Registry problem!!

Darth Henry

i've a big problem with my computer, windows 95.

its a registry problem.

all i can get as far as is http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;132064

does anyone have any idea what i can do?

dahamsta

Well, you could start by explaining the actual problem?

Darth Henry

dahamsta wrote:

Well, you could start by explaining the actual problem?

what i get when i try to start up the computer is:

"Windows has encountered an error accessing the system registry. You should restore the registry now and restart the computer.

If you ignore this error and shut down your system, you may lose data.

Restoring the registry replaces the faulty registry with a known good backup copy. However, this backup copy may not contain all the information recently added to your system."


i tried whats on http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;131431

i got If you receive an "Unable to open registry" or "Error accessing the registry" error message when you attempt to import the System.dat portion of the registry, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base for more information about the error message:
132064 Regedit May Not Be Able to Import Registry with Large Keys

which is at http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;132064

i'm stuck now. hope that explains things.

jor el

Did you try what's in the sections 'Using System.da0' and 'Using System.1st' in that?
If they don't work then your registry and all it's backups are all fubar, then your only choice is to re-install I'd guess.

Darth Henry

jor el wrote:

Did you try what's in the sections 'Using System.da0' and 'Using System.1st' in that?
If they don't work then your registry and all it's backups are all fubar, then your only choice is to re-install I'd guess.

can someone tell me, if i re-install do i lose everything?

DoesNotCompute

Don't think so. I think Win95 just "repairs" your OS when you install... That is to say that it replaces all the system files and registry information with the default stuff, but it won't destroy your user profile information or settings...

dahamsta

Darth Henry wrote:

can someone tell me, if i re-install do i lose everything?

Depends on how you go about it. If you skip the disk formatting steps then Windows will just be installed into another directory and you'll lose your settings for everything, but not your data. Reinstalling many (but certainly not all) of your applications will recover your settings there.

However it's worth trying a recover before you do this. If you bought from Dell or suchlike, you should have a recovery disk and instructions for using it. If you didn't you'll need to plop the Windows CD in and follow the prompts, keeping an eye out for "recovery" or "repair" or suchlike.

adam

MazdaMan

Remove the windows directory from the command prompt in Dos. Deltree Windows will be the command to do this. (e.g C:\Deltree Windows) This will delete the whole windows directory but leave any personal Data on the Hard drive.

Then reinstall Win95 from the command prompt. You will not lose any personal data.

However some programs will have to be re-installed so that they are correctly registered in Windows. You will also have to re-install any drivers for devices on the PC.

Bogger77

Just run the setup from the boot cd, if they deltree the windows directory in win95, they'll delete the profiles directory and desktop.

Just run the setup, and install into the directory where windows is already. Worst that could happen is that you'll have to reinstall some programs. But most things should be ok.

Capt'n Midnight

Do not delete the windows folder - boot into dos mode and rename it instead - and only if ALL else fails.
The windows 95 CD is not bootable.
Windows 95 inherits as many bad settings on a reinstall as it fixes.

On boot up press F8 and choose command prompt.
now type in DOSSTART (this should load the CDROM drivers, but it won't cos no-one ever bothered to install it properly. )

as per the license handbook that came with 95 (you do have a license ?)
CD C:\Windows
attrib *.* - r -a -s -h
DIR *.DA?
you should now see system.da0 etc.
edit system.dat
find PRODUCTID - you will see the current serial number which you will need for a reinstall.


from previous experiance they will be as broken as the .DAT versions.

If you by some chance the cd drivers load then
copy \win95 c:\win95 - copy the install files off the CD.
Get hold of a win 98 boot disk as it will be able to see the CD to do this

then run setup from the local folder on the HDD - 95 had a nasty habit of disableing the CD drivers half way through the install and then go looking for the CD to get them...

If asked during the install to overwrite files say NO. this should keep apps working - if this does not sort out the problem - reinstall again and this time say YES to overwrite all files (back to 0)

if that don't work then rename C:\windows *.old and re install - NB you will have to reinstall all applications again with a bit of luck the will use the settings in program files (if those settings are broken - the won't get fixed)

when 95 is installed find on the CD or microsoft site ERU and run it to make a recovery disk so the next time the reg dies you can recover it.

Think of the registry as a copy protect mechanism and you realise why it is so brittle and unforgiving.

Darth Henry

i cant find the boot disk or recovery disk, dont think i have them.

is there any way of getting a recovery disk for windows 95?

(apart from eBay)

Capt'n Midnight

You should have a cert of authenticity and either ~14 floppy disks or a windows 95 CD or in some of the OEM PC's they gave NO MEDIA you had a program to make the disks (which you had to buy yourself)
Note: the CD is not bootable.

If it was an OEM preinstall you should have most of the files (missing setup.exe and a few others) in c:\windows\options\cabs

If you can get to a reg error you can press F8 and start up in command mode to access files on the CD (once you load the cd drivers)

To stop windows loading up every time make a file called win.bat in the root directory.

copy con c:\win.bat
@echo hello from %0
^Z

the ^Z means Crtl + Z