# Want to restore Windows 98 to a previous date



## bluesea (Feb 3, 2005)

I am having problems with my cd-rw on not reading after I was trying to do a cd burn to a cd-rw disc and launching the cd drive speed to try to make it work. I have had this fixed before. They were able to go back a couple of days before hand when my cd-rw was working. I think they did this in the registry or dos or going through boot up when starting my computer. I have already reinstalled windows 98 and that doesn't work but I know the restoring it to a couple of days ago did work. Does anybody know how to restore to a previous date in Windows 98?


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## ceri sheeran (Aug 15, 2003)

Hi,

There is no System restore in Win 98 or 98 SE.

What you have though is the option of restoring to one of the five saved copies of the registry. A copy is made on the first successful boot each day.

Download the image file to create a WIN 98 bootable floppy system disk from http://www.bootdisk.com Run the downloaded file to create the bootable floppy disk.

Boot from the floppy disk. You may need to change your BIOS settings.

At the a:> prompt type exactly including spaces

scanreg /restore

Press Enter.

Scanreg restore will give the option of restoring any one of the five most recent copies ( from good starts ) of the registry)

Select the registry with a date before the issue started and OK to select it. Or use the oldest copy.

Let the Registry restore take place and allow the reboot.

The best option I found for recovery in Win 98 was Symantec / Norton Ghost.

You can increase the number of copies of the registry stored and keep them in a simpler and easier place by makeing a couple of minor changes to the file scanreg.ini 
Put a path in and also increase the number kept.

I used to keep 15 copies ie two weeks worth.

Win 98 will still only use the five most recent copies.

I put a path in of C:\registry, then created a second folder of c:\registry\oldcopies. Once a week or so, I would move the older copies of the registry backup file from c:\registry to c:\registry\old copies, replacing the previous copies.

Depending on hard disk space you could store more.

It is a simple matter in DOS to move copies around to put one of the older copies from c:\registry\old copies into c:\registry where it can then be used with the scanreg /restore command.

hth

Ceri


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## Deke40 (Jun 27, 2002)

For and easier solution on how to gain access to the above mentioned 15 backups useBOBSTUR'S BATCH FILE .


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## Elf-stone (Jan 30, 2005)

I don't know if Windows98 is different in the U.K., but you don't need to use a boot-disk to enter MS-DOS. Just click Start/Shutdown/Restart in MS-DOS mode and run scanreg/ restore from the C:> prompt.


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## ceri sheeran (Aug 15, 2003)

Hi,

Win 98 is more or less the same apart from some spelling in UK as USA. 

The reason I advised a bootable floppy disk drive was to include CD RO drivers on the bootable floppy.

On a restart into DOS, the CD drivers may still not be available if something has become corrupted. 

By starting with a bootable floppy disk which has CD drivers they will be.

Ceri


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## Elf-stone (Jan 30, 2005)

Okay, I see your point, Ceri.:up:


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## bluesea (Feb 3, 2005)

How do I change my bios settings since I can only do the scanreg/restore when I do the restart in MS-DOS. My cd drive is still not reading. I put in my boot-up floppy but does not recognize scanreg/restore. It says bad file name or command name. I have my windows 98 cd but when I have cd support it goes to the drive that's not working. Will installing windows 98 from the cd correct the problem or should I go to the bios settings. Still need help.


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