Can't Perform System Restore from System Tools

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

System Restore problem:

Check that you don't have a wininit.ini file in your Windows folder. If
you do, rename this to wininit.old and retry System Restore. If this works
then you possibly have a program that creates a wininit.ini file each time
you boot your system. One known example is tgcmd.exe, another is a
program called "ACCESS DENIED". If you have tgcmd.exe I understand that
disabling it in MSConfig | Startup will have no adverse effect on your
system but enable you to use System Restore. Likewise ACCESS DENIED
needs to be "switched off" whilst using SR to either create or restore to
a previous checkpoint. McAfee's Spam Killer also seems to create a new
wininit.ini file each time the system is booted. See also MS KB 274092 -
"Error Message: System Restore Cannot Run Until You Restart the Computer"
(http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=274092).

If this isn't the reason for your problem then try running
SCANREG /FIX
from a command prompt such as Start | Run. Note that the system will
re-boot so don't have any applications open when doing this. I suggest
this because the same message is also displayed when the registry has been
corrupted in some way. scanreg /fix attempts to repair that damage.

Hopefully one or the other will solve your problem and allow you to create
a manual check point. If so then please continue with the rest of the
test.

If however you find that you keep getting a wininit.ini file created each
time you boot your system another known cause is due to having unwanted
malware but hopefully we won't have to go down that path.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP
mike.maltby@gmail.com


Steve Z. <SteveZ@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> I wanted to restore my computer to an earlier time, but can't. I went
> through the drill with system performance, files and enabling swystem
> restore. After i did all that, I restarted the computer, and tried
> system restore. I got a message telling me I had to restart the
> system first and then use system restore. I restarted the system,
> and tried it again---got the same message about having to restart the
> machine before I could do system restore. Then I did a system
> maintenance. Some bad files were fixed and some data repaired, then
> the system went through defrag. I restarted and tried the system
> restore after this, and am still getting the same message about
> restarting the computer before I can use system restore. What is the
> solution? I've tried everything I can think of at this point.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

I checked the Windows folder and have these files:

WININIT.BAK
WININIT (an application)
winInit.ini.backup
WININIT.SAV
wininit (text file)
wininitlog.old

didn't see a wininit.ini in there. Don't have either of the two programs
you mentioned. I do have Panda Titanium Antivirus 2005. Could that be a
problem? Hasn't been in the past.

"Mike M" wrote:

> System Restore problem:
>
> Check that you don't have a wininit.ini file in your Windows folder. If
> you do, rename this to wininit.old and retry System Restore. If this works
> then you possibly have a program that creates a wininit.ini file each time
> you boot your system. One known example is tgcmd.exe, another is a
> program called "ACCESS DENIED". If you have tgcmd.exe I understand that
> disabling it in MSConfig | Startup will have no adverse effect on your
> system but enable you to use System Restore. Likewise ACCESS DENIED
> needs to be "switched off" whilst using SR to either create or restore to
> a previous checkpoint. McAfee's Spam Killer also seems to create a new
> wininit.ini file each time the system is booted. See also MS KB 274092 -
> "Error Message: System Restore Cannot Run Until You Restart the Computer"
> (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=274092).
>
> If this isn't the reason for your problem then try running
> SCANREG /FIX
> from a command prompt such as Start | Run. Note that the system will
> re-boot so don't have any applications open when doing this. I suggest
> this because the same message is also displayed when the registry has been
> corrupted in some way. scanreg /fix attempts to repair that damage.
>
> Hopefully one or the other will solve your problem and allow you to create
> a manual check point. If so then please continue with the rest of the
> test.
>
> If however you find that you keep getting a wininit.ini file created each
> time you boot your system another known cause is due to having unwanted
> malware but hopefully we won't have to go down that path.
> --
> Mike Maltby MS-MVP
> mike.maltby@gmail.com
>
>
> Steve Z. <SteveZ@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> > I wanted to restore my computer to an earlier time, but can't. I went
> > through the drill with system performance, files and enabling swystem
> > restore. After i did all that, I restarted the computer, and tried
> > system restore. I got a message telling me I had to restart the
> > system first and then use system restore. I restarted the system,
> > and tried it again---got the same message about having to restart the
> > machine before I could do system restore. Then I did a system
> > maintenance. Some bad files were fixed and some data repaired, then
> > the system went through defrag. I restarted and tried the system
> > restore after this, and am still getting the same message about
> > restarting the computer before I can use system restore. What is the
> > solution? I've tried everything I can think of at this point.
>
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

BTW: I did the SCANREG /FIX, restarted the machine, and when I tried
"restore", I got the same "Error Message: System Restore Cannot Run Until You
Restart the Computer" message.

