Need help with Registry problem 1

[mercie]

I'm using Win98SE and before making any changes I usually export the Registry although I never before had reason to import it back. Today I tried to import one of those Registry files I had exported and I got the following error message: "Cannot import 'file path.reg'. Error writing to the Registry file." To see if this was an isolated thing I exported the Registry again and then tried importing it but all I get is the same error message. It seems I can export a Registry file but I cannot import it. I read in Microsoft's web site where this was a problem with Win95 and a large Registry file but I'm using Win98SE and so far as I can tell Win98 should not have a problem with this. Anyone have any ideas as to how to get this fixed? I'd hate to be in a position where I needed to revert back to an old Registry copy and find that I can't.

Thanks for any help!

 

[TekTippy4U]

what are the exact commands you're using to Import?
Doing the import in DOS?

TT4U

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[mercie]

Hi, thanks for answering. I'm using Win98 and I've got 512MB (someone else said it might be lack of memory but I don't think that's it - I'm using very little of it). I'm trying to import the Registry file in Windows, haven't tried it in DOS (not sure I know how!). I'm accessing the Registry by running regedit. Once there I exported the Registry using File/Export. I saved the file in a new folder I called Registry backup. I then went back to the Registry via regedit and did File/Import to get the file back in. That's when I got the error message. BTW, at first it seemed like it was copying the file because it took a bit of time before the error message box came up. In the meantime, someone suggested I try right clicking on the file and using Merge to get it to the Registry. I tried that and got the same error message - "Cannot import (file path.reg). Error writing to the Registry".

Any help would be really appreciated! I'm totally baffled by this.

 

[torturedmind]

seems to me you're restoring a backup of your regitry. i maybe wrong but i think you cannot do this inside windows. you need to reboot to dos mode and type "SCANREG /RESTORE". you will then be presented with previous backups of your registry so you have to locate the path of the registry file you were trying to restore and select it.

i hope this helps. peace!

kilroy
philippines

"Illegitimis non carborundum!"

 

[TekTippy4U]

hi mercie;
no - it's not a mem issue, 512mb is perfect, yet win98 doesn't like large imports either (actually , whole registry imports anyway - there's still the 64kb limit)

either utilize the scanreg /restore function from DOS for going back in time and choose one of the last 5 days (default) previous "Started" copies

(up to 99 is available with tweaking, yet a real pain to store, sort, and implement)

or try this;
move the reg file to C:\ (root)
reboot to dos (command prompt only)
C:\>
cd windows
attrib -h -s -r -a System.dat
attrib -h -s -r -a User.dat
ren system.dat system.xxx
ren user.dat user.xxx
(this next command is all on one line)
Regedit /L:C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.DAT /R:C:\WINDOWS\USER.DAT C:\<filename>.REG

Now, if you really want a HDD snapshot use a pproduct such as Ghost.

TT4U

Notification:
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[mercie]

Thanks, TekTippy4U, I've saved the instructions you gave me.
If I understand you correctly, before I make "life altering changes to my PC" I can export the .reg file to C:\ and then if I run into a problem I can boot to C:\ and type what you gave me and it will restore the same .reg copy I saved in C:\? Can you confirm that I've got this right?

What started all this was that I was doing maintenance on my husband's computer (installing software, cleaning up, etc.) and after I installed a game for him the whole thing went Kaput! I could do nothing to get the system back so I thought I'd restore the registry (with C:\scanreg/restore) and discovered that the only 5 Registry copies there were all from over a week ago! I had been under the impression that Windows automatically saved a Registry copy each time it started. So what I actually ended up restoring was an old Registry copy and I had to then reinstall & uninstall many things again. (I'm sure there was an easier way to do this but I just ended up reformatting the drives and reinstalling everything.)

So before making any more changes, I made sure I backed up the registry - but imagine my surprise when I found out I then couldn't import it back in Windows!

I'm OK now but I just needed to know how to do this for the next time! Let me know if what I stated in the first par is correct. Thanks for all your help!!

 

[TekTippy4U]

That's kinda odd that the old backups were a week old and older. That may mean the entry;
Name Data
ScanRegistry C:\WINDOWS\Scanregw.exe /autorun

has been missing from the;
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
key in the REG.

check also that SCANREGW.EXE exists in C:\WINDOWS

The normally compressed Backups are in the C:\WINDOWS\Sysbckup folder (hidden) with names Rb000.cab, Rb001, Rb002 etc...and each should contain SYSTEM.DAT, USER.DAT, SYSTEM.INI and WIN.INI
and are automatically created "One per Day" (24hr period - not each time Win is started). You can force newer backups 2 ways -
1 way (easiest) is Start > Run SCANREGW
...another is Start > Run MSinfo32 > Tools Menu > Registry Checker. Then check the dates/times of the Rb00x.cab files in SYSBCKUP, just before restoring so you get an idea of which Rb00x.cab file you want to choose. (this helps when you've recently manually created 3-5 backups using Scanregw.exe over say 2 days time).
Suggest you fix ScanRegistry in REG and you will see it also in Start > Run MSCONFIG > Startup Tab

You can try to import the whole registry in DOS mode as I described earlier, but I can't guarantee it will work using a Full Registry as you intend to do. It's possible there's the 64K file size limit, and or some kind of error when 'creating' your actual Backup.reg file. I have successfully Renamed System.dat and User,dat (hidden in C:\WINDOWS) to .xxx and restored them back when I got in binds in the past. So if something goes awry, just rename them back in DOS to .DAT and then Reset the Hidden and Read Only attributes with
Attrib +r +h SYSTEM.DAT
Attrib +r +h USER.DAT

The Scanreg /Restore works like a charm though and also backs up SYSTEM.INI and WIN,INI in case an App installed something nasty there too.



TT4U

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[mercie]

I think you just discovered what happened. I checked over everything you said and, although the entry was in the Reg key, I found that scanRegistry was unchecked in Msconfig - startup. That might have been why the backups were so old, I'm not sure the Registry was getting backed up. In the meantime, someone had mentioned scanregw and I've been doing that. In fact, the only backups that showed up in my Sysbckup folder were those I had done with scanregw (thanks! I had no idea where those backups were kept). So now I've checked scanRegistry in Startup which should let windows start backing up the Registry on a regular basis and I can always do scanregw before messing with the PC again.

I really appreciate all your help - I have learned a lot from you!

 

[CobolKid]

One thing you may want to try before restoring a reg backup;

Boot to DOS, at the command prompt type SCANREG /FIX and press enter. This may take some time to complete. Once finished, from the command prompt, type SCANREG /OPT and press enter. This should take about thirty seconds to complete. Now reboot. If 98's still inoperable; restore your backup.

Steve

 

[APucci]

I have a ton of popups and other crap clustered around the term "Tfiog" and God knows where else in my USER.DAT file and I don't know where to begin to delete without crashing everything.

I have had up to 20 or more programs that are running in the background. I close them, remove them from the startup, and uninstall them and even defrag but nothing seems to stop them. I don't know if there is a a procedure or program that does, but now even when nothing's running up front or in the background, they are completely crippling my contact database, internet, and email access.

Anything that can save my computer and identify how this all happened in the first place will put me back on a productive track at work and save me from the look of total disdain I'm getting from the owner. I'll be the first to admit I'm a somewhat reckless Web surfer but have never intentionally downloaded/installed anything - but have definitely seen downloads and installs occurring without me requesting it. I can't get a new computer until I can identify what happened and be sure it doesn't occur again.

Yep, I'm pretty desperate at this point.

 

[TekTippy4U]

faq760-3862
faq608-4650

TT4U

Notification:
These are just my thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions.
Backup All Important Data/Docs