Can't catch vCatch!

[Mitch Hatfield]

I have a problem which I just can't figure out :rolleyes:

I was running vCatch as an Email virus detector and, apart from hanging a bit on shutdown, the prog was running well.

Due to a system crash. I lost vCatch and it was when I attempted to reinstall it that my problem began

I've tried numerous reinstalls, over the top, clean and even tried to install the premium version on a trial basis, but I always get same result, even though the prog is listed.under "Programs":confused: :confused:

http://ukmitch2002.tripod.com/1V.jpg
http://ukmitch2002.tripod.com/2V.jpg
http://ukmitch2002.tripod.com/3V.jpg
http://ukmitch2002.tripod.com/4V.jpg

This is what I see, in sequence.:eek: :eek:

Help, please? :o

[Paul Komski]

Initial thoughts.

What was the system crash and did other programs get messed up at the same time?

Are there other programs that could be interferring?

Have you uninstalled and then run a RegCleaner, before attempting to reinstall?

Were any other programs running at the time you tried uninstalling/reinstalling.

[Mitch Hatfield]

Originally posted by Paul Komski
Initial thoughts.

What was the system crash and did other programs get messed up at the same time?

Problem arose after I committed a major blunder. I had been running a program called "Test-Run by BB". This helps test downloads by putting them into a second "dummy" Registry. This I wiped by mistake and a number of programs were lost in the process. I subsequently reinstalled them all, successfully, except for VCatch

Are there other programs that could be interfering?

Possibly my web-based anti spam program, Spam Detective.

Have you un-installed and then run a RegCleaner, before attempting to reinstall?

I have un-installed and reinstalled a number of times, but whilst I have RegCleaner, I didn't think to use it. The Registry is a very dodgy area for me, Paul. Like now, whenever I go near it, things go wrong!!

Were any other programs running at the time you tried un-installing/reinstalling.

Possibly, like Spam Detective, AVG and Sygate Personal Firewall.

[Paul Komski]

Nothing much to lose by uninstalling and then running RegCleaner and deleting any entries for vCatch; it makes backups so that you can restore them if you want to. Then try an install again, with nothing else running; could do it from safe mode maybe.

Although RegCleaner edits the Registry it is not like actually going into the Registry. Its a great little utility. You could always backup your whole registry beforehand if you wanted to.

[Mitch Hatfield]

Paul

How, in simple terms, do I go about editing my Registry.

For example, how do I find the Registry entries for particular programs or applications.

I've seen you posting about line by line checking/deletion, but I haven't a clue!!

With what process do I back-up my Registry?

Help, Paul, if you have the time - or the energy:) :)

BTW, have u noticed how much faster the Forums are running now? Divine intervention, perhaps?

[Paul Komski]

THIS (http://service2.symantec.com/SUPPORT/tsgeninfo.nsf/docid/199762382617) describes better than I can how to make a backup. Make sure you select "MyComputer" before exporting the file in order to export a copy of the whole registry. [You can also export individual "Keys" by selecting them individually should you want to].

You can search the registry for any string you like from the Edit<>Find Command; thereafter pressing F3 "finds next".

The "directories" in the left pane are the keys. By right clicking on them you can copy and paste their "paths" elsewhere for reference/communication purposes. The individual entries for the keys have a name and a data value. Right click on the names to "delete" or "modify" - having first exported the individual key if you are editing these individually and are unsure about what you are doing.

Trying to find all the keys for particular programs manually can be time consuming, prone to error and you may not get them all. If you run RegCleaner after uninstalling a program and go to the first Tab (Software) and then check all the entries for the name of the Program you have just uninstalled and then click the button "Remove Selected" at the bottom this will delete all entries in the Registry and place them in a backup (the last tab) from where you can restore them later should you desire.

Hope this helps. If in doubt someone will clarify/expand I'm sure.

[Sylvander]

Hi Mitch

I've so many points to make it's hard to know where to begin but here goes.

1. Re-formatting your drive and restoring a suitable backup would have fixed it most easily but I know you don't have a backup system.

2. For the future; how about re-partitioning your drive into two partitions and using Microsoft Backup to save a backup to a file kept in the spare partition. Then you could re-format your C: drive [partition], re-install Windows then restore the backup from the other partition and that would instantly restore ALL your programmes and data files.

