System Restore Blank Page. Tried several fixes, none of them worked!

[Adamas 0]

amitd,

 

thank you soooooooooooo much for that advice. i have been trying to fix my daughter's pc for 3 days now and i've been going crazy!

 

i followed your advice and voila!

it works!

 

great website by the way and i enjoy reading it. keep up the good work.

 

[reynk 0]

I have been experiencing the same issue and have something to add that might help us figure out the missing piece of information. The problem is related to IE 6 in someway. To explain further, I get the same System Restore blank screen as in the first post of this topic. But I also get a similar blank screen when I try to use IE6.

 

The problem started when I ran a script from McAfee to try and solve an annoying issue with VirusScan. After running the script, the problems with the blank screen on IE6 started. I then went to do a system restore to go back 24 hours to a point before I installed the McAfee script. That was when I discovered that the System Restore screen is also blank.

 

I have read about this problem in several different forums, and it appears that some of the functionality in IE6 is used in other areas in Windows. One of which is the System Restore screen. There seems to be a common theme in the forums that Java may be the issue. I'm not sure what the commonality is, but perhaps this information will provide the clue you are missing. I'm at the limit of my technical skills. If someone with more knowledge (and a programming background) can investigate the script I ran, maybe it has the answer to what it changed in IE 6 that is causing all these other problems.

 

The script is at http://tools.mcafeehelp.com/doc.php?siteid=1&docid=70285&support=ts

 

I would appreciate any help you can give. I need to be able to use system restore to get back to a point before the McAfee script caused all of these issues.

 

I have XP Home SP2 and IE6

 

Thanks for all the help.

 

 

[Wilhelmus 1]

As in post: http://ntcompatible.com/thread33879-1.html#169365

Start->Run:

res://C:\WINDOWS\system32\Restore\rstrui.exe/start.htm

 

Does it ask 'An ActiveX contol on this page might be unsafe to interact with other parts of the page. Do you want to allow this interaction?' and when you select Yes, does display the system restore screen?

[reynk 0]

Thanks for the quick reply.

 

I tried many different things yesterday, and I believe I tried this, but I'm not positive. If I remember correctly, since IE 6 is also not working, I was unable to get to System Restore this way. I will go home at lunch and verify this for you.

 

I appreciate the help.

[reynk 0]

I gave it a try. IE opens, shows the Address bar, toolbar, etc., but there is no web page. (Or System Restore page in this case.) Just a blank white screen. There is not an Active X warning.

 

Thank you for the suggestion. Any other ideas?

 

 

[hmmzl 0]

Try this:

 

Search your \Windows folder for "mshtml.dll" (making sure you search hidden files and folders as well as system folders and, consequently, subfolders).

 

Look for the hotfixes and updates involving mshtml.dll (they have "KB???" in their path).

 

Uninstall the corresponding fixes using "Add and Remove Programs".

 

Run "regsvr32 mshtml.dll" via "Start | Run...".

 

See if System Restore has returned.

 

Re-apply the fixes and updates.

 

(You can also try re-registering an archived mshtml.dll directly using regsvr32 to see if it helps, by running "regsvr32 C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386\mshtml.dll", for example. You can drag and drop the file to the "Run..." prompt.)

 

hope that helps,

-heinz

 

--

Heinz Tschabitscher

About.com Email

http://email.about.com

 

www.About.com

[reynk 0]

Thank you for the suggestion. I did solve my problem in another way, before I had a chance to test your suggestion. I hope that your idea works, because it appears that there are many others with the same problem.

 

If it helps, this is how I solved my problem. As I mentioned my problems started when a McAfee script screwed up IE 6. Some piece of Internet Explorer functionality is needed for the System Restore page to display. It appeared that I had a choice, reinstall IE 6, which looked like I might have to start over from SP2, or try installing the beta of IE 7 and see if it corrected the problems. I installed IE 7 and it fixed everything. Internet Explorer works, and the System Restore window is back! Whatever was corrupt in the registry was corrected when IE 7 installed.

 

Good luck folks!

 

 

[ThUg4Lyfe 0]

Hey, I actually had this problem how i fixed it was go to this site ima give u and download the file olereg.vbs and run it and it should be fixed site is http://windowsxp.mvps.org/olereg.htm Happy easter

[BryceFreak 0]

Hi There, i had the same problem with a blank page in my systems restore but diffrent , When i opened it it was blank white page, this last post i found here .....Hey, I actually had this problem how i fixed it was go to this site ima give u and download the file olereg.vbs and run it and it should be fixed site is http://windowsxp.mvps.org/olereg.htm Happy easter.... YES YES it fixed my problem for the systems restore , from the start ..I installed BPS spyware remover , Ran a scan netx thing i got a blank sys restore and also my Outlook express is the same evry email in my inbox , outbox ,drafts the whole lot are blank white pages , i fixed my sys r as i said but it didnt fix my out look problem ,

 

Can anyone help me plz i need a link like the last 1 but for outlook , thank you to who ever set up this forum ,

 

thank you kindly Jack

[davist14 0]

my system restore page is blank too. please post your solution if you find one. i am very frustrated because i need to restore my computer quickly.

