Registry Things:

Also see the Re-Install W-95 page for Registry replacement:

Also see my Back-Up page about more Registry back-ups.

NOTE: This article will not be for the faint of heart. If your un-comfortable
about going into your windows 95 registry, then this isn't for you and you shouldn't play around in there you know what your doing and back-up the system files--ok.

If your wondering about REGEDIT for DOS: Boot to DOS and type REGEDIT /? to get all the switches that relate to same.

It's your central database created by Windows 95 during installation. It's database contents has your hardware, software, users and preferences data for your PC or PC on a network. Your changes in control panel, files, system policies or software---well, it changes the Registry. The Registry displays it's contents in six sub-trees called Keys, each Key starts with HKEY_ and lets programs access it's resources. REGEDIT.EXE replaces the dreaded .INI files of windows 3.1 that wouldn't support the network environment. It's a windows explorer that ventures into your uncharted waters of your system. So i say, first---back-up or copy anything your going to change (PERIOD). It's hard to know where to start when your trying to explain the Registry. If for any reason you don't understand anything---back out and E-Mail me. Also, look at my Hard-Drive Page to get prepped for the next pages.

Remember, I'm not responsible for Nothing SO go
back to my Disclaimer Page.

Where "O" Where Does My Web-Pages Reside in the Registry:
My cookies reside here, but your path will be different:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\Cache\Special Paths]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\Cache\Special Paths\History]

@="Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\InternetSettings\\Url History"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\Cache\Special Paths\Cookies] "Directory"="D:\\internet explorer\\Cookies"
"CachePrefix"="Cookie:"
"CacheLimit"=hex:00,04,00,00

You can print the HKEY's layout but your going to get from 50 to 1000 pages, so if you have to look at the structure, I would suggest the print/screen button--(For anyone that thinks it doesn't know, it does work)--it just goes to the clipboard so then all you have to do is paste it to your favorite Paint program and print it.

First of all, you'll learn how to restore your Registry. Windows 95 makes a copy of your registry every time it boots up in the hidden back-up files. You may never need them, BUT if something unfortunate happens.

Do the normal crtl-alt-del and end-tasks & go to the start button to shut-down in the DOS mode. We need to delete the current/corrupted Registry files and replace them with copies from your DAO hidden backups and re-boot to reopen w-95 in the last known valid configuration. So how do I perform this task???

There will be four DOS Commands: attrib -s -h -r *.da? ----this will
clear attributes from the Registry SO at the prompt type,

erase SYSTEM.DAT ---this erases bad system.dat

erase USER.DAT ---this erases bad user.dat

copy SYSTEM.DAO SYSTEM.DAT ---this will create a new
one from back-up

copy USER.DAO USER.DAT ---this will create a new one
from back-up

attrib +s +h +r SYSTEM.DA? ---this will reset system dat
and dao attributes

attrib +s +h +r USER.DA? ---this will reset user dat and dao
attributes

Reboot and you'll get the last known good configuration--YOUR DONE.

Restoring registry and Select which Backup you want:

Boot to Safe Mode Command Prompt and at the MS-DOS prompt, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after you type each line;

cd\windows
scanreg /restore

I assume "windows" is the name of the folder in which Windows is installed and then Select the previous registry you want to restore, and then press ENTER.
NOTE: A properly working registry has the word "Started" next to the date.

Then when you receive notification that you restored a properly working registry, press ENTER to restart your computer.....DONE!!!!!

SUBJECT MATTER: Backing up/Copying your REGISTRY with it's Utility.

Copy The Whole Registry:

In the RUN Command type ( regedit ) hit ok, then Open Registry menu, select Export Registry File, in the box that pops up--type in a name and click save.

So you want to compare the Registry:

A Comparison Technique:

Open a Windows DOS prompt and type,

fc /B BEFORE.REG  AFTER.REG

This executes a binary display of all differences and if the file is too large then refer to the MS-DOS Debug Utility.

Get ride of Those Deleted Program Left-Overs:

When you double-click Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel, you get a list of all the programs that Windows 95 can automatically remove. Want to remove an item from this Install/Uninstall list--an item that Windows 95 won't remove and you don't have the Microsoft powerToy TweakUI then,

Open the Registry Editor (choose Run in the Start menu, type 'regedit,' and click OK) and navigate your way to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Uninstall. In the left pane, with the right mouse button, click the folder (under Uninstall) that represents the item you want to get rid of ,

Choose Delete and close the Registry Editor,

Reopen that Add/Remove Programs Properties dialog box, and that item is a Goner.

