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Go.Netscape.Viewer help page (page 2 of 3)

- Creating a Registry Backup/Restore file on a Boot Disc.

	Regardless of whether or not the Floppy Disc (A:) needs to be formatted, the cautious approach is to format it, to ensure it is 100% functional. By RIGHT-CLICKING on the Floppy Disc (A:) entry you will get the pop-up box with the format option. By clicking on Format you should get a window something like the one shown to the left. MAKE SURE YOU ARE FORMATTING A: and NOT C: Before you start the formatting check that it is Drive A: (as shown) Windows should automatically pick the correct disc capacity for you. Check the FULL format option (selected as shown) Check the CopySytem Files option (selected as shown) Formatting will take a few minutes to complete. Be patient.
OK. The emergency Boot/Backup/Restore disc is nearly ready. Our last task with this disc is to add the Autoexec.Bat file that will contain the Backup/Restore menu, and instructions for your use. As you have a download problem, it is pointless for me to put a link here for you to download the backup file yourself. You need to copy it from this screen (it's simply a sequence of DOS commands in plain ordinary text), and paste these DOS commands into a file that will be created on your floppy disc. (### I could deliver the file by email - see the section near the top of page one for details ###) If you explore the floppy disc now that it has been formatted, you should see that it has one (or more) files on it. If there isn't a file called Command (or Command.com), then don't panic. It means that you formatted without the 'Copy System Files' option checked, and that you should repeat the Format function again (do it properly this time! ) We MUST have Command.com on the floppy disc. Don't worry if Windows shows other files present - there are other system files included, but Explorer often hides these files from your view, depending upon how your copy of Windows is configured (these other special 'hidden' files should not be deleted from the disc - just leave them there if they are showing). Take a look at the picture on the Right. It shows the process for easily copying the special DOS commands from this page (they're just a bit further down, in the next block of text underneath this block). You need to use your mouse to select these DOS commands. The proceedure is to position the mouse pointer at the very beginning of the line of DOS commands, then CLICK-and-HOLD the (left) mouse button DOWN. With the button still down, move the mouse down to the end of the list of DOS commands. The selected text will turn blue (or some other colour to indicate that it has been selected). Once you have the entire list of DOS commands highlighted like this you will need to release the mouse button, reposition the mouse over any part of the highlighted text, RIGHT click the mouse, and select COPY from the menu that appears.
	Once you have the entire list of DOS commands highlighted like this you will need to release the mouse button, reposition the mouse over any part of the highlighted text, RIGHT click the mouse, and select COPY from the menu that appears. The DOS commands will then be held in memory (temporarily). We will then simply paste these commands into a text editing program (Notepad, Wordpad or Word), and save them directly onto your floppy disc. Feel free to study the DOS files list of commands as they are shown below right. They may not make much sense to you, but you should be able to reassure yourself of their purpose, and that there is nothing malicious about their action when the commands are activated. The key commands are : echo - this is to display text (instructions for backup/restore functions) choice - a menu command, where you chose to backup/restore or exit the menu md - stands for Make Directory - creates a folder to hold the backup copy of the Registry copy - duplicates the Registry files, without disturbing the existing copy of it cd - Changes the Directory (folder) where the DOS command is to carry out it's work attrib - (file Attributes) this temporarily 'reveals' the Registry files so that they can be copied - Windows keeps them hidden so that novices do not delete them accidentally. System.dat and User.dat are your vital Registry files that we are protecting.
