BBA => winold-winback

[Glytzhkof]

A quote from Bob-NB:
...of course, now I know that I could have just restored the registry with an earlier version, but how was I to know...I was just a "newbie". Nowadays, all we have to do is utilize BBA's winold-winback approach to be back up and running in minutes - not hours.

Exactly what is this winold-winback approach? Do you restore the original system.1st file as described here: http://www.eons.com/registry.htm#corrupt ?

[Bob-NB]

The discussion from BBA from my files is as follows.

I feel really bad for all you who had some bad "software" or "driver" crash your windows and cause you to do a reformat! ( socalgal)
There is a much easier way to deal with this type of occurrance. I have not reformatted my drive in a year at least, and I routinely crash windows trying new ****, sometimes on purpose.

They are a few simple steps to take, and print this so you have it!

1. Make a good boot disk, but not from control panels add/remove programs startup disk applet! Start with a good quality brand floppy, right click it from windows explorer and select format with system files. Now you need basic stuff (only) added, config.sys with a device=himem.sys line (only that line, unless you want to add cd drivers) and copy the files: HIMEM.SYS, EDIT.COM, DELTREE.EXE, ATTRIB.EXE, MSCDEX.EXE, SYS.COM, SMARTDRV.EXE and SCANDISK.EXE.

Also copy your cdrom driver file to it.

Here is my Config.SYS file contents:

DEVICE=A:\HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=A:\MTMCDAI.SYS /D:MTMIDE01


Thats it, nothing else is needed. (you may have a different cdrom device driver, this one (MTMCDAI.SYS) is from Mitsumi.)

2. AUTOEXEC.BAT, this needs to be simple as well, all you need is nothing, but I use the cd driver and smartdrive lines. Here is the whole AUTOEXEC.BAT content:

path=a:\;a:\command.com
a:\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MTMIDE01 /M:10
smartdrv /v


This loads the cd drivers and runs smartdrive for disk caching (Improves read/write speed)


3. This is the good part!

First, if your Windows is non functional, do this:

a. Boot with the custom disk

b. type " c: " this puts you into the root of the c drive.

c. type " REN WINDOWS WINOLD " this renames windows so the install will use the name Windows again.

d. type " ATTRIB +H +R WINOLD " this sets the hidden read only attrubute to the old windows directory so that the new install of Windows wont try to migrate to it.

e. {OPTIONAL STEP} type " DELTREE /y PROGRA~1.* " this deletes the program files directory (which is where a lot of bad software code may be located)

f. type " DELTREE /Y WINI*.* " this deletes any left over windows install files.

g. type "DELTREE /y WIN386.SWP to remove the swap file ( sometimes windows locates this on the C:\ root directory)

h. Do the new installation of windows and import your mail and address book info from your old windows directory when done, so you dont lose your stuff. You can also copy over your desktop folder from the old directory to the new windows directory to restore your icons.

Reinstall only those programs that will not work at this point as most software will still work from the executibles or shortcuts, remember, the less you install, the happier windows is!

Now delete the WINOLD directory... ALL DONE!


I also do a few more things to make windows recovery easy.

1. Once I get my Windows install up with all the device drivers loaded, I make a new folder on the " C:\ " drive and call it " WINBACK "

2. I open Windows explorer, click on "VIEW" select folder options, click on show all files and unclick hide file extensions for known types it the view tab.

3. I open the "WINDOWS" folder and select all items except for win386.swp ( you cant copy this, and you dont need to either ). Then I right click the whole selection of items and select " copy ", I paste it to the new " WINBACK " folder.
This makes a good back up copy of a fresh windows installation.

4. If I ever have any problems after this, I boot from the boot disk, type " c: " to get to the " c: " root drive again, then I type " REN WINDOWS WINOLD " and press enter, then I type " REN WINBACK WINDOWS ", press enter and reboot to a fresh windows installation in less than 5 minutes, with all drivers working!

Neat trick, huh?

Hope this information from BBA helps.

Obviously you have to have a clean install to make the winback file from, so that the easy - fast restore will work.

BTW, in reading the link you posted, this should get you to a 'clean' registry quickly, so this may work for you.



[This message has been edited by Bob-NB (edited 09-13-99).]

[BBA]

Works for me! Lol

I have my winback copy on my drive, haven't even thought about it since I put SE on this thing....

I think it might be a while before I have to do it again, this OS is the OS! I just can't kill it!

BBA

[socalgal]

I did a Winback when BBA first posted that. Thankfully (rapping on wood!) I haven't had to use it yet! The printed info is safely tucked away in my Doomed file (Not the game!) /forum/smile.gif