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System Restore for Win98se. Possible ?


Dr. Mac

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I'v worked a lot this week end on the w98 System Back Up Script project.

It's still not a System Restore program, but it already makes pretty good back ups of the system files.

I hope to post a simulation version in few days. I still need to run a few tests before.

While working on it, I have also improved the Installed File Checker script (click on my signature to go to the download/update page), that wil be the cornerstone of the whole project.

Edited by Fredledingue
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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...
Let me rephrase

what are the System Restore files from WinME

i need to test it on Win98SE

you cant, PROBLEMCHYLD!!!!

The ME System Restore files depend on ME specific system files and CANT be used under Win98 SE.

Older versions of "Go Back" program do better than ME system restore AND can restore a complete hard disk image, even when you've trashed crucial 98se system files (like deleting the entire Windows folder) and using Go Back to restore you HD to a time when the entire Windows folder was intact.

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There's also no problem with the latest (pretty old now as Symantec doesn't really push this product anymore) version of Symantec Norton GoBack 4.0. I do also own the Adaptec GoBack and Roxio GoBack versions, but the latest does include bug fixes that prevent some nasty problems in GoBack from occuring. I used it a while back and from the GoBack cd version, if you run LiveUpdate it will install one update to it.

I saved the update, which Symantec's updater leaves in the Windows Temp folder, to a cdr so if they ever stop offering it I'll still be able to install it. There's no activation mechanism, only a cd key entered when installing from the GoBack cd is needed. Once installed it just works.

The update is not the full version so the full cd version must be installed first. Then either run LiveUpdate which will disable GoBack and install it, or if you have the update saved you disable GoBack and run the setup for the update.

GoBack poses problems for customized dual-boot setups. You really can't use it unless you only have one 9x system on the first partition and one Windows XP system on the second partition and only use the official Microsoft boot loader (no 3rd party boot loader or hidden partition type stuff).

SecondChance is really the Microsoft SystemRestore with a few extra features, like the ability to run it from a Command Prompt Only startup, an MS-DOS boot floppy, or a SecondChance restore floppy. The floppy SecondChance creates simply runs SecondChance from the hard drive, same as booting to a Command Prompt and starting it yourself. You can also name your restore points and change which folders SecondChance doesn't log changes to (ignored folders).

For those that run all the 3rd party 9x update packs such as 98SE2ME, Unofficial Service Pack's etc., don't install SecondChance until after running these things. SecondChance did not react well to some file changes made by these update packs and messed up Windows for me. Once all the updates are installed, SecondChance can be installed and will work perfectly. Disabling it to run these Service Packs doesn't help. Just don't have it installed until you are done.

GoBack has no problem with that. It is seperate from the operating system whereas SecondChance runs using a dll. So GoBack could be installed immediately following a Windows setup. I wouldn't, only because of all the changes that go into updating an initial Windows installation and all the software installs. I'm just too impatient to wait for all the GoBack logging to finish.

Both programs are excellent. SecondChance is the most flexable and most like SystemRestore.

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What are all the files i need for WinME System Restore?
I've already answered this question:

extract PCHEALTH.INF from WinME setup CD and then open it in Notepad to see the list of files.

HTH

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi everybody! My first post. :blushing:

As mentioned already, scanreg /backup can backup other files in the same rb???.cab file as system.dat, user.dat, win.ini and system.ini, as specified in scanreg.ini. However, scanreg /restore does not restore these extra files, so use extract instead.

The info about scanreg.ini settings is not very detailed. Here's a few things I've discovered in Win98SE which might be useful:

* Changing BackupDirectory to a root directory seems not to work, i.e. a folder name must be specified too.

* Wildcards cannot be used in filenames, unfortunately.

* Folder names can be used at the front of filenames, so that files from anywhere on a drive can be backed up if folder code 30 or 31 is used, e.g. Files=30,Photos\Dogs\Collie.jpg will backup x:\Photos\Dogs\Collie.jpg.

* Do not put \ at the beginning of filenames because this can mess up extraction.

* Files on a different drive than the Windows drive can be backed up! Here's how to do it. In the registry, modify the BootHost drive letter in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup, then use Files=31,.... You'll probably need to reboot for the change to take effect.

Edited by diskless
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Hi everybody! My first post. :blushing:

As mentioned already, scanreg /backup can backup other files in the same rb???.cab file as system.dat, user.dat, win.ini and system.ini, as specified in scanreg.ini. However, scanreg /restore does not restore these extra files, so use extract instead.

The info about scanreg.ini settings is not very detailed. Here's a few things I've discovered in Win98SE which might be useful:

* Changing BackupDirectory to a root directory seems not to work, i.e. a folder name must be specified too.

* Wildcards cannot be used in filenames, unfortunately.

* Folder names can be used at the front of filenames, so that files from anywhere on a drive can be backed up if folder code 30 or 31 is used, e.g. Files=30,Photos\Dogs\Collie.jpg will backup x:\Photos\Dogs\Collie.jpg.

* Do not put \ at the beginning of filenames because this can mess up extraction.

* Files on a different drive than the Windows drive can be backed up! Here's how to do it. In the registry, modify the BootHost drive letter in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup, then use Files=31,.... You'll probably need to reboot for the change to take effect.

this might be going a little off topic, diskless, but you can also use scanreg /opt to compress the registry files system.dat and user.dat. smaller registry files mean better performance in win98se and less registry problems.

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What are all the files i need for WinME System Restore?
I've already answered this question:

extract PCHEALTH.INF from WinME setup CD and then open it in Notepad to see the list of files.

HTH

thanks for the answer MDGx. but do those ME system restore files mentioned in the pchealth.inf file actually work under Win98se?

that's the $1 million dollar question

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  • 2 months later...
thanks for the answer MDGx. but do those ME system restore files mentioned in the pchealth.inf file actually work under Win98se?

that's the $1 million dollar question

I do wonder too?

Are there a few dependencies missing or a bunch.Not to nag but this is a feature i would like to see

on my Windows 98SE2ME if possible.

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thanks for the answer MDGx. but do those ME system restore files mentioned in the pchealth.inf file actually work under Win98se?

that's the $1 million dollar question

I do wonder too?

Are there a few dependencies missing or a bunch.Not to nag but this is a feature i would like to see

on my Windows 98SE2ME if possible.

Not to my knowledge, unless some1 wishes to hex-edit the ME files to make them work with 98 SE.

I've already answered this question here:

http://www.msfn.org/board/?s=&showtopi...st&p=600110

and here:

http://www.msfn.org/board/?s=&showtopi...st&p=517931

P.S.:

This topic has been discussed before, and to my knowledge no new information has surfaced to date.

Please let me know if all is said and done on this subject, so I can close this topic.

Thanks.

HTH

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  • 7 months later...

Way to go, PROBLEMCHYLD!

:yes: Glad it worked! :yes:

Its funny how 1 file can make a big difference
That's for sure!

And, as soon as you feel sure it really works OK, do please post here a detailed how-to.

Keep on the great work! :thumbup

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