The following block of text is your Backup/Restore program. You need to select the entire block below (as described in the previous block) WITHOUT these first few lines of instructions, and copy it to your clipboard (memory). Start selecting the block by CLICK-and-HOLDing the mouse button down in the blank space immediately beneath the START line (below). Drag the mouse down through the entire block of text until you have it all selected (excluding the last bit below the line marked FINISH). (it's OK to include any blank lines) START SELECTION BENEATH THIS LINE ____________________________________ :MENU echo off cls echo. echo. echo Registry Backup / Restore Program. echo. echo Press 1 to CREATE a backup. echo Press 2 to RESTORE a backup. choice /c:123 /n Press 3 to EXIT. if errorlevel 3 goto EXIT if errorlevel 2 goto RESTORE if errorlevel 1 goto CREATE goto MENU :CREATE cls echo. echo This program will only store ONE copy of your Windows Registry. echo Any older copies that may exist in the C:oldreg folder will be replaced. echo If the C:oldreg folder does not already exist, it will be created. echo. echo Press 1 to continue with the Backup. echo Press 2 to return to the MENU. choice /c:123 /n Press 3 to EXIT. if errorlevel 3 goto EXIT if errorlevel 2 goto MENU if errorlevel 1 goto DOCREATE goto EXIT :DOCREATE c: mdoldreg cdoldreg attrib -a -r -h -s c:windowssystem.dat attrib -a -r -h -s c:windowsuser.dat copy c:windowssystem.dat c:oldregsystem.dat /v /-y copy c:windowsuser.dat c:oldreguser.dat /v /-y if exist c:oldregsystem.dat goto VERIFY2 echo. echo Copy of SYSTEM.DAT NOT CONFIRMED. THIS BACKUP HAS FAILED. echo This may happen if Windows has been installed to a folder other than C:Windows. goto EXIT :VERIFY2 if not exist c:oldreguser.dat goto FAILED echo. echo Copies of System.dat and User.dat confirmed. Exiting program... goto EXIT :FAILED echo. echo Copy of USER.DAT NOT CONFIRMED. THIS BACKUP HAS FAILED. echo This may happen if Windows has been installed to a folder other than C:Windows. goto EXIT :RESTORE echo. echo. echo WARNING - You should only Restore this copy of your Registry if you are echo experiencing problems. echo. echo Press 1 to return to the MENU. echo Press 2 to start RESTORE. choice /c:123 /n Press 3 to EXIT. if errorlevel 3 goto EXIT if errorlevel 2 goto RESTORE2 if errorlevel 1 goto MENU goto EXIT :RESTORE2 c: cdoldreg if not exist c:oldregsystem.dat goto MISSING if not exist c:oldreguser.dat goto MISSING echo. echo You will be prompted to confirm that you which to replace your 2 current echo Registry files with their backup copies. echo. echo Enter Y (and press Enter) to confirm if you are sure you wish to restore them. echo. attrib -a -r -h -s c:windowssystem.dat attrib -a -r -h -s c:windowsuser.dat copy c:oldregsystem.dat c:windowssystem.dat /v /-y copy c:oldreguser.dat c:windowsuser.dat /v /-y echo. echo Restore Finished. goto EXIT :MISSING echo. echo One or more of your 2 backup files are missing, or have been moved or renamed. echo Restore Aborted! echo. :EXIT echo. echo. echo You may close this window now. rem END OF PROGRAM. _________________________________ FINISH. END your selection in a blank spot ABOVE this line, release the mouse button, then RIGHT-CLICK on the selected text, select COPY to move this data into memory (see the picture ABOVE for the copy proceedure).
	OK. So you now have the text of the DOS program sitting in memory, but you can't run it yet, it needs to be saved onto that Floppy Disc we've already organised. Insert the Floppy Disc. You now need to run a Text Editing Program, which you WILL have, as they come as standard accessories in Windows. Click your START button, point to Programs, then Accessories, and see if you can find either Notepad or Wordpad or Write (people with WORD can use WORD on a NEW document instead). Make certain that you are using a BLANK document. Right-Click the document space, and select PASTE (or refer to the picture ABOVE). Viola - the DOS program has jumped from your memory, into the Document. Scroll through the document. Specifically, make certain that it STARTS with the line: :MENU and that it ENDS with the line: rem END OF PROGRAM. If any other instruction lines have slipped in either before, or after these points, delete them (it's very easy to accidentally select and copy a lot more than you want). Now the last bit in finishing the Floppy Disc. We Save the document onto the Floppy Disc. Study the picture to the Left. Using the mouse, select File, Save As. In the Save box that appears, ensure that you select Drive A: as the destination, and that you name the file AUTOEXEC.BAT TAKE SPECIAL CARE to ensure that you save it to drive A: . If you save it to Drive C: you might upset other programs, such as virus checkers that you may have installed, as these are often started from another Autoexec.bat file which is stored on C: You must not overwrite the copy of Autoexec.bat on C: Autoexec.bat is a special filename. Whenever a computer starts it will search for a copy of Autoexec.bat (among other things), and (depending on many aspects of your system) might run the program automatically for you. (NOTE: If you can't find either Notepad or Wordpad or Write, you can install them using your original Windows media. The sequence is : Start Button, Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs, Windows Setup Tab, Accessories, Details Button, Wordpad (ensure it is ticked), OK button).

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