Registry Information Page

What do you do before you go to Start->Run and type regedit ? I have learned that it is important to backup the registry before tinkering with it.

Windows 98 ensures that backups are automatically made daily at startup. They reside in a hidden folder at C:\Windows\Sysbckup and are in the form of .cab files. Restoring is easy just go to Start->Shutdown->"Restart in Ms-Dos mode". At the C:\Windows prompt type scanreg /restore. The registry that was currently running will be backed up and then a list of the 5 previous backups will be presented. Registries that have been successfully ran will have the word "Started" printed next to them.

To restore select the dated backup you wish to Restore. Scanreg will check it for errors and if none are found you will be prompted to Restore. Windows will then reboot. If the registry backup is bad then scanreg will abort and reboot using the registry you were using prior to booting to  Ms-Dos.

Making Backups, in addition to the one that is automatically made, is   simple. Go to Start->Run and type scanregw. This will launch the Windows Registry Checker. You will be asked if you wish to make another backup. If you choose Yes it will be stored as a .cab file under C:\Windows\Sysbckup

I'm certainly not a tech and my experience is very limited with respect to the system registry. Please follow the links to gain more insight into the system registry.

*new*"ActiveWindows - Windows Registry" a ton of tips and tweaks for the registry as well as information about what the registry is and how it works. If you are new to working with the registry click here as this is a great starting point.

*new*The Windows Registry Guide - Part of a series of learning guides. Vist the author's homepage here http://srana.virtualave.net/index.htm

Windows 98 Annoyances is the most complete collection of information assembled for and by actual users of Windows 98. This link takes you to their resource page on Registry Tips.

RegEdit : Windows Registry Guide  here you will find tips, tricks and tweaks for getting the most out of Windows. You can also download a Helpfile of this sites registry tips and tweaks from here RegEdit.com Windows Registry Guide

The Windows 98 Registry: A Survival Guide for Users by John Woram. Download this excellent guide to Tweakui and the registry.

Microsoft Technical Support Knowledge Base I entered the product as Windows 98 and searched for registry. I received 189 hits in the Knowledge Base. Perhaps there is something here for you.

WinRescue check this info on this page and download a copy of this excellent system recovery tool. It's all that scanreg should be!

Backing Up the Registry - James Liles adds some interesting information to making registry backups. This is also found on the Newsgroup Archives page.

*new*"User Options and the Windows Registry" a page from EONS.COM gives great and easy to understand information about the Windows 95/98 registry complete with a number of useful tips and hacks.

Jim Eshelman's Page of Registry Patches - several great patches for Windows 9x through to Windows XP problems.