[thaddy-boy 0]

Originally posted by davist14:

Quote:

my system restore page is blank too. please post your solution if you find one. i am very frustrated because i need to restore my computer quickly.

 

Here's what I did:

 

 

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q193110/

 

uninstalled IE6

reboot

reinstalled IE6 from the XP cd

still didn't work, so i ran:

regsvr32 /i mshtml.dll

and it worked.

 

 

 

[tjernagel 0]

I installed McAfee VirusScan 10.0 and before I knew it I was getting all sorts of “blank white screens” and Internet Explorer would not work. Some of the blank white screens are: System Restore, Computer Management/Expanded Services (not standard), McAfee’s Security Center, Internet Explorer (if it would run at all) and so on...

 

I found a posting on the internet that discussed Norton and McAfee’s anti virus programs creating an issue that deals with “script blocking”. If “script blocking” is enabled, wacky things start happening, and it’s enabled by default.

 

So...I found this posting and tried it all, nothing helped me to resolve my issue. I was on the verge of formatting my hard drive and starting over again.

 

I found one solution which worked for me. I downloaded and installed Internet Explorer version 7.0 beta 3. Once it was installed and after a reboot, everything came back to life, including my System Restore. I could then restore my system back to the day prior to installing McAfee’s VirusScan and everything was back to normal.

 

I sure hope this will help others out there that end up with this “Microsoft's White Screen of Death” as I like to call it!

8)

 

PS: Shortly after making this post, I reinstalled McAfee VirusScan 10.0. Yep, you guess it, the White Screen of Death is back! Installed IE 7.0 B3, and everything is back to normal. I check the McAfee settings and there is an advanced setting called "Enable ScriptStopper (recommended)". I will play with this setting and let you know what I find.

[Edited by tjernagel on 2006-07-27 02:04:33]

 

[tgman 0]

I had the same thing happen to me. I have been running IE7 for about two months now. Not only does the System Restore have a blank page, but all the vbScript on webpages does not run. Another symptom is when you use CTRL-F to do a find function on a web page, the function never gives you the ability to actually search after typing in your search string.

 

Go to Microsoft's downloads section and do a search for 'javascript'. This corresponds with KB article 917344. Run the program which will re-install your scripting engine. You will be prompted to reboot.

[hadibubu 0]

OMG I had the exact same problem and thnanks sooooo very much guys 4 the help

[bluenose1 0]

YOURE A "GEM" IT WORKS NOW ---THANKS

[LoganX 0]

I CAN'T GET IT WORK... the damn system restore is still a white blank window, my msns don't work now, i can't even install windows defender, my search says i'm missing a search companion file, the help doesnt show up, and a bunch more...

[drbrick 0]

Sounds like my problem to. Running IE 7 I started getting Internet Explorer Script Errors a month ago. The other day when I started my laptop I got something wierd about some file missing for the registry and another source was used. I promptly got I E Script errors before even opening a browser. Now I get them doing certain things with 10 to 54 script errors piled up at each incident. Can't: get into support areas, install Flash, view event details in Event Viewer, view Extended Services in Computer management, toy with User Accounts or run Windows Update. I proboably have more Script Error problems than MS Support has KB articles for SP2. Is my computer a hypochondriac? No viruses. My script errors now have no data in the fields and I was surprised how many of them were sitting on each offending window.

 

There are a lot of things I haven't yet tried here and I am grateful for all of the links and tips. I think I'll really like this site.

 

Thanks a ton.

[drbrick 0]

I uninstalled IE7 and got some functionality with the browser, restore and the computer management. Right click didn't work on the browser, restoring didn't help, details in event viewer were unavailable, couldn't run ActiveX on support pages.

 

I eventually couldn't boot XP Home SP2 (corrupted registry) and had to move backup registry hives and restore further back in safe mode. (I didn't have everything backed up and I hate to lose anything.) After that I still had less than expected use of the system and prepared for a reformat. Services failure outside of WindowsScriptHost 5.6?

