A rchive Date
[ 14-09-2000 ]
Category
[ Information Technologies ]
sub-Categoy
[ Microsoft ]
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[Registry Safety Net
PC Computing
"7th Annual Windows Superguide 98
Written by Ed Bott and Woody Leonhard
Windows is workinHow do I save the Registry so I can restore my settings?
PC Computing:
Experienced Windows users know (usually from painful experience) that it pays to take precautions before installing unusual hardware or potentially invasive software packages. The exact procedure for saving the Registry is slightly different for each version of Windows.
Windows NT 3.x, 4 Use the NT backup utility with the Backup Local Registry option; when you restore your data, you'll have the option to restore the Registry as well. Better yet, use the Regback and Regrest utilities from the NT Workstation Resource Kit.
Windows 98 The spiffy new Registry Checker automatically creates a backup of the Registry every time you start your PC. You'll find the five most recent backup copies in the \Windows\Sysbckup folder--they're stored in compressed format as Rb001.cab, Rb002.cab, and so on. To manually back up the Registry, first run the System Info utility (Start, Programs, Accessories, System Tools), then click on Tools, Registry Checker. After a quick scan, Registry Checker will offer to make a backup. Click on Yes to replace the oldest backup file with a fresh one.
To restore the backup, boot to a command prompt and run Scanreg. Follow the instructions to view your backed-up Registry files and restore the most recent one.
Windows 95 Before you crack open your PC's case or start the Add New Hardware wizard or run the software package's installation routine, take this precaution: Open an Explorer window and copy (don't move) System.dat and User.dat from the Windows folder to C:\. These two files contain all your Registry data, so treat them like gold.
If installing new software has made your system unstable, use Control Panel's Add/Remove Programs option (or the program's own uninstall utility) to remove the offending software, if possible. Then click on the Start button, choose Shut Down, select the Restart in MS-DOS Mode option, and click on OK.
If you have problems with hardware, start Control Panel's System option, click on the Device Manager tab, and delete the offending device. Then shut down Windows, physically remove the hardware, and reboot. When you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press F8 and choose the Command Prompt Only option.
Returning to your original configuration is a three-step process. First, you must remove the Read-only, Hidden, and System attributes from the relevant system files. At the C:\> prompt, type Attrib -r -h -s C:\Windows\System.dat; repeat that command for C:\Windows\User.dat, C:\System.dat, and C:\User.dat.
Next, rename the two .dat files in the \Windows folder to *.bak, then copy the two .dat files from C:\ to the \Windows folder.
Finally, restore the Read-only, Hidden, and System attributes to all four files by typing Attrib +r +h +s filename. Press Ctrl-Alt-Del to restart your machine. If you've followed the procedure correctly, your Windows configuration should be fully functional.g fine right now, but I'm concerned that installing a new piece of hardware or software will mess things up.
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