by M.L. Giggleman
The Windows 95/98 Registry
Since last month’s article, I received a lot of e-mail about the Registry and how to back it up. I recommend using the freeware program PPP-Boost. It has a Registry backup and restore feature that is very straightforward and accurate. For those familiar with batch files, I would recommend the manual method incorporated into a batch file.
I would like to make a correction on the web address for C3 Systems, creators of PPP-Boost, and thank all of the readers who notified me of the error. The correct address to download PPP-Boost is: http://www.demonweb.co.uk/c3sys/ppp.htm
What is the Registry?
The Registry is a database that stores most of the configuration information (hardware, software, user preferences, etc.) for Windows 95/98. It is so vital that if it is corrupt, Windows may not run at all.
The Registry consists of two local files, System.dat and User.dat. System.dat contains information on software and hardware settings and is located in the Windows folder. User.dat contains user-specified configurations for the GUI and shell. It is located in the Windows folder unless the system is set up for multiple users, in which case each user will have a separate User.dat file located in Windows\Profiles\username (where username is the name of the user).
To be accurate, a third file, Config.pol, may be a part of the Registry, but is not a required component as are System.dat and User.dat. Config.pol is stored on a network file server and downloaded when the user logs on to the network. Settings in this file can override settings in System.dat and User.dat.
Windows 95/98 creates a single set of backups each time it starts. These are saved as System.da0 and User.da0 in the Windows folder.
Registry Backup: Manual Method (MS-DOS Prompt)
To backup, restart the computer. When you see the “Starting Windows 95/98” message, press the F8 key. Choose “Safe Mode Command Prompt Only” from the Startup menu.
At the command prompt, enter the following commands:
** missed drop char **cd \windows
attrib -r -h -s system.dat
attrib -r -h -s user.dat
copy system.dat system.001
copy user.dat user.001
** missed drop char **Restart the computer for the changes to take effect. The first line changes to the correct directory for the Registry files (using the default installation). The second and third line remove the protective “attributes” from the files so they may be copied. The last two lines copy the files. In this example, copies of the Registry are saved as System.001 and User.001, but the names may be anything meaningful to you.
Much of this information is documented by Microsoft Technical Support, in Article ID Q132332, “How to back up the Registry”, which contains step-by-step instructions and references to related articles. It is available at: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q132/3/32.asp
Registry Backup: Windows 95/98 Registry Editor (REGEDIT)
Run Regedit.exe from the Windows 95/98 Start menu by selecting Run and typing in Regedit. Select Registry, then Export Registry File. Select a folder to store the backup by double-clicking. Type in a name in the File Name box. Click on Save and then Exit.
Registry Backup: Microsoft's Configuration Backup (CFGBK) Utility
Windows 95/98 ships with a utility, Cfgbk.exe, to backup and restore the Registry. The contents of System.dat and User.dat are compressed and stored in one file, Regbackx.rbk, located in the Windows folder. The “x” is the number of the backup. There is also a file, RegBack.ini, that saves information for a maximum of nine of these backup files.
If you have the Windows 95/98 CD-ROM, it is located in the Other\Misc folder. It is also available from Microsoft at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows95/info/cdextras.htm
A Bug in Cfgbk.exe
Microsoft has acknowledged a bug exists and does not recommend using Cfgback.exe to restore the Registry. See Article ID Q142572, “Configuration Backup Tool Does Not Restore All Settings” at: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q142/5/72.asp
They recommend either using the manual method referenced in Article ID Q132332 or the Microsoft Emergency Recovery Utility (Eru.exe) utility (see below).
Registry Backup: Microsoft’s Emergency Recovery Utility (ERU.exe)
This utility creates a backup of the system configuration and Registry files. Files backed up are: Config.sys, Autoexec.bat, Win.ini, System.ini, Protocol.ini, User.dat, System.dat, Io.sys, Msdos.Sys, Command.com and Explorer.exe. In the File List screen is a Custom button that allows you to select only certain files for backup, if desired. This utility is referenced in Article ID Q139437, “Windows 95 Emergency Recovery Utility”, at: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q139/4/37.asp
The Emergency Recovery Utility is available for download at: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/download/eruzip.exe
If you have the Windows 95 CD-ROM, it is located in the Other\Misc\ERU folder.
There Are Problems With Eru.exe, Too...
Microsoft has documented (Article ID Q141014) that ERU can stop without any warning or error message if any of the first ten files listed above are missing. They suggest verifying the files exist on the hard disk before running Eru.exe.
