Broke the limit

[Raestloz]

So, yeah, yesterday, I broke the limit.. registry hacks that is...

In my attempt to personalize my computer: I did the following to my system files;

1. replaced explorer.exe
2. replaced shell32.dll
3. replaced authui.dll
4. replaced SndVol32.dll
5. replaced pnidui.dll
6. added "Take Ownership" registry info
7. added "Folder BG" registry info


everything ended up in failure, although at first it works fine, a day after I added the registry info about "Take Ownership" something went wrong. My taskbar context menu didn't work anymore. Everything that I chose is treated as something that triggers the said registry to act. the same thing happened with QuickLaunch items.

Since I know what went wrong, I simply uninstalled the registry info (they provided the installer and uninstaller, too much work to find it myself), and there... everything went "KAPUT!"

1. QuickLaunch items simply stopped working, you can click them, but nothing happens

2. Items in startmenu (yes, EVERYTHING, including the shutdown buttons) won't work, you can click them, but that's all, they won't launch anything, as if it's merely a selection click

3. Volume icon in system tray lost its association to run32.dll. As the result, opening volume control panel from there is impossible

4. Startup items won't load. And I mean, everything, ranging from KIS to Sidebar and YM, nothing starts, nor will they strat from "Run" command

Any program that I want to start can be started only from "Run" command (which is a pain, since startmenu simply stopeed working, glad I know the "Windows+R" combo), including Windows Explorer

So, in my attempt to recover it, I ran System Recovery, up to 5 days before (before I started tweaking), the modifications are gone, but the problem persists
, so I ran sfc /scannow, but it fixes only some last modifications, the problem still persists, maybe sine it's related to registry.

So I have no other choice to re-install my Vista. Just did it yesterday, and I have to re-install my aplications and re-download Windows Updates (around 400MB)

Just finished the Update today. Glad I made copies of my installer in my Master folder, especially KIS update distribution, it saved me lots of time.

I'm going to do it again now, just no registry hacks again... it pains me alot, should i installed my games in C:\ drive, my Hitman would be lost (I lost the installation CD a few months ago)

Well, I lost my CS:Source, but I can ask my friend for it again.

The good thing is that my WCIII Battle.net function somehow works again, before there's this fatal error everytime I clicked "battle.net" button

Well, other than those things, my PC is still fine, which is the only thing I need to worry about

 

[Mrkinator]

Oh man, that insane

 

[Raestloz]

Yeah, even viruses are still gentle to me, this registry hack thing is very dangerous, don't want to mess with it again for some time

 

[Mrkinator]

Yeah, even viruses are still gentle to me, this registry hack thing is very dangerous, don't want to mess with it again for some time

lol, imagine going to a friends house and messing with the reg. shit

"wtf, I can open anything! At all

"

 

[MicShadow]

Im curious, what sorta 'personalisation' required you to replace those files? Uxtheme.dll patching is all I ever want

 

[Raestloz]

What personalisation?

Uxtheme.dll is required to use outersource visual styles. However, I want something beyond it:

1. the green BG thingy in Vista's control panel's left-side (requires me to change shell32.dll)
2. The green color in videos when you copy items (requires me to change shell32.dll)
3. the shutdown button (or hibernation button sometimes) 9requires me to replace explorer.exe)
4. vista orb's splashscreen (requires me to change authui.dll)
5. Vista's startup sound (requires me to change imageres.dll)
6. Volume icon in system tray (requires me to change SndVol32.dll)
7. Network icon in system tray (requires me to change pnidui.dll)

To change the shell32,pnidui, and SndVol32.dll, i need to take ownership over them. it's a little bit much work for me, so I used the Take Ownership registry info

i want image as a background in a folder, not the generic whire screen, thus the Folder BG registry info
Is all I wanna change

 

[kobykaan]

Yeah, even viruses are still gentle to me, this registry hack thing is very dangerous, don't want to mess with it again for some time

DOH!!!!

WARNING if others reading this are thinking of registry hacking and are not sure how to reverse it then DON'T!

I've lost count of how many pc's/laptops Ive fixed in the past with people meddling with the registry!


Its a DANGEROUS PLACE if you don't have a clue! unfortunate for you Raestloz you found out the hard way!

If you knew just a little more you would of made a full registry backup before starting this way you could of undone it pretty quickly!

you should of just turned of UAC its far simpler and safer .... yeah its supposed to give more security but ... ITS A WINDOWS MACHINE they are always insecure

Did you try a system restore!? not always guaranteed to fix a registry issue but worth a try you cannot break it any more!

