# Registry warnings for XP



## texastami (Sep 13, 2002)

We just got our XP online - (installed a new ethernet card) but it keeps giving me messages that my registry is in critical condition - has 55 errors and I need to go to regupdate.com to get it fixed.... and then another pop up comes up and I get another addy www.registryalert.com.... UGH! I am sick of it! I want them to stop! 

BUt I can't seem to locate a FREE registry cleaner... is there such a thing? Help me! They pop up every two seconds or so!! 

TYIA!


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## jross (Sep 3, 2006)

http://www.snapfiles.com/ This site has free, share, and payware stuff.


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## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

texastami said:


> We just got our XP online - (installed a new ethernet card) but it keeps giving me messages that my registry is in critical condition - has 55 errors and I need to go to regupdate.com to get it fixed.... and then another pop up comes up and I get another addy www.registryalert.com.... UGH! I am sick of it! I want them to stop!
> 
> BUt I can't seem to locate a FREE registry cleaner... is there such a thing? Help me! They pop up every two seconds or so!!
> 
> TYIA!


Sounds to me like you're infected with spyware. I strongly suggest you check out my thread here and follow those steps as a 'first' step. I've had to do these very same steps to remove this stuff.

If this doesn't do the job, let me know.


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

I have and use Registry Mechanic. Although it IS a pay one, it really works great. When I first did the clean, I had close to 100 faults in the registry, Now between Registry Mechanic and Norton SystemWorks that also does the Registry, plus finds and fixes Windows and other Program Integrity errors, Shortcut errors, I am cruising along just fine.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

I'm with Kung on this one, it's probably an adware popup. Try downloading and running Adaware (it's free).

http://www.lavasoftusa.com/products/ad-aware_se_personal.php


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

I also run Noadware, and a Pay one called SpyBlaster ,that doesn't help if you have registry problems. I have run ad-aware ever since I started this Internet stuff. Registry stuff just happens


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## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

I have a Mac.

I don't have adware or spyware or viruses.


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## texastami (Sep 13, 2002)

Thanks for everything guys! 

It took me almost 15 hours to get everything done to get it up and running.... 

Here's a list of things I have done and the problems I still have- 

The xp system hadn't been updated since 2003 and we bought it ($5 at a yard sale) three years ago...

So first I ran the auto update and installed over 60 critical updates, and then installed service pack 1 and then SP2 to update everything -

Installed IE6

Installed spybot and deleted all the viruses

Installed Adware and deleted the stuff it found

installed the antivirus mentioned in Karen's monthly maintenance, but it keeps locking up my computer so I had to uninstall it.... (after it caught a trojan)

Went to misconfig and stopped everything from starting up - (all the non essential stuff)

We have nothing installed on the computer at this time except MUSIC (almost 10G's) the computer has 16 gigs...... 

Scan disk runs and it cleans up what it finds....

I keep trying to run defrag but it tells me that I only have 5% resources and ti won't run efficently.

Do I need to delete all the music before I can get this thing up to speed? 

The biggest problem is that it keeps freezing up... the screen just goes to black and white and blue lines and is frozen.... (it happens if anything is running in the background) What is causing it? 

HELP!!


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

When you run the defrag try and do it in safe mode. Because there are many programs that are "Hidden" and every time one starts up OR Shuts down from Inactivity. The Scan STOPS and starts over again. And it is the Stopping I am sure you are seeing like it is frozen. Windows even though you deleted and stopped the non essential ones running, there are Many that you don't see or can't see, and don't realize that are really running in the background.
So running Scan Disc in Safe mode is the best way as there are no other programs hidden or not running.


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## 14yearpcmaker (Mar 11, 2007)

ccleaner includes a very basic free registry cleaner. Download a free copy here: www.cclenaer.com


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## 14yearpcmaker (Mar 11, 2007)

sorry, the website is www.ccleaner.com


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## Rocky Fields (Jan 24, 2007)

Hey.

Rule of thumb is to leave 20% of your HD freespace.

You could burn the music to cd's and insert disc in computer to play.


RF


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

texastami said:


> The biggest problem is that it keeps freezing up... the screen just goes to black and white and blue lines and is frozen.... (it happens if anything is running in the background) What is causing it?
> 
> HELP!!


Sorry, I had to disappear for a day to get a dental crown glued back in place. First things first, you know.

It sounds to me like you've done more than enough "cleaning" for the time being. It's time to put things back together. The first thing to try is sfc.exe, but you'll probably need your XP install CD to do it. Begin by doing a Start==>Run and then type the following onto the "open" box:

sfc /scannow

Click OK. If you don't have your XP install CD it will probably ask for it. That will most likely straighten things out for you.

If you don't have any luck with sfc you should probably consider booting to your XP install CD and selecting Repair, but report back here before trying that.


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## Kung (Jan 19, 2004)

Nevada said:


> Sorry, I had to disappear for a day to get a dental crown glued back in place. First things first, you know.


Great minds think alike - I just got one of my teeth prepped for a crown. Whee.


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## texastami (Sep 13, 2002)

Nevada said:


> Sorry, I had to disappear for a day to get a dental crown glued back in place. First things first, you know.
> 
> It sounds to me like you've done more than enough "cleaning" for the time being. It's time to put things back together. The first thing to try is sfc.exe, but you'll probably need your XP install CD to do it. Begin by doing a Start==>Run and then type the following onto the "open" box:
> 
> ...


I don't have the XP install CD - we bought this system at a yard sale for $5 - 

I did try running things in safe mode and it did find some more spyware - so I think that helped.... I am going to try running defrag in safe mode.... 

I am waiting for DH to get his music off the computer... UGH! Its quite a collection... and we never dreamed we would use this computer online (we bought it simply because he wanted to put his music on a computer...)


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

texastami said:


> I did try running things in safe mode and it did find some more spyware - so I think that helped.... I am going to try running defrag in safe mode....


I don't see how defragging can help this problem, but with XP you shouldn't need to manually defrag anyway.

Do you have XP home or pro?


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## texastami (Sep 13, 2002)

We have xp home on this computer -


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

Check your PMs.


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

Nevada said:


> I don't see how defragging can help this problem, but with XP you shouldn't need to manually defrag anyway.


 You keep saying that. Why do you say XP should not need defraging? I have had my machine now for 5 years running XP Home. and every year I run defrag and sure as heck shows many things that are all over the place on the drive. And by doing a defrag it sure speeds things up by getting them back in order on the same spots on the drive. Just because the drive is a lot faster now (7200 rpm) at finding all these bits of info, but it sure can't hurt and does help.


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## Nevada (Sep 9, 2004)

arabian knight said:


> You keep saying that. Why do you say XP should not need defraging? I have had my machine now for 5 years running XP Home. and every year I run defrag and sure as heck shows many things that are all over the place on the drive. And by doing a defrag it sure speeds things up by getting them back in order on the same spots on the drive. Just because the drive is a lot faster now (7200 rpm) at finding all these bits of info, but it sure can't hurt and does help.


I'm not sure about Home, but it's my understand that Pro does automatic optimization when the system is idle. I upgraded my Win98 installation to XP Pro about 4 years ago and have never defragged. Disk performance seems fine.


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## arabian knight (Dec 19, 2005)

OK Thanks as I have never heard of that in the Home Ed. And when you do a defrag you can bring up that window and "see" how fragmented it is and running the defrag then puts all of that back in order again. And yes I do many times have this on idle like when I might be gone for 2 or 3 hours from time to time and does not seem to do the defrag by itself, or I have ever read anything about that when reading up on XP home edition.


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