scanreg.exe hangs while checking system.dat under MS-DOS

[euston]

Scanreg.exe hangs while checking system.dat under MS-DOS. However, it handles user.dat without problems.

I was hoping to compact the registry with the /fix option but, for the moment, I am thwarted in achieving this ambition.

Norton SystemWorks 2003 and PC Tools Registry Mechanic 5.2 both check and correct the registry without problems. Windows 98SE works very reliably and quickly.

There must be a bug in scanreg.exe.



Owzat! On ya way, back to the pavilion!

 

[ski]

Windows 98SE works very reliably and quickly."
If it ain't broke.......

 

[G0AOZ]

This could signify an impending problem...

First off, make sure all data, docs, pictures, spreadsheets, etc., are all safely backup up away from this hard drive.

Can you make copies of SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT files?

After all this time, I'd be surprised if you've suddenly stumbled across a bug in SCANREG.EXE. Maybe try putting a fresh copy of that file onto the hard disk, and also run some diags on the drive. Bad block perhaps?

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[GrimR]

G0AOZ why would you want to make copies, there are already copies that being system.da0 & user.da0, which are there as backup if the originals get corrupt.
For e.g. attrib –r –h –s –a system.*
ren system.dat system.old
ren system.da0 system.dat

If that fails then you would got to root[c:] and

attrib –r –h –s –a system.1st
[obviously ren system.dat system.old]
and copy system.1st c:\windows\system.dat

 

[G0AOZ]

By attempting to manually make a copy, Euston might get a clue as to where the problem lies...

ROGER - G0AOZ.

 

[euston]

Thanks chaps.The machine continues to run beautifully. I am going to try a Windows ME version of scanreg.exe.

Owzat! On ya way, back to the pavilion!

 

[euston]

Looks like a bug in scanreg.exe when the /fix option is used. The Windows startup routine run of scanreg finds the registry to be sound. Registry Mechanic 5.2 and Norton SystemWorks 2003 both find nothing wrong with the registry.

I guess that my copy of the registry must be blessed with something that sends scanreg.exe /fix round and round in circles. It starts to check the registry structure (SYSTEM.DAT that is, USER.DAT is checked OK) and sometimes gets as far as 2% before sticking but usually nothing appears on the progress bar.

I might try scanreg.exe from Windows ME.

Oh well, worse things happen at sea.



Owzat! On ya way, back to the pavilion!

 

[GrimR]

BTW once you move from 95/98, never use Norton SystemWorks again, it corrupts profiles in 200/XP [ well at least from my experience]

 

[roamer1]

AFAIR, the /fix option only automates the older trick of exporting the entire dat to a reg file and rebuilding a new dat from the exported reg (using the DOS regedit for the whole process). Perhaps the old way might offer success. Be certain to reserve a backup copy of system.dat before the attempt.