Download the (2) REGISTRY Cleaners from Microsoft:

In particular Microsoft warns that "Now that RegClean 4.1a is available, you should use it rather than older versions. RegClean 3.0 and 4.0 inadvertently remove Registry keys needed by the Automation functions of Word 97, Excel 97, Access 97, PowerPoint 97, and Outlook 97. "

So make sure you have RegClean 4.1a from
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q147/7/69.asp

And if you're a programmer you'll want to check out RegMaid
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q156/0/78.asp

Create A Batch File To Restore Registry:

Be sure when you copy the files, you use an ASCII editor. A batch file won't work if it not in ASCII format. Oh, and be sure the only files in C:\protect that end in dat are the registry files; otherwise you'll copy more than you want to with that command.
Make restoring the registry a very simply job by writing a batch file to do the restoration for you. For purely safety reasons.

TYPE exactly,

@echo off
c:
cd\
cd\windows
attrib user.dat -r -s -h
attrib system.dat -s -h -r
Copy user.dat c:\protect
Copy system.dat c:\protect
attrib user.dat +s +h +r
attrib system.dat +s +h +r
cd\

Call that file regsave.bat and I keep it in a directory on the PATH. If you do not use batch files often enough to keep a directory called BATCH, put it in the DOS directory. It won't hurt anything and that's on the PATH. Make a directory called protect to keep the files in, then copy it when the registry has been changed.

Copy it when you know the registry is not corrupt and after changes.

Here's a batch file to restore the registry.
Copy this and call it restore.bat

@echo off
c:
cd\
cd\windows
attrib user.dat -r -s -h
attrib system.dat -s -h -r
xcopy c:\protect\*.dat
attrib user.dat +s +h +r
attrib system.dat +s +h +r
cd\

Next time you have a corrupt registry, go to a DOS prompt and
type restore.bat and the registry will be restored in a jiffy.

FINDING AND RETRIEVING CAB FILES:

TO FIND go to:

Start/ Find/ Files or Folders,

Enter *.cab in "Named" box, then click the Advanced tab and enter the filename you're searching for in the "Containing text" box. Direct the search on the first tab to your . CAB files location like, Windows\Options\Cabs, or CD Rom.

RETRIEVE: DOS: Windows\Options\Cabs> extract /L C:\[where you want it
to go] [cab file found above] [filename].
Example: Windows\Options\Cabs> extract /L C:\windows\system Win
95_08.cab msjava.dll . (This would extract the msjava.dll file into the
Windows\System directory.)

OPTIONS:
Extract [/Y] [/A] [/D] [/E] [/L DIR] [cab file] [filename]
Extract [/Y] Source [newname]
Extract [/Y] /C Source Destination cab file - cabinet file -
contains 2 or more files filename - filename to extract; wildcards &
multiple names O.K. source - compressed file (a cabinet with only 1
file)
newname - new filename for extracted file (none = original name)
/A - process all cabinets from 1st cabinet listed
/C - copy source file to destination (copy from DMF disks)
/D - display cabinet directory
/E - extract (use instead of *.* to extract all files)
/L DIR - location to place extracted file(s), default is current directory
/Y - do not prompt to overwrite existing files

The BEST way I've found to FIND or TOTALLY  delete things is by using REGEDIT  Find Command:

Type REGEDIT and enter,

In the registry go to EDIT and choose FIND. Type the file name in the box like, ( cpqidecd.VxD ). Let the regedit find all instances of the file and when you find them delete them. After the first instance choose find next (F3) and continue until your finished with the registry.

Your problems DONE after these steps.

 These sites where OK at this posting BUT you never know --- so E-Mail me if you find one that doesn't work---Thanks:

REGISTRY TIP SITES other than mine:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~mato/linktips.html

 
http://www.download.com/PC/Result/Download/0,21,0-19184,00.html

 
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1565921704/andrewschulmanswA/

 
http://esn.softseek.com/Utilities/Tips_Tricks_and_Help/Review_6788_index.html

 
http://md.simplenet.com/win-faq/12/95FAQ/95regeditcus.html

 
http://www.halcyon.com/cerelli/regedit.htm

 
http://wilkes1.wilkes.edu/~acd/tip1j.htm

 
http://www.win95mag.com/12_96/html/tipreg.shtml

 
http://www.webspan.net/~pmills/tech/w95reg.html

 
http://www.windowscentral.com/tips/windows95/registry.html

INDEX    TOP