[cyniqx3]

I am running Windows XP Professional on a Dell Latitue D810. My computer was running very slow so I did a few things, first I'll tell you what I did then list the consequences I have discovered so far. I have no clue how this happened or how to fix it- or how the issues are even related.

What I Did

• Installed Windows Security Essentials
• Deleted a bunch of programs through Add/Delete
• Cleaned the registry using a free program called EUsing Free Registry Cleaner
• Defragged my D:/ (I have a D and a C)
• Clean disk on the D:/
• Downloaded a bunch of antivirus programs etc. then deleted them through the Add/Delete
• Went into msconfig and changed the settings to normal startup

Consequences

• It cannot find the wireless internet connection that has always been there
• When I run Help & Support it gives me the error: "Windows cannot open Help and Support because a system service is not running. To fix this problem, start the service named 'Help and Support'.
• My computer settings have changed, I cannot use the Windows XP fancy settings but have to use the older version (I'm speaking of the Start Menu, etc.)
• Still running slow
  
• When I restart it says "Ending program Quickset" then another pop up saying "dwwin.exe The application failed to initalize because windows system is shutting down" Or something... it goes too fast for me to see.

What I've Done To Try To Fix It

• I had the registry backed up so I tried to restore it to its previous settings
• I tried to make a new internet connection but I'm computer-illiterate when it comes to certain things.

I'm not sure what else is wrong- I've given up in frusteration.
Please I'm not sure what I did but if anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated- I need my computer for my college work.

[redoak]

"I had the registry backed up so I tried to restore it to its previous settings."

Did this bring you back to where you were before using the "cleaner?"

Please do not ever again use a Registry "cleaner." See below.

{redoak}
Advice and Info re Registry 'cleaners'- excerpts from TSG:

The main reason they are apt to cause problems is because the cleaners do NOT just clean up stuff left over from uninstalls. They also "guess" that other items need to be deleted, many times incorrectly. They also attempt to "fix" references to files that no longer exist.

As a result, you can end up with programs that no longer work, functions that no longer work and in some cases a PC that will no longer boot.

There is no performance gains to be had by running these things. Windows does not read the entire registry when it is looking for something. It uses the keys which allow them to go straight to the item that they are looking for.

References:
http://www.edbott.com/weblog/?p=643
http://www.computerhope.com/registry.htm


If you really want to see how active the registry is in your normal running environment, download and run Regmon.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-ca/s.../bb896652.aspx

As you will see, the registry is constantly being accessed. If, for each of these, the entire file was being searched, your PC would be amazingly slow and not responsive.

And, to repeat this again, they make no difference in the machine's performance because they are based on a false premise about how the registry is accessed. Unused entries do not slow it down.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sorry I am unable to cite and give credit to the authors.

{redoak}

Another reference: http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=28099

[Hermitt43]

Try restoring the system to a date prior to this issue using System Restore.

Questions:
1. Do you have 2 physical drives or 2 partitions labeled C: - D:
2. Was your registry backup made before or after this issue began?

Hermitt

[cyniqx3]

I'm honestly not sure- the cleaner itself backed it up and I told it to restore it to the previous registry. I tried to restart it again- and still the same problems. Hope that helps. I'm sorry- I did not use this site to see how to fix a slow computer and information about cleaners. I just googled it. I guess that was a bad choice.

[cyniqx3]

For your first question I honestly have no clue- if you tell me how to find that I could look? My computer also has 2 verisions of Windows XP Professional on it - one of them I do not use and don't even know the password to.

I'm also not sure about the second question- I did not restart the computer until after I had finished doing everything that I had listed so I'm not sure what caused it exactly. They all occured when the computer started back up. Hope that helps?

[cyniqx3]

Sorry for the 3rd post but my System Restore was turned off? If I do the Restore to last good configuration will that delete files? Should I back up files first?

[Hermitt43]

Originally Posted by cyniqx3

For your first question I honestly have no clue- if you tell me how to find that I could look? My computer also has 2 verisions of Windows XP Professional on it - one of them I do not use and don't even know the password to.

I'm also not sure about the second question- I did not restart the computer until after I had finished doing everything that I had listed so I'm not sure what caused it exactly. They all occured when the computer started back up. Hope that helps?

Sounds like your HDD has 2 partitions with XP installed on both.
That could possibly explain the C:\ and D:\ drives.

There is a way to delete one installation of XP but I don't possess that experience simply because I've never done it. Therefore, I'm gonna hand you off to Redoak because he has more experience than I do.

Good luck,
Jim

[cyniqx3]

Thank you for your help and answers I really appreciated it. Will do. Have a great night!

[Hermitt43]

Originally Posted by cyniqx3

For your first question I honestly have no clue- if you tell me how to find that I could look?

To find out how many HDD's you have, RightClick My Computer icon on desktop>choose Properties>Hardware>Device Manager>Disk Drives.

Jim

[cyniqx3]

I did that but when I got to Device Manager there was nothing there- it's completely blank?

[redoak]

I am not as experienced as my number of posts might indicate! Many posts are to the Photo Album Forum.

However, using Google, I came up with this reference that may very well take care of your blank Device Manager:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/311504

{redoak}