registry problems

[William G. Andersen]

How can I repair the Registry when I don't know what's wrong with it?
I've used Scan Disk. When I run Norton Utilities One Button Check it says
there's a problem with the Registry and stops. When I select Begin Repair,
it says it's going to optimize the registry and restart. After a pause it
reports an error, stops the attempted repair and then restarts the PC.
Can I just reinstall Windows? If so, will I lose my Outlook Express Mail
files or the photos in My Documents/My pictures?
I'm using Win98SE.

[Bernard W. Joseph]

Post by William G. Andersen
How can I repair the Registry when I don't know what's wrong with it?
I've used Scan Disk. When I run Norton Utilities One Button Check it says
there's a problem with the Registry and stops. When I select Begin Repair,
it says it's going to optimize the registry and restart. After a pause it
reports an error, stops the attempted repair and then restarts the PC.
Can I just reinstall Windows? If so, will I lose my Outlook Express Mail
files or the photos in My Documents/My pictures?
I'm using Win98SE.

Your computer always keeps a backup of the registry. I have heard that
you can restore the registry from the backup, but I've never done it
personally. Look in Help under the START button for directions.

Unless you do a complete reinstall on a reformatted disk, Windows will
use most of the old registry. But if you want to do an install without
cleaning the disk, just go ahead. Nothing else should be affected. If
you're concerned, backup the mail and p[icture files befrore you start.
I've not had problems.