Lost part of registry config after forced system restart

[otrov]

I run 2.53b2 on Windows 7 32bit, and after some problem* I had to restart PC without closing open applications (amongs them AS). In the past, when I start AS after terminating it in unussual way it would throw dialog saying that there is configuration file from previous instance in temp folder and should it delete it - that's fine, I would select delete and everything would be back to normal. But this time at startup it displayed some long dialog saying that registy values are corrupted and that I should seek for help on this forum.

[*] for the record I was playing with my phone over PuppetMaster (bluetooth server) in mouse mode, when mouse started to behave strange and I had to restart without closing programs. AS was layng there in taskbar like always doing nothing special - I was watching some video[/size]

All settings seem fine, but I lost my huge list of user menu commands and I would really like to get them back somehow as there were some commands that would require messing again with ghostscript command line, iconv, custom scripts etc. I searched for familiar contents in temp folder and whole registry but found nothing. Is there any hope?

Thanks

[Jan Rysavy]

Do you mean this message?

Configuration stored in registry is corrupted, so it cannot be loaded. Altap Salamander was probably terminated during saving configuration. This happens mainly when Altap Salamander is still running when you shutdown system (or log off). To prevent this problem, close Altap Salamander before shutdown (or log off).

You can backup corrupted configuration now (run RegEdit.exe, rename key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Altap\Altap Salamander 2.53 beta 2). Later you can try to get some settings from this backup (User Menu, Hotpaths, FTP bookmarks, etc.), visit http://forum.altap.cz/ for details.

Corrupted configuration must be removed from registry before starting Altap Salamander.

[Remove Configuration] [Exit]

remove.png (36.71 KiB) Viewed 14010 times

Did you backup your configuration?

[otrov]

Thanks for quick reply

Yes, that was the message, and unfortunately I didn't make backup as I didn't think it would be that important thou dialog clearly says it - my fault anyhow. I have some registry backup ("export configuration" menu command) from march, but that user menu version is not what I'm looking for
I was thinking if there is some backup folder like in %appdata%\roaming or local or even in programs data I couldn't find anything Altap related
I found Altap also in reg:\HKEY_USERS\*some numbers*\Software\Altap, but I guess it's just copy of what's in HKEY_CURRENT_USER

Well OK, I just wanted to be sure that there is no some backup somewhere so I should start building that menu again

[Jan Rysavy]

What about Windows Restore Points? Do you use it? It contains snapshots of your Registry, including our HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Altap\Translator key.

[Jan Rysavy]

See following SelfMan's post: http://forum.altap.cz/viewtopic.php?p=18496#p18496

[otrov]

I can't follow what SelfMan wrote:

In System Protection Configuration dialog I had turned on "Only restore previous versions..." setting, so "Restore system settings and previous version..." was unticked (I enabled it now for my future mis-usages)

I have some data in System Volume Information folder, but I guess it's of no use:

Code: Select all

C:\System Volume Information>dir/ah/s
 Volume in drive C has no label.
 Volume Serial Number is E38F-2219

 Directory of C:\System Volume Information

22.05.2010  09:38    <DIR>          .
22.05.2010  09:38    <DIR>          ..
15.06.2009  11:32    <DIR>          Chkdsk
20.05.2009  00:05                 0 MountPointManagerRemoteDatabase
20.05.2010  00:00    <DIR>          SPP
26.05.2010  03:42           262.144 Syscache.hve.LOG1
20.05.2009  00:06                 0 Syscache.hve.LOG2
28.05.2009  01:08            20.480 tracking.log
20.05.2010  00:00            65.536 {3808876b-c176-4e48-b7ae-04046e6cc752}
26.05.2010  04:36     3.321.876.480 {95801745-62ed-11df-bafb-0013f77bc8c7}{3808876b-c176-4e48-b7ae-04046e6cc752}
               6 File(s)  3.322.224.640 bytes

 Directory of C:\System Volume Information\Chkdsk

15.06.2009  11:32    <DIR>          .
15.06.2009  11:32    <DIR>          ..
               0 File(s)              0 bytes