3. I have put a LOT of time into understanding the registry and it still frightens me. Simple things are easy enough but what you're trying to do isn't simple.
If RegCleaner [by Microsoft] is what I think it is [I've used it and done some reading] it won't help you much. It only works within the "HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT" key to eliminate the keys for file types which are registered to work with programmes which are no longer on the PC [or at least no longer existing at their registered address]. Hence it cleans out [appearently] useless settings [trash]. [They may in fact not be useless - they're just failing to point to the correct address]

4. "Quarterdeck Clean Sweep" has it's "Registry editor" prog which is much better. It displays the programmes installed/registered with all the higherarchical system of keys and settings, which are included as part of the programme, displayed beneath the main key just like a folder system in Windows Explorer. If you decide to delete the programme it will delete ALL the keys and settings in the registry which apply to that programme. This is just what you need to do but your chances of catching all of them is nil if you just rely on searching in regedit.
All you'll succeed in doing is to knock some holes in the total system of programme settings. Will that do enough to solve your problem? It's a bit like Russian Roulette.
Why not contact the makers of the software. They will know which registry setting[s] prevent the the new installation.

5. I fear you may be forced to re-format and re-install all your software.

[Paul Komski]

http://www.vtoy.fi/jv16/shtml/regcleaner.shtml for the RegCleaner by Jounio Vuorio and IS NOT Microsoft, but is freeware.

The homepage is here (http://www.vtoy.fi/jv16/index.shtml).

RegClean (nearly the same name) is made by M$.

[Sylvander]

OOPS, pardon my confusion.

I just checked and I have:

RegClean
RegCleaner
CleanReg
Easycleaner

[Paul Komski]

LOL :D You must be as clean as a whistle!! ;)

[Sylvander]

Probably not.

I'm too terrified to use them. You only have to delete one good setting among the hundreds of rubbish settings and you have big trouble.

I did use RegClean [by Microsoft?] because I'd read that it was safe as houses. It certainly had no ill effects but when I looked in the registry at the results I found it had not deleted all the keys in each redundant set but only the data [I think]. So it left behind some trash. That being empty keys.

Perhaps I should mention a registry "spying" utility named "Regmon.exe" which I found interesting and useful.
What it does is to monitor & record all the accesses that any other programme makes to the registry, so:
If you had a problem with [let's say] an application looking for a registry setting [in order to work properly] and not finding it and therefore not working. You start Regmon.exe then carry out the problem action, then stop Regmon.exe. You then must search down the [probably enormously long] list of acesses for the one which is causing the problem and you can see then why the action is failing.
PERHAPS A REFUSAL TO INSTALL A PROGRAMME!
Which is the problem for which a solution is required in this thread.
Unfortunately, in practice it requires lots of experience, time and patience to find the particular access in the great list which is the significant one.

This prog is really interesting because it does what I've never seen other prog's do [other than Regspy & APISpy] and you should see the amazing speed at which the registry is accessed! The list of accesses created during the boot process [for example(by RegSpy?)] scrolls down the screen at INCREDIBLE speed and is mindblowing!

[Paul Komski]

HeHe, maybe I'm a bit more Gung-Ho, but as long as I've got a backup of the Registry and a recent image of the boot partition I feel pretty secure about "messing around". What I like about RegCleaner is that if you allow it to make deletions, it creates a backup of them, which you can later restore if things aint going so good. :p

[Sylvander]

Sounds good, perhaps I should dip my toe in the water.

Do you feel that your registry is in a better state after you've worked on it?

I wonder how Mitch is getting on with it?

[Paul Komski]

Personally speaking I'm not that obsessive about a few bits of junk lying around as long as they are not interfering with anything or taking up loads of disk space, whether in the Registry or elsewhere. Start up items are a different consideration but I would use msconfig and one of the Startup utilities to control these rather than rushing straight to the Registry.

There are obviously rogue applications that don't clean themselves up properly but many people also have bad practices of installing/uninstalling when other applications are running at the same time and which could interfere with the processes. My own practice is to have some way of restoring my system when I am making significant changes and to do these operations after running msconfig with a minimal startup.