Another problem stems from the fact that the System.dat file is very large. If you were to attempt to back the files up to a location with limited space, such as a diskette, the Eru utility skips the largest file (System.dat), backs up the remainder of the files, and exits, without warning you of the critical omission. To verify all files were copied, you must go to the Files To Be Saved listing, click on the Custom button. You will see a list of files with check boxes. Only the files with checks were backed up. If disk space was limited, System.dat will not be checked or backed up. Microsoft documents this in Article ID Q169080.
Windows 3.x FreeCell “Cheat”
HAL-PC member Bob Batts e-mailed to say the FreeCell “cheat” published last month also works in the Windows 3.1 version of FreeCell. To recap, the cheat is to use Ctrl+Shift+F10, choose “abort”, then click on any card to have the game tallied as a win. In addition, he said, “The other way to get out of trouble in Windows 3.1 is to left click outside of the FreeCell windows. This doesn’t get you a win, but you’re not charged with a loss either”.
Bob also provided an interesting site for weather and tropical storm monitoring: http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/gomap.shtml
You can monitor reports from various buoys in the Gulf — Bob recommends buoy 42002!
While on the subject of weather and tropical storms, a good site to use when following specific storms is the StormTrack system, which receives weather data from the National Weather Service via satellite. An entry is created for every tropical depression, storm, or hurricane as soon as the NWS begins issuing advisories. You can also view hurricane plots from 1886 through 1997. Check out their site at:
http://hurricane.terrapin.com/
Finally, CNN offers an interesting trip through a hurricane via VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) at this location: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/multimedia/vrml/hurricane/
You will need to download a plug-in, available there. Minimum hardware requirements are a Pentium 133, although a Pentium II is recommended. The Virtual Hurricane is part of CNN_s Media Showcase, a site featuring a variety of 3D/VRML objects for exploration, such as the International Space Station, Hubble Telescope or the Shuttle Discovery. It also features numerous 360-degree panoramas, audio, quizzes and games. This site is located at: http://cnn.com/SPECIALS/multimedia/
WetSock: A System Tray Weather Indicator
I found a handy little program for Windows 95/98 called WetSock. WetSock resides in the System Tray and displays current weather conditions via an icon. A click on the icon retrieves current conditions, and another click shows the entire report. You will be alerted in the event of severe weather warnings.
Since it works over the internet, there are no long distance fees to pay for the weather reports. When you go online, WetSock retrieves information from the nearest weather server using existing Dial-up Networking and TCP/IP settings (see “Requirements” below). It periodically updates the weather reports while you are online. If you do not connect to the internet frequently, you can configure WetSock to dial in, retrieve the information, and hang up.
Requirements
To run WetSock, you must have an Internet connection with an ISP and use a Dial-up Networking connection setup for this connection. WetSock will only work if you are accessing Internet using the Windows Dial-up Networking feature or if you have a direct network connection (via your office LAN, for instance). WetSock will not work with third party PPP or SLIP software for remote Internet access.
Configuring WetSock
Once installation is complete, you will see a new icon in the System Tray (right corner of Task Bar), a sunshine with a red question mark. This indicates WetSock must be configured to your location. Position the cursor on the icon and right-click to bring up the Properties box.
Click on the tab “Location Settings” and scroll up to find the entry for Texas (it defaults to Seattle, WA). Click on the plus sign by Texas and scroll down to select a location. There are five choices for the Houston area. Select the one nearest you, click on OK to save the settings and close the Properties box. The next step is to go online so that WetSock may retrieve current weather information. Once the report has been obtained, the icon will change to reflect current weather conditions. You are now only a click away from current weather reports.
One thing I really liked was, with the exception of setting the location, it was ready to go. Almost every aspect of this program can be configured, but it is not necessary for use. For instance, you may want the WetSock icon to continue to flash during times of severe weather alerts or only until the alert has been read. It could also play a WAV file to alert you, either the default or one of your choosing.
Displaying detailed weather reports
Move the cursor over the WetSock icon and “hover”, and you will see an explanation of the icon and the current temperature.
To display current conditions, left-click on the WetSock icon. The top of the screen will show the date and time the weather report was last retrieved. Below that you will see a listing of current conditions (based on the time and date of report).
Press the Forecast button to show the entire report as received from the weather service. The Warnings! button will appear greyed out unless weather alerts have been issued. The “Update weather information now!” button does just that, retrieves the current report from the weather service.
The program is shareware and requires a modest $12 fee to register. Download the latest version from: http://www.locutuscodeware.com/.
M.L. Giggleman is a HAL-PC member who can be reached at supgigg1@airmail.net.
E-