 Directory of C:\System Volume Information\SPP

20.05.2010  00:00    <DIR>          .
20.05.2010  00:00    <DIR>          ..
20.05.2010  00:00    <DIR>          OnlineMetadataCache
20.05.2010  00:03    <DIR>          SppCbsHiveStore
20.05.2010  00:03    <DIR>          SppGroupCache
               0 File(s)              0 bytes

 Directory of C:\System Volume Information\SPP\OnlineMetadataCache

20.05.2010  00:00    <DIR>          .
20.05.2010  00:00    <DIR>          ..
20.05.2010  00:00            14.768 {69360049-b680-454c-8c51-1ea128ae83c7}_OnDiskSnapshotProp
               1 File(s)         14.768 bytes

 Directory of C:\System Volume Information\SPP\SppCbsHiveStore

20.05.2010  00:03    <DIR>          .
20.05.2010  00:03    <DIR>          ..
               0 File(s)              0 bytes

 Directory of C:\System Volume Information\SPP\SppGroupCache

20.05.2010  00:03    <DIR>          .
20.05.2010  00:03    <DIR>          ..
20.05.2010  00:01            59.616 {69360049-B680-454C-8C51-1EA128AE83C7}_DriverPackageInfo
20.05.2010  00:03             3.408 {69360049-B680-454C-8C51-1EA128AE83C7}_WindowsUpdateInfo
               2 File(s)         63.024 bytes

     Total Files Listed:
               9 File(s)  3.322.302.432 bytes
              17 Dir(s)  143.369.388.032 bytes free

[Jan Rysavy]

I must admit this is untested territory for me.

Windows Restore Points are turned on in default Windows installation so if you didn't turn it off explicitly, you should have some backups.
See third screenshot on http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/3195/cre ... windows-7/ with Protection: On.

[otrov]

I changed them explicitly for some reason not known to me right now
However after I ticked on "Restore system settings and previous version..." just some minutes ago, System Restore dialog started to work and this is what I have right now:



It looks promising, thou I have no idea what to do with it. I'll check on net unless someone has advice

[Jan Rysavy]

It is a good idea to create a full computer backup (with full I mean disk image using Windows 7 Backup and Restore) before trying to restore Windows Restore Points, if you have enough space on some spare hard disk.

[otrov]

yeah, I might just do that now when faced with this kind of problems
thanks for your support

[therube]

(SelfMan kind of looks like How-To Geek .)

SelfMan's post while appropriate for XP, I don't believe will work for Vista/W7 as the System Volume Information is extensively changed. Individual directories/files in XP's SVI has given way to a more monolithic "blob" in Vista/W7's SVI.


When & since Salamander does detect this condition, couldn't it automatically backup & or export its' registry configuration?


Edit: I've added some notes to http://forum.altap.cz/viewtopic.php?p=19692#p19692

[SelfMan]

Like therube noticed the how to is for XP pro/home.
And yes, the system restore is different in VISTA/7.
For the future registry backup I recommend to use ERUNTwhich never failed me.

Yet there is one another way to restore the confuguration!.
(Windows Vista and Windows 7)
- go to C:\users\<profile name>
- click with the right mouse button anywhere on the clean background and choose Properties
- click on the 4th Tab "Previous versions"
- choose a date where the registry was OK and click Open
- the folder opens with the state of the specified date
- at the moment the ntuser.dat file is invisible
- you have to go to the menu "Tools > Folder options > View" and uncheck [ ]Hide protected operating system files
- copy the ntuser.dat to a temporary location
- restore the setting of "Tools > Folder options > View" and uncheck [x]Hide protected operating system files
- follow the steps as mentioned in the previous guide from point 6).

And jieah I do have my share of experience with computer administration.

[Jan Rysavy]

When & since Salamander does detect this condition, couldn't it automatically backup & or export its' registry configuration?

Yes, we should do it because the current solution is causing problems.