registry)

- Install, Update, and Run Avast!

- Run CCleaner (both Cleaner and Registry)

- You can optionally run HijackThis, RootRepeal. If you're not comfortable doing this skip this step.

- Install the HOSTS file

- Restart the computer into regular mode and observe if problem has been fixed.

 

I've done this process before. But this time, I now have no sound and my printer doesn't work. I did backup the registry both times in the process. So after having no sound, I restored the first back up. Unfortunately, doing so also restored the boot up issues. Is there a way to view the backup without automatically restoring it or restoring some, but not all of it? My computer uses Windows XP. I can't find my sound driver, but I do have the printer disk and when I try to reinstall, it gives me an error message about the spooler already being in process.

 

How can I know what registry things I should and should not restore?

[DennisD]

Hi funkmasterj, and welcome to the forum.

 

Where on earth did you find this "multi-software process" you've been running?

 

Unless you've had malware removal training or similar (if there is anything similar), you shouldn't be running Combofix, as running that program without supervision can actually damage your computer.

 

How to use ComboFix:

 

... due to the power of this tool it is strongly advised that you do not attempt to act upon any of the information displayed by ComboFix without supervision from someone who has been properly trained. If you do so, it may lead to problems with the normal functionality of your computer.

 

Regarding the advice to install and run "Avast", did you already have an active Anti-Virus installed when you did this? If not, have you been running without an A/V installed?

 

Your problems may have nothing to do with CCleaner, as Combofix actually makes a back up of you registry before it runs, as well as making a System Restore point, which suggests it may do something requiring that registry back up to be restored, or a full System Restore.

 

The reasons for the slow running of your computer could be quite straightforward, and not needing anything like the process you've gone through above. Or, it could be caused by a Malware Infection, which would need to be sorted by an expert at somewhere like "Bleeping Computer", where the Combofix link comes from.

 

My suggestion would be to try and restore your computer to the time before you ran all that stuff using the System Restore point created by ComboFix, and then we could try to find out the best way to sort your computer problems out, but in a measured way.

 

Not quite the advice you were looking for, but this is mine based upon what you have outlined above.

 

Hope that helps.

[hazelnut]

Excellent advice from DennisD there.

 

There is NO WAY you should be using a routine like that if all you had was slow boot issues.

 

If you had those issues because of malware/virus issues then you really need to seek expert malware removal advice and not follow steps like this without help.

 

See here if you decide to get help

 

http://forum.piriform.com/index.php?showtopic=34786