Spoiler

Use System Restore to undo registry changes in Windows Vista


1. Click Start
Collapse this imageExpand this image
Start button
, type systempropertiesprotection in the Start Search box, and then press ENTER.
Collapse this imageExpand this image
User Access Control permission
If you are prompted for an administrator password or for a confirmation, type the password, or click Allow.
2. In the System Properties dialog box, on the System Protection tab, click System Restore,
3. In the System Restore dialog box select Choose a different restore point, and then click Next
4. Select the restore point that you want to use, and then click Next.
5. Confirm your restore point, and then click Finish System restore restores the selected Windows Vista configuration and then restarts the computer.
6. Log on to the computer. When the System Restore confirmation page appears, click OK..

 

[Raestloz]

I tried, up to 5 days ago, when I haven't even thought about tweaking (sorry, I typed System Recovery, it was System Restore), and it still won't work.

I once found out the hard way that "you shouldn't mess with system32 files", the ersult is the same: re-install lol, at least I know which files are safe to delete and which are not

I once meddled with the registry to remove IDM registry files (in order to allow me to use "\/\/4r3z", it worked so i thought I had something in me, never thought it will turn out this way

, since for the first 20 hours its fine

 

[xoinx]

Dude, get Norton Ghost/Acronis or any other system backup tool... they have been my life savers in more than 1 situation... gives me the guts to play around with my system too lol.

 

[da_head]

the take ownership thing works perfectly for me :S

 

[kobykaan]

the take ownership thing works perfectly for me :S

it was more likely changing the other files that caused this problem most likely would be the EXPLORER.exe and other files in the system32 folder being changed that caused the mess

Its a bit like opening a car hood removing loads of random parts and then wondering why it will not start afterwards!

If in doubt then DON'T BOTHER its simple as that

agree though with the above statement about GHOST or ACRONIS (I use acronis) and make a new complete boot drive backup once a month and use it if I have any major problems... I just load the last backup and up and running within an hour

 

[UltraMagnus]

if you really want to customize your computer, linux is probably the way to go. you can literally replace/rebuild anything, even the kernal.

 

[Raestloz]

Can I use a flash drive for that boot drive? I don't want to burn shitloads of items to a CD once a month

Norton Ghost eh? I'll check it out sometime, it might help

Well, it's not like I don't like linux, honestly I plan on having my own linux in the future, but as a slave of Microsoft, I can't really do anything with linux right now

I'm too used to Windows, can't help it you know?

UPDATE: What destroyed my PC is apparently NOT the registry hacks or some shit

What destroyed it was the fuckin' Restorator 2007, the godlike resource editor praised by many tweaker out there

Just now I re-installed restorator, and guess what? everything stopepd working like before, so I un-installed it and everything goes back to normal!

SSSSSSHHHHHHHIIIIIIIITTTTT!!!!!!

I'm REALLY PISSED OFF right now!

becoz of some crappy shitload of an editor, I lost 30GB worth of backup, and now my bro-in-law is mad at me. It contains his important files apparently (which I don't know about, when I checked them, 50% of the folders was musics, and I stopped checking, turns out the last 10% was important files

)

I apparently didn't have to do anything but un-install that crap! SHIT!

Okay... calm down.. calm down, ley bygones be bygones..... damn! I should've known! DEP closed it! And yet I still run it! crappy bastard!

 

[Mrkinator]

UPDATE: What destroyed my PC is apparently NOT the registry hacks or some shit

What destroyed it was the fuckin' Restorator 2007, the godlike resource editor praised by many tweaker out there

Just now I re-installed restorator, and guess what? everything stopepd working like before, so I un-installed it and everything goes back to normal!

SSSSSSHHHHHHHIIIIIIIITTTTT!!!!!!

I'm REALLY PISSED OFF right now!

becoz of some crappy shitload of an editor, I lost 30GB worth of backup, and now my bro-in-law is mad at me. It contains his important files apparently (which I don't know about, when I checked them, 50% of the folders was musics, and I stopped checking, turns out the last 10% was important files

)

I apparently didn't have to do anything but un-install that crap! SHIT!

Okay... calm down.. calm down, ley bygones be bygones..... damn! I should've known! DEP closed it! And yet I still run it! crappy bastard!

So this program produced the same results as last screw up?

Tough break man

Maybe because the program is meant for another OS? (Like XP?)

 

[Talaria]

Nothing is exactly ever completely erased off the hard drive. You could try a few programs and see if you can get the files back but most unlikely. I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will fill you in.

 

[Raestloz]

Nah mate, i formatted the hard drive before I installed the clean copy, to make sure the same thing won't happen....