how to restore config.sys after registry cleaner mishap

[roberttipp]

after using registry cleaner i am not able to access the internet (on a different computer obviously!).  can someone tell me how to restore the config.sys file that existed before the backup?  i did the backup, but am concerned that if i mess up the config.sys change, i'll be in big trouble.  anyone?  thanks!

[Derek891]

Hello Robert - Did you perform the registry backup option prior to deleting the registry entries using CCleaner? If you did this, the backup is stored in your Documents folder and you can restore the registry to it's prior condition by right clicking on the backup file and selecting Merge. Test your system, and if you still experience problems after doing this, then I suggest using a System Restore Point that was created prior to using CCleaner.

[Alan_B]

I do not remember seeing any CONFIG.SYS after I moved on from Windows 98.

 

What is your version of Windows ?

Perhaps CCleaner no longer supports it.

[Derek891]

Hello Alan - There's a good chance I could be wrong, but didn't WinXP 32 bit retain config.sys and autoexec.bat in order to provide backwards compatibility when running Win95/98/ME (a.k.a.DOS) applications? Or am I wrong in thinking this? (It's been such a long time since I've even thought about it! ) I can no longer check this out for myself since I replaced WinXP with Zorin OS8 on my HP Mini. In any event, thanks for pointing that out, I should have asked the OP which version of Windows he is using.

[Alan_B]

Your memory is better than mine.

 

I have just mounted a Macrium image of my old XP Laptop and see that it does indeed exist.

BUT

it contains exactly zero bytes, as does :-

Autoexec.bat

IO.sys

MSDOS.SYS

 

Registry cleaning will NOT choose to delete an obsolete "system" FILE,

though its instructions to the O.S. might trigger unexpected consequences if Windows is already so badly corrupted that the only sane action is to re-install Windows.

 

Removal of Config.sys is an unlikely cause for the loss of the Internet unless this is computer predates the Millennium bug

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2000_problem

[Andavari]

I do not remember seeing any CONFIG.SYS after I moved on from Windows 98.

 

C:\config.sys in XP at least is a blank unused file. Maybe he means the config.nt file which the registry cleaning portion of CCleaner has NEVER touched as it isn't a registry file.

CONFIG.NT = C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG.NT

[roberttipp]

i'm still in trouble - thanks guys - looks like i've 'windows 7 starter' ... i went the cccleaner backup file and did the merge/right click thing & rebooted ... i'm connected to my internet wifi router (i got bars, says connected) ... then when launch my browser & try & go to a website it says 'unable to connect to the proxy server' ... what option have i screwed up do you think?

[hazelnut]

Which browser are you using?

 

Also have a look here

 

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101218101246AA8VhxY

 

Does this fix anything for you?

[roberttipp]

hazelnut - thanks a lot! - i went to the yahoo on another computer (where i'm on the internet & communicating) and i am still stuck -- 1. i can't download the trouble shooting softward cause im' not on the internet, and 2. i can't change my lan setting cause it says some options are controlled by the administrator -- altho as far as i can tell, i AM the administrator. i've got a lot to learn ... thanks for the suggestions tho ...

[roberttipp]

i can get emails, ie, logon to gmail, etc., BUT i cannot go to most websites ... i can get search results, but can't launch websites ... crazy

[hazelnut]

Which browser are you using? Please answer.

 

 

Have you tried going into Control Panel, selecting Internet Options, then the Advanced tab and pressing the button which says Reset (Reset Internet Explorer settings)

 

Reboot and try again to access websites.

[roberttipp]

using internet explorer, and google chrome; ok, reset, rebooting, ... and ... chrome not working ... unable to connect to proxy server ... and internet explorer not working; trouble shooter / diagnostic: the remote devise won't accept the connection, go.microsoft.com not setup to accept connections on the port "the world wide web service (http)".

[Derek891]

Hello Robert - Try flushing the DNS cache. Right click the command prompt, select Run as Administrator, then enter "ipconfig /flushdns" (without the quotes), see if that is any help.

