Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)
I recently had to rebuild C: from scratch, which included restoring
the directory from tape along with a full file restore. Everything
went well, but I've wondered since whether this should be
credited to good design in Colorado Backup (which notes the
restoration of the registry so I can notice I should restart), or
would have worked with just a simple-minded copy from whatever
backup medium I used.
That is, can SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT be restored at any old time
during a full file restore, say from multiple DVD's, or do they
need to be restored first, or last, so that their numerous
references to other files will all work? (Clearly, I'm a
registry newbie with a healthy fear of screwing the thing.)
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)
The order wouldn't matter. But, should you attempt to boot before you've
restored the Registry files, who knows what could happen? Therefore, do
them first, if you can. (And STILL don't boot until you've got the rest.
I guess that too would be a mess.) Naturally, the folder System/User.dat
go into... C:\WINDOWS... would have to be there.
BUT, (although you have apparently been successful)...
MSBackup is visually impressive & certainly has endless docs. But it is
a poor tool for a full system backup. It has a 2 GB file size
limitation, (well, maybe it's 4 GB). You will not upgrade to a new OS
with it, as it is incompatible with other versions of itself. (Someone
did say you may install the old version to the new system, though.)
Also, you will go nuts trying to do incrementals, archive bits, etc.,
I'm sure. To do a full system restore from it, you need to fresh install
Windows first. (But Fuzzy Logic says no, per one of the following URLs.)
And there is tweaking involved. It WON'T be pretty. Take a look at...
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;[LN];Q166172
Duplicating Windows 95/98/98 Second Edition Installation to a New Hard
Disk
http://support.microsoft.com:80/su [...] 7/5/26.asp How to Restore Windows 98 from a Full System Backup
....or that, which still is a ton of potential trouble, & do you have a
"pcrestor"? Well, perhaps get it from this ton of additional
documentation...
http://www.vanwijk.com/-=%20Bookz% [...] 0/ch10.htm Special Edition Using Windows 98 -10- Backing Up Your Data
Once you have a functioning system, especially one close to a clean
install, do a full system backup. If you have multiple partitions, I
guess a backup is a bit more complex. It depends upon the ties between
the Registry & the other partitions, as to whether they must be backed
up concurrently. Also, if you've changed the hardware since the backup,
you may need to change it back before a restore.
All gathered at this site. Whichever you choose, approach it carefully
and verify all is well. After making a copy, run Scandisk/Defrag on it.
If it's an Image, use it's verify option; perhaps, restore it and do a
Scandisk/Defrag.
Those last two supposedly back up all currently installed drivers, such
that they can be reinstalled. I never tried it but have seen a favorable
report/two.
--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR
pcrrcp@netzero.net
"Anthony Buckland" <buckland@direct.ca> wrote in message
news:%23eXQM9pFFHA.2156@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
| I recently had to rebuild C: from scratch, which included restoring
| the directory from tape along with a full file restore. Everything
| went well, but I've wondered since whether this should be
| credited to good design in Colorado Backup (which notes the
| restoration of the registry so I can notice I should restart), or
| would have worked with just a simple-minded copy from whatever
| backup medium I used.
|
| That is, can SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT be restored at any old time
| during a full file restore, say from multiple DVD's, or do they
| need to be restored first, or last, so that their numerous
| references to other files will all work? (Clearly, I'm a
| registry newbie with a healthy fear of screwing the thing.)
|
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)
A full restore using a Windows application is a tricky task, and the
Colorado software has a number of design features that make it possible,
including the special processing of the registry files that you noticed.
The exact point in the process at which it occurs is critical - too early
and the matching files that the registry expects to see won't be there, too
late and the system might be executing critical tasks with the default
(inappropriate) registry values.
Other backup strategies avoid the problem by doing the restore from a DOS
boot, which is pretty close to a 'clean' machine as far as Windows is
concerned. Of course, this raises issues of its own, such as exactly what
backup devices can be supported from a DOS boot.
--
Jeff Richards
MS MVP (Windows - Shell/User)
"Anthony Buckland" <buckland@direct.ca> wrote in message
news:%23eXQM9pFFHA.2156@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
>I recently had to rebuild C: from scratch, which included restoring
> the directory from tape along with a full file restore. Everything
> went well, but I've wondered since whether this should be
> credited to good design in Colorado Backup (which notes the
> restoration of the registry so I can notice I should restart), or
> would have worked with just a simple-minded copy from whatever
> backup medium I used.
>
> That is, can SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT be restored at any old time
> during a full file restore, say from multiple DVD's, or do they
> need to be restored first, or last, so that their numerous
> references to other files will all work? (Clearly, I'm a
> registry newbie with a healthy fear of screwing the thing.)
>
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)
"Jeff Richards" <JRichards@msn.com.au> wrote in message
news1gYADtFFHA.2156@TK2MSFTNGP09.phx.gbl...
> Of course, this raises issues of its own, such as exactly what backup
> devices can be supported from a DOS boot.
Just about any device that you can get the drivers on the media for the
device to be used. USB, LPT, TCP/IP, SCSI/ASPI, Firewire and CD/DVD, and
then of course the Hard drive. Although I don't know if Colorado aka Eagle
aka Seagate can utilize all of them, they can utilize CD/DVD, Tape and the
HD. Ghost on the other hand uses them all.
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)
Thanks for all the replies.
It sounds safer to stick with what I have tried once and found
true:
- restore the factory state of the hard drive
- install Colorado backup
- do a full restore from tape
- deinstall, and reinstall, Colorado backup (to clean up the
small problem of having it restore itself on top of itself
during the full restore)
But I certainly have plenty of sources to go to now for alternatives
(now that I have a DVD-RW drive, I intend to do a full save on DVD;
I would have lost a _lot_ if the tape, drive or restore process
from tape had failed). Even a DVD of My Documents would achieve a
lot, although losing all that stuff that software insists on storing
in Program Files and Windows -- grrr.
Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)
You are welcome. You did well probably, BUT it can be a lot easier. Get
something that will copy or image the entire system as it is now in
maybe 15 minutes or so. OK, then.
--
Thanks or Good Luck,
There may be humor in this post, and,
Naturally, you will not sue,
should things get worse after this,
PCR
pcrrcp@netzero.net
"Anthony Buckland" <buckland@direct.ca> wrote in message
newsnW4ud1FFHA.3504@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
| Thanks for all the replies.
|
| It sounds safer to stick with what I have tried once and found
| true:
| - restore the factory state of the hard drive
| - install Colorado backup
| - do a full restore from tape
| - deinstall, and reinstall, Colorado backup (to clean up the
| small problem of having it restore itself on top of itself
| during the full restore)
|
| But I certainly have plenty of sources to go to now for alternatives
| (now that I have a DVD-RW drive, I intend to do a full save on DVD;
| I would have lost a _lot_ if the tape, drive or restore process
| from tape had failed). Even a DVD of My Documents would achieve a
| lot, although losing all that stuff that software insists on storing
| in Program Files and Windows -- grrr.
|
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