I have a program (Fix It Utilities 6) that keeps my computer clean and up to date, which also cleans/defrags my registry as well as several other areas of Windows XP. It deleted a few keys it apparently shouldn't have, & now a little box pops up that says "Preparing to Install" before I do ANYTHING. It takes awhile before it will do ANYTHING you want it to. I can't even right click on the desktop & have that little menu pop up until it thinks for a year & looks for the Missing registry keys, then the box pops up "Preparing to Install" & what seems like forever later, it does what you asked. I'm not computer illiterate and I know alot about fixing them, but this one is nuts! I put in my XP CD into the drive and figured I'd do a repair install. Won't work. Tried it within windows, and it just says "XP has encountered a problem and needs to close." Tried to boot it with the CD in the drive. Nothing. And yes, CD is 1st boot device. System Restore…Nothing. NO effect. WTF? What can I do?
Tagged with: boot device • menu pop • registry keys • windows xp • wtf
Filed under: Windows Repair Software
1. You can try doing a system restore to a point whereby the files in the directory has not been deleted yet. Go to "START">All Programs>Accessories>System Tools>System Restore.
2. If that doesn't work, maybe u could either switch to another user account since different accounts use its own registry, then just move your files into the new account.
3. If it is still not working well, maybe you should just backup all your files and reformat your harddisk. Hope these will help.
As u mentioned u r computer literate, so i believe u tried to remove unnecessary programs from running at startup by booting into safe mode and using msconfig…
I have not seen any programe in last 10yrs which stops u from booting from a bootable CD…u can check ur CD and also may be the CD-Drive…u try repair installation by first pressing "Enter" then "repair" option in windows Xp installation.. Do not try reinstallation..it will not work i guess.
good luck
rgds
bhaskar
Try to install it again and this time treat it as a fresh installation. If you are willing to format your hard drive ( if there are no important files) , do so. In that way, you will not have a problem anymore.
If there are some important files you need, remove the hard drive and use another computer and make it as a secondary hard drive. This way you can save those files.
sounds like your fix it utilities theory isn't anything I want! I didnt have that program, but in the past I have fried a motherboard or 2, thats the only time I ran into this sort of problem!good luck
Before you reload XP, try a recovery to a previous point.
On boot tap F8 repeatedly to get BOOT MENU
Select safe mode and on it's boot click "NO" (I think, but read it) to choose a restore point.
Pick a date from B4 this software ruined the machine.
Allow the restore to run.
If this fails and you HAVE no option but to reload windows, make sure it's a GENUINE DISC, many "copied" discs out there were badly made and are non bootable.