"Steve Z." wrote:

> I checked the Windows folder and have these files:
>
> WININIT.BAK
> WININIT (an application)
> winInit.ini.backup
> WININIT.SAV
> wininit (text file)
> wininitlog.old
>
> didn't see a wininit.ini in there. Don't have either of the two programs
> you mentioned. I do have Panda Titanium Antivirus 2005. Could that be a
> problem? Hasn't been in the past.
>
> "Mike M" wrote:
>
> > System Restore problem:
> >
> > Check that you don't have a wininit.ini file in your Windows folder. If
> > you do, rename this to wininit.old and retry System Restore. If this works
> > then you possibly have a program that creates a wininit.ini file each time
> > you boot your system. One known example is tgcmd.exe, another is a
> > program called "ACCESS DENIED". If you have tgcmd.exe I understand that
> > disabling it in MSConfig | Startup will have no adverse effect on your
> > system but enable you to use System Restore. Likewise ACCESS DENIED
> > needs to be "switched off" whilst using SR to either create or restore to
> > a previous checkpoint. McAfee's Spam Killer also seems to create a new
> > wininit.ini file each time the system is booted. See also MS KB 274092 -
> > "Error Message: System Restore Cannot Run Until You Restart the Computer"
> > (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=274092).
> >
> > If this isn't the reason for your problem then try running
> > SCANREG /FIX
> > from a command prompt such as Start | Run. Note that the system will
> > re-boot so don't have any applications open when doing this. I suggest
> > this because the same message is also displayed when the registry has been
> > corrupted in some way. scanreg /fix attempts to repair that damage.
> >
> > Hopefully one or the other will solve your problem and allow you to create
> > a manual check point. If so then please continue with the rest of the
> > test.
> >
> > If however you find that you keep getting a wininit.ini file created each
> > time you boot your system another known cause is due to having unwanted
> > malware but hopefully we won't have to go down that path.
> > --
> > Mike Maltby MS-MVP
> > mike.maltby@gmail.com
> >
> >
> > Steve Z. <SteveZ@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> >
> > > I wanted to restore my computer to an earlier time, but can't. I went
> > > through the drill with system performance, files and enabling swystem
> > > restore. After i did all that, I restarted the computer, and tried
> > > system restore. I got a message telling me I had to restart the
> > > system first and then use system restore. I restarted the system,
> > > and tried it again---got the same message about having to restart the
> > > machine before I could do system restore. Then I did a system
> > > maintenance. Some bad files were fixed and some data repaired, then
> > > the system went through defrag. I restarted and tried the system
> > > restore after this, and am still getting the same message about
> > > restarting the computer before I can use system restore. What is the
> > > solution? I've tried everything I can think of at this point.
> >
> >

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

It might help you if you unhide the file extensions for known files.
Windows Explorer | Folder Options | View and uncheck the box "hide
extensions for known file types". I'm intrigued as to your having
"wininit (text file)" as I can't see any reason for having a file
named wininit.txt. Personally I feel you should delete all the files you
list except for wininit.exe and then reboot. Now check again and see what
wininit files are present.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP
mike.maltby@gmail.com


Steve Z. <SteveZ@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> BTW: I did the SCANREG /FIX, restarted the machine, and when I tried
> "restore", I got the same "Error Message: System Restore Cannot Run
> Until You Restart the Computer" message.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

Deleting the wininit. files from the WINDOWS folder worked. Don't know why
they were there---but then I didn't know that they weren't supposed to be
there. I had done a disk check/repair and defrag, but guess it didn't catch
them as mistakes. Anyway, I was able to do a restore after taking your
advice. I could only go back to theprevious week, but it appears to at least
work, now.

Thanks!

"Mike M" wrote:

> It might help you if you unhide the file extensions for known files.
> Windows Explorer | Folder Options | View and uncheck the box "hide
> extensions for known file types". I'm intrigued as to your having
> "wininit (text file)" as I can't see any reason for having a file
> named wininit.txt. Personally I feel you should delete all the files you
> list except for wininit.exe and then reboot. Now check again and see what
> wininit files are present.
> --
> Mike Maltby MS-MVP
> mike.maltby@gmail.com
>
>
> Steve Z. <SteveZ@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> > BTW: I did the SCANREG /FIX, restarted the machine, and when I tried
> > "restore", I got the same "Error Message: System Restore Cannot Run
> > Until You Restart the Computer" message.
>
>

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsme.general (More info?)

Thanks for the feedback Steve and I'm pleased to read that all appears now
to be well.
--
Mike Maltby MS-MVP
mike.maltby@gmail.com


"Steve Z." <SteveZ@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote ...

> Deleting the wininit. files from the WINDOWS folder worked. Don't know
> why
> they were there---but then I didn't know that they weren't supposed to
> be
> there. I had done a disk check/repair and defrag, but guess it didn't
> catch
> them as mistakes. Anyway, I was able to do a restore after taking your
> advice. I could only go back to theprevious week, but it appears to at
> least
> work, now.