[cwarner]

[note: I mistakenly posted this note to the wrong forum. My apologies.]

I have a sudden-death issue on Windows XP SP3 that sends me to blue screen (with 'registry_error' as the on-screen message). It occurs consistently under a number of circumstances including:

1. video driver updates (nVidia 190.x to 196.x)
2. registry analysis by ANY of the registry cleaner software packages (I've tried 6 of them)
3. downloads initiated through 'torrent' software (uTorrent, BitTorrent)

And, most annoying, it happens occasionally (not all time, like the circumstances listed above) in other places like simply browsing files using Windows Explorer.

I was about to give up and reinstall XP (and all my apps...which is a LOT) when Lincoln Spector's blog on 'Sudden Temporary Slowdowns' inspired me to give it one last try.

But I am at the end of my good ideas. Any suggestions on how to isolate and eliminate this issue would be appreciated.

p.s. No, I cannot say when this first started. And, no, I don't THINK I have any useful registry/system backups (although I'd be happy to check if someone told me how this is done!).

This post has been edited by cwarner: 08 February 2010 - 06:17 AM

[coastie65]

cwarner, on 08 February 2010 - 06:00 AM, said:

[note: I mistakenly posted this note to the wrong forum. My apologies.]

I have a sudden-death issue on Windows XP SP3 that sends me to blue screen (with 'registry_error' as the on-screen message). It occurs consistently under a number of circumstances including:

1. video driver updates (nVidia 190.x to 196.x)
2. registry analysis by ANY of the registry cleaner software packages (I've tried 6 of them)
3. downloads initiated through 'torrent' software (uTorrent, BitTorrent)

And, most annoying, it happens occasionally (not all time, like the circumstances listed above) in other places like simply browsing files using Windows Explorer.

I was about to give up and reinstall XP (and all my apps...which is a LOT) when Lincoln Spector's blog on 'Sudden Temporary Slowdowns' inspired me to give it one last try.

But I am at the end of my good ideas. Any suggestions on how to isolate and eliminate this issue would be appreciated.

p.s. No, I cannot say when this first started. And, no, I don't THINK I have any useful registry/system backups (although I'd be happy to check if someone told me how this is done!).

Hi and welcome to the forum. If you knew when it started, you try a system restore and see if that helps. You can always try chkdsk/r and see if that will help.

[cwarner]

Quote

Hi and welcome to the forum. If you knew when it started, you try a system restore and see if that helps. You can always try chkdsk/r and see if that will help.

Does chkdsk do the same stuff as disk check utilities like Western Digital's Data Lifeguard Diagnostic? (I used this to complete short and long checks of my drives (all WD) and they all came back clean.) Is chkdsk/r done in the command line mode or is it something I gotta do from the Repair function of the boot/repair disk?

As for a System Restore, I have never done one before. Any recommendations on how to choose a Restore Point? And what if doesn't work? Do I lose all the other Restore Points before and after that one? Or can I simply choose another and another, etc.?

[coastie65]

Hi, As for chkdsk/r Click on sart, My Computer, right click on the Hdd and then Properties. Click on the tools tab and you will have various functions, one of which woud be the chkdsk ( Scan Disc). Click on that and check the second option. Yes, It can be done from the repair console onan Installation disc.


For a System restore, click start, then All Programs, System Tools and then System Restore. If it doesn't work, you can just go back to where you started. Just pick an early BOLDED restore point. I am doing this from memory as I am back on my Vista machine, was on the XP machine when I originally posted.

[SpiritWind]

Hi CWarner :

We generally recommend NOT using "Registry Cleaner(s)"
and I suspect your problems are most likely caused by
you going to what to me is going to the extreme in
using "them" ; you MAY want to consider the Opinion
of several "Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals"
in what they say at http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=28099 .

As to "CheckDisk", it may be easier to follow the
"Guide" at http://www.updatexp....-xp-chkdsk.html .

As to "System Restore", it may be easier to follow
the "Guide" at http://www.bleepingc...tutorial56.html .

[cwarner]

SpiritWind, on 08 February 2010 - 10:15 AM, said:

Hi CWarner :

We generally recommend NOT using "Registry Cleaner(s)"
and I suspect your problems are most likely caused by
you going to what to me is going to the extreme in
using "them" ; you MAY want to consider the Opinion
of several "Microsoft Most Valuable Professionals"
in what they say at http://aumha.net/viewtopic.php?t=28099 .

As to "CheckDisk", it may be easier to follow the
"Guide" at http://www.updatexp....-xp-chkdsk.html .

As to "System Restore", it may be easier to follow
the "Guide" at http://www.bleepingc...tutorial56.html .

Thanks for the tips. The CheckDisk and System Restore guides are very helpful.

I spent much of today running CheckDisk (and MemTest86+). I recovered/repaired a few bad sectors on my primary drive. I also found a glitchy memory card (or so Memtest says), which I removed. Unfortunately, the BSOD still happens.

So, I am down to picking a Restore point. Since they are automatically created by Windows XP (daily, in my case), I wonder which I should use. Any tips here would be appreciated.

As an aside, I only resorted to Registry utilities after the BSOD with registry_error started occurring. And, as I said earlier, I have since removed from my system (they simply make the BSOD occur as well).

This post has been edited by cwarner: 08 February 2010 - 03:26 PM

[coastie65]

Hi, If you weren't noticing it say around Christmas or New Years, then would be a good place to try.

[SpiritWind]

Hi :

Is your "Registry Error" BSOD actually a
"STOP 0x00000051" Message ? IF Yes, perhaps what is
written on the Aumha.net Site is correct !?

"0x00000051: REGISTRY_ERROR

This indicates a Registry or Configuration Manager problem. An I/O error may have occurred while the Registry was trying to read one of its files (caused by hardware or file system problems). This message might also appear due to a memory management error (more common in earlier versions of Windows NT). "

[cwarner]

coastie65, on 08 February 2010 - 08:01 PM, said:

Hi, If you weren't noticing it say around Christmas or New Years, then would be a good place to try.

I picked one about a month old that coincided with an application I had installed. After the Restore was complete, the BSOD seems to have stopped. Yay! I did, of course, have to repair a couple of things (like a recent .NET Framework 3.51 installation).

Many thanks for the tips! I am now a huge fan of XP System Backups/Restores.