Help - I did a STUPID mistake

[Dogbert]

I did a really STUPID mistake which propably means I'll have to re-install Win2k tonight.

The (STUPID) mistake was to disable the RPC (Remote Procedure Call) aka rpcss service.
There are way too many services depending on it.

Result: Windows boots, lot's of things don't work and even worse - you can't see the properties of services to change status back.

I managed hacking through my registry and changing the 'start' status back from 4 (disabled) to 2 (automatic) but things are still crappy and worse.

Lesson learned - /me is STUPID !!!

Another lesson learned though... If you want to totally mess someone's computer, disable his RPC service so the next time he boots he'll be sorry you didn't simply format his hard disk (in the case of a format, he wouldn't lose hours trying to figure out what went wrong before simply reinstalling).

Any ideas or help wll be appreciated.

[Marshmallowman]

use an old registry backup, eg last know good config etc.

[Dogbert]

errr... well... I don't have any registry backup that I know of since I reinstall Windows every 2-3 months, mostly due to HW failures (?). Something tha thave to do with bad interrupt or something like that. Usually it concludes to a BSOD talling me that my Kernel is done for.

I don't have an antivirus either (just a firewall) so as far as I know, my computer is clean

[Dogbert]

Forgot to mention: Don't try this @ home !!!

[Fat Tone]

iirc, in NT4, you can press spacebar at the start of bootup and choose to revert to the last known good registry. I haven't tried it in 2k, but isn't that option still there?

[Dogbert]

I didn't try the last known good yet, cause when I tried (a long time ago for many different reasons) it didn't make a change.

Ralf, I'm using the standard PC HAL (as far as I remember) cause if I don't, I get 50% cpu usage all the time (I'm using a single CPU on a P2B-DS)

[Marshmallowman]

reboot a few times, and your last GOOD registry will be overwritten with a corrupt copy windows thinks is good!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Drizzt]

Dogbert, first of all reenable all the services. So you should have a fully working PC. Then someone with a normal Win2K installation can send you a pair of screenshot showing the correct services settings.

[Dogbert]

Oh, then I propably have no last good registry since I've rebooted quite a few times after hacking around my regfile.

I'm not going to lose more time over it, better do a quick reinstall.
Less time, less frustration.

[Dogbert]

Drizzt, all my services are already "working" but the OS is still F*&%@d up.

[KeiFront]

A simple boot to the Windows 2000 recovery console would prevented you to reinstall your os.

You can start and stop services from the recovery console.

Enable servicename start_type

Valid start_type are:
SERVICE_BOOT_START
SERVICE_SYSTEM_START
SERVICE_AUTO_START
SERVICE_DEMAND_START

But you said that all your services are already working but you still got problems .

[Dogbert]

Yeah well, after trying everything (thanks for all the advices) I used TaksManager to run the Win2k setup from within my damaged Win2k and chose "upgrade". Installed SP2 and came here to tell you I'm almost ok now
Just need to reinstall some apps and I'm good as new.

[Fred H]

I use to Ghost-backup my system every month, or before every installation of programs which can do something crazy. I Ghost to another HD or another safe partition.
I even burned an important Ghost BU to 2 or 3 CD (W2K Pro and XP too)
The restore time is about 10 to 15 min. More if the disk needed to be formatted.

Fred H