WIN98 SE REGISTRY

[LongTime1701]

Does anyone know the file name and location of the WIN98 SE Registry? On occasion I would like to delete it. Then Import an older saved (correctly functioning) version using the Registry Editor. (Regedit)

If I can do this it would save me alot of time!

 

[edfair]

system.dat and user.dat in the windows directory.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[hotfusion]

Brace yourselves.....
I wouldn't suggest this is the best way to go. What I would do is to get your system and software fully installed, tweaked and running stable, then when you boot the following day, browse to your Windows\SYSBKUP folder, (which will be hidden, so you will have to disable the hiding of hidden files and folders) and locate the cab file which corresponds to the current day's date - usually numbered 000.cab through to 005.cab. Simply copy this to the root of your C drive.

Part 2:
When you wish to reinstate that copy of the registry, go to the same folder as directed earlier and delete the two oldest cab files there - you need to do this to make room for a copy of the one you saved to go in there as well as leaving room for Scanreg to create its routine backup - only 5 files of this type can exist here by default.

Now copy your saved .cab file into the SYSBCKUP folder, and restart the computer in MS-DOS mode.

Type the following at the prompt:
scanreg/restore
You will be presented with a list of available registry backups, just pick the one corresponding to the date your saved one was created, which will be the oldest date there and restore it. Reboot when done.

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There is a simpler way:
Get your system running as desired, allow a few days for registry backups to be created, (one on each first boot of a new day, you can see how many you have by looking in the SYSBCKUP folder) and then running MSCONFIG, going to the Startup tab and disabling ScanRegistry. As of now, no further backups will be created, but when you wish to roll back your registry, just drop to MS-DOS as before and reinstate any of the older backups.

The best way, though, if you have an additional partition, is to image what you have using the free Partition Saving program available here:

http://www.partition-saving.com

Simply replace the whole of the C drive's data every once in a while to keep things young and fast.

Sorry about the lengthy post...


Regards, Andy.
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My pathetic attempts at learning HTML can be laughed at here:

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/andyspatch/index.htm

 

[wolluf]

Note - if you've enabled users to keep their own settings, they each have a user.dat file in their \windows\profiles\username folder

And the backup windows does (for scanreg /restore - you need the space) includes system.ini and win.ini too.

and if you're not asleep yet - in win95, where the registry just grew whether you 'cleaned' it or not, creating new registry files by importing exported registry backup files was a method to shrink registry back to reasonable size - if like me you liked to install the kitchen sink!