I want to tell you of an experience I had recently. I hesitate to write this post because it shows that I am a trusting person. . .and perhaps a bit naive. However, I feel that if I can help other users, it is worth it.
I purchased an application that cleans up your PC’s registry. It is supposed to clean the errors and invalid entries that cause my system to operate slowly, causing freezing and crashing. Then, the program is supposed to repair the registry problems to speed up the computer and restore the performance.
As part of the package, you get a Driver Checking application, an Uninstaller Application, a Spyware Remover application, an Advanced Defrag application, and an Easy Launcher application. Wow! All this for only about $60.
Have you ever been pulled over for speeding? Do you know the feeling you get when you look in the rear view mirror and see the cop car with his blue lights on? You think, “He is just going to go by me, isn’t he?” No, because now you hear his blip of the siren. Then you get that stomach flip. That strange feeling of a queer pain.
This is similar to the feeling I got after I used the registry cleaner.
I was shocked to find that I couldn’t boot my computer after I used it. I tried to boot in safe mode with and without networking etc. Nothing worked. Finally, I tried the boot from “Last known good configuration”. I was relieved to find that I could get back to my previous restore point. The computer appeared to be fine now. I cannot tell you that the computer seemed faster. . . I cannot be sure.
A few days went by and I decided to try the driver checking application. This application looks at all the device drivers on your computer and checks to see if new driver updates need to be applied.
Since I have never checked my drivers, I thought, why not. What could happen? I could always restore from my last known good configuration, couldn’t I?
The device driver checker application found that most of my drivers were out of date. I chose to have them updated.
Well, I got that feeling back again, only this time, the last known good configuration didn’t work either. My stomach flipped, my face got hot and probably red. I think I might have said darn it.
I used one of my other computers and wrote an email requesting support that is advertised as 24/7 support. I had to give them my serial number and email address, of course. I waited three days, and didn’t get any response. I wrote another email asking for some help from them. I waited two days and there was no response. Thankfully, I had used PayPal for this purchase. I requested that the purchase be refunded. PayPal refunded my money without any fuss.
I still had a computer that was unusable. I did some Google searches to help me to repair a computer that won’t boot. I was lucky to find an article written by a saint of a fellow. He had written an article that matched my problem exactly. He had screen captures and everything.
In short, I had to reinstall the operating system from the original disk. (Luckily, I had the original Windows disk filed away in a file drawer, I wasn’t sure where it was, but I found it.) I repaired my operating system using that CD and after about two hours of frustration, I was up and running again.
In summary: Be very careful when you use any applications that affect your registry or device drivers. You can shoot yourself in your foot. As a result of this unhappy event, I have upgraded my Acronis backup software. I have created a bootable disk so that if this happens again, it won’t be as painful. (I don’t make any compensation for mentioning Acronis. I have used it for years, but I am sure there are other sophisticated backup applications on the market.) Protect yourself before you change your registry or device drivers.