[hazelnut]

The lan setting that I linked to is what would help a lot

 

You say it won't let you change it saying you need admin privileges?

 

If you look in Users in Control Panel you are listed as admin?

 

If yes then perhaps your permissions are messed up. There are a couple of things you could do to correct that (such as creating a new user and making it an admin)

 

 Or downloading Windows Repair on another machine and transferring it via a usb stick  and running the repair for to Reset File Permissions only

 

 http://www.tweaking.com/content/page/windows_repair_all_in_one.html

 

Edit,.... see Derek has posted a good thing to try too.

[roberttipp]

i downloaded the tweaking deal on a thumb drive, copied it over, launched it, BUT, it crashed during instal with the errors: please check your intent connection. if you have a firewall enabled please disable it or an an exception for reimagerepair.exe & try again ... i'll try the setup a new user as admint thing ... it has 'automatic' for the ip setup, maybe that's the problem, although i don't know what i'm talking about ...

[roberttipp]

i am an admin, but created a new admin user, and am rebooting ... for some reason i kicked it into a safety check mode, so it's running chkdsk now & so on ...

[roberttipp]

ok, so now i'm on as the new administrator ... lemme see if i can change the ip thing ... specifically, i think it's setup as a proxy, which it shouldn't be? yeah ... same deal ... so i'm in internet explorer, i go to internet options, lan settings, and it's checked 'automatically detect' and i can't change it ... then further down the 'use proxy' box is checked, and i can't uncheck it ... that's the box that internet explorer & chrome are telling me to 'uncheck' ... does that make sense, and how can i do that? i'm the administrator ...

[Derek891]

Hello Robert - Going back to post #2, do you have a system restore point that existed prior to cleaning the registry? If so, try booting into Safe Mode (F8 on Win7 machines) then try running System Restore.

[roberttipp]

let's see ... control panel / system restore - looks like i can only go back a couple weeks; this situation has been in place for months unfortunately, so i don't think that will work ... that's via control panel ... now i'll see what happens if i try during reboot ... f2, then f8 ... i picked the 'restore to last good date' option ... i'm going to call my router company ... i'll let you know how i make out; thanks a lot tho for trying

!

[Derek891]

Hello Robert - Don't give up yet, after doing a little google searching, I found this: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/102552-built-administrator-enable-winre.html

I can't say I've tried it, but the Windows Seven Forum usually has the answer for most problems. This should help you regain administrative privileges and allow you to change your Lan settings in Internet Explorer.

[hazelnut]

That sounds very complicated Derek. There is another option but it MUST be disabled soon as you have used it.

 

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/enable-the-hidden-administrator-account-on-windows-vista/

 

See if enabling it will allow you to untick the proxy setting Robert.

 

By the way are all your virus scans coming up clean?

[Derek891]

Hello @ hazelnut - I read your link, and it does look like a much simpler solution than mine. Either way, if Robert can't resolve this issue, it may mean reinstalling Windows 7 as a last resort - an even more time consuming solution and never very pleasant - take my word for it.

 

Also - I agree with hazelnut - try booting into Safe Mode and perform a full system scan with your antivirus, there may be gremlins at work here.  

[smc1979]

 

if you have a firewall enabled please disable it or an an exception for reimagerepair.exe & try again .

 

reimagerepair.exe isnt my Windows Repair program :-)

 

You clicked on the ad at the top of the stie instead of the download link just a little further down the page. The actual file name for Tweaking.com - Windows Repair installer is tweaking.com_windows_repair_aio_setup.exe or the portable zip file tweaking.com_windows_repair_aio.zip

 

When you run my tool make sure to have it do a registry backup first just in case. System restore really isnt needed as no files are replaced or moved with the repairs, 95% of the repairs have to do with permissions and the Windows registry, which is where about 99% of Windows problems come from lol

 

Let me know if the program was able to help you at all.

 

And a side note for anyone else, my Windows Repair doesnt not require internet access what so ever. The only time it accesses the net is when you first open it so it can check if there is a updated versions, which you can even turn off. Other than that it never touches in internet and has no need to.

 

Shane