BSOD after attemp to uninstall mywinlocker

[BickleyPC]

Called out to a customer today with a BSOD, Acer machine, customer a bit paranoid so told multiple anti-malware programs installed. Customer also didn't like unwanted software so had tried to uninstall MyWinLocker, now getting BSOD critical_service_failed - ntoskrnl.exe - 0x0000005a

Initially managed to boot to safe mode so did a backup (62gb of pictures!) Tried a clean boot which didn't work and now I can't boot to safe mode - no error just hangs!

Booted via one of my boot disks and ran a chkdsk which found a few things but didn't solve the problem.

Suspect this is a reinstall OS but I know the customer is going to be difficult if I do that so just checking I'm not missing anything obvious!

Nigel
Bickley PC

 

[ohio_grad_06]

Maybe attempt to do system restore? Can you boot to safe mode? If so maybe try to find it's startup entry and see if you can disable it from attempting to start up.

 

[FremontPC]

What version of Windows?

I'd boot off the proper flavor of Repair CD and use System Restore. That will likely put Mywinlocker back. Maybe check to see if there's an update for it, install that, then uninstall it.

 

[BickleyPC]

Thanks for the replies. It's Win 7 Home Premium.
Initially I could boot to safe mode, disabled the start up, no change! Then tried disabling all non MS startups, now just hangs, no error. Odd as I usually work on the assumption that if I can get into safe mode then it's repairable. Looks like this one is going to be the exception.

FremontPC - by proper flavour do you mean the OEM (Acer) version of Win 7 Home Premium? If so I'm out of luck, not a disk I have! Booting from a standard Win 7 Home Premium disk and going the repair route ends with Windows is unable to repair this installation!

Looks like a restore from the Acer partition is my next option but first I need to confirm with the customer that I have all her photos backed up!

Thanks again

Nigel

 

[mr m]

Did you ask your client how he tried to remove Mywinlocker?

Before you reinstall Win 7 try running the remote registry restore wizard from a Hirens boot CD. Hopefully, there are restore points available.

I'd also try to run sfc from a command prompt. Make sure you pick the correct partition as it won't be C:

sfc /scannow /offbootdir=x:\ /offwindir=x:\windows

62 GB of pics! I just had to backup 21 GB, about 8,400, and I thought that was insane.

 

[red12049]

Have you tried something like this? https://queenscreekcomputerrepair.wordpress.com/2013/04/13/manual-system-restore-windows-7/

Rick

 

[FremontPC]

As long as it's Win7 Home Premium, that should be all you need. You should be able to get to System Restore. If not, start tapping the spacebar when you see the Acer logo, that should get you to a screen where you can hit the F8 key to get to the advanced options, then choose Last Known Good Configuration. If no go there, then you should be able to find recent backup copies of the registry hives in C:\Windows\System32\config\RegBack. Just rename the current hives in the \config folder to .OLD and copy the hives in the \regbackup folder into the \config folder. Edit: I see Rick posted a link that outlines that process above.

 

[BickleyPC]

Thanks for the additional suggestions, sorry should have said in the first post, System Restore was turned off (don't know why - but virus scans coming up clean).

Uninstall of MyWinLocker was via standard programs & features uninstall, to be fair I've removed it a number of times from slow computers without issue so don't think the customer did anything wrong!
Have just tried sfc /scannow , nothing found and no change.
Registry Hives (embarrassed - should have checked this before!) Only hives were created about the time I was called, restoring them doesn't fix the crash but has allowed me back into safe mode!

I hate being beaten but probably time to move on with this one. If I charge the hours I've spent so far it would have been cheaper to buy new! I suspect a good number of us fall into this trap once in a while!

 

[ohio_grad_06]

Boot from windows 7 disc, cancel the startup repair it will attempt, then it should give you a menu, one option should be system restore.

If all else fails, just boot from a Linux disc, grab the data, and nuke it.