 

2 warnings though. 1) The Microsoft File and Settings Transfer Wizard has a history of being an unreliable way to back up and restore anything (KB30769.) I lost everything that wasn't otherwise backed up. I had the latest updates and sometimes there is no warning that the created files are useless or corrupted. No warnings and almost no way of recovering the files. More horror and a glimmer of hope on the net. 2) The KB article for moving registry hives (KB822705 & KB322756) with the Recovery console isn't quite right for some OEM's (like HP)due to the name of at least 1 earlier registry section copy having a different name. There are 5 sections with distinct names. SYSTEM and SAM are 2 of them. There are also batch scripts that can be made with notepad and a 6-floppy disk Recovery Console image source in MS Support. I had to manually download the authentication software and type in a return code to auqire the mandatory MS Genuine Authentication to download the disk creator. SP1 bootable disks/CDs don't work on SP2 NTFS partitions.

 

This was a straight 30 hour marathon with backups, floppies, a second computer, and a patient spouse who catered to me. Best of luck to everyone struggling with similar issues. Back up sooner rather than later if you can't replace your data.

[KhunRoger 0]

I've just had this problem for a few hours and fixed it by undoing what I had done.

 

I had tried to install "Visual Basic 6 Enterprise Edition" and it failed with the error "pdm.dll was unable to register itself in the system registry".

 

I searched the internet and one guy (bless his cotton socks) said that he got the installation to work by renaming the existing "pdm.dll" files he found in "Windows\system32" and in "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VS7DEBUG". So I did the same. (Silly me.)

 

It didn't fix the VB 6 installation problem, but I noticed after rebooting that I got an unusual message: "Windows Configuring Data Access" on startup, and decided it was time to do a restore. That's when I saw the blank "System Restore" screen and rushed to the toilet.

 

So, to fix my problem, I renamed the "pdm.dll.old" files back to "pdm.dll" and the blank screen problem went away

 

The two files are:

(1) In C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\VS7DEBUG

 

PDM.DLL 176 KB 13/10/2004 18:46

 

(2) C:\WINDOWS\system32

 

PDM.DLL 180 KB 18/06/1998 00:00

 

 

Both file names are in upper case, the one in system32 is very old and I don't know where it came from!

 

I hope this helps someone with this problem.

[XP_User 0]

I am having a problem with it too. No solution works and I really dont want to re-install windows XP home (SP2). Is there anything you can tell me that I can do to make it work, I have IE 7.

[ginab 0]

Woohooo!!!!!

I had the same problem with blank restore screen and blank search screen. I tried everything in this thread and nothing worked until I got to the post. It only took 10 secs to complete instructions and see PERFECT results. Thank you, thank you, thank you user: AMITD for your posting.

I was near insanity------------------ Below, I have pasted the code that worked for me. Check AMITD's post for more info and a link. Good Luck to you all.

--

Look at the following link: http://www.wincustomize.com/articles.aspx?SID=1&AID=83294&c=1

 

I used it, had similar issues and it fixed the problem!

 

In short do the following:

 

1. Click Start, and then click Run.

2. In the Open box, type regsvr32 jscript.dll, and then click OK.

3. Click OK.

4. Click Start, and then click Run.

5. In the Open box, type regsvr32 vb script .dll, and then click OK.

6. Click OK.

 

Good luck!

[tebo53 0]

I had this problem with restore screen blank, also could not get onto windows update page amounst others. i solved the problem by Uninstalling Service pack 2 (This restores the entire system back to it's original pre-service pack 2 state. Including the restore page!) I then restored my computer back to an earlier date then reinstalled service pack 2. This cured all the problems. Good luck to all with this problem.

[ZoneMaster 0]

Hi there!

 

This will be my 1st post here, but I have seen all the problems you have been having with the mysterious 'Blank System Restore Page' issue so I'll see if I can lend a hand, or at least try anyway.

 

One thing I don't think you have tried (of course I haven't read through all the posts either) is this little program I found recently called Dial-a-fix. The URL to this site is here Dial-a-fix Website. Try it out, it certainly can't hurt at this point anyway. If you are un-certain of running such programs then make sure you create a backup of your important files before running it.

 

I had an almost identical problem (IE the blank system restore page) and running Dial-a-fix remedied this for me.

 

Take care, ZM

 

[SirNite 0]

I had this problem on a couple of computers. None of the posted problems worked for me. Finally, I stumbled across this web page and the WUFix.zip on this web page http://wiki.castlecops.com/Windows_Update_Fix and it fixed everything, including the blank Windows update page. I hope this works for everyone who has experienced this problem. I had done everything from my own searches to calling the IE Help line ( and even Windows XP help) and no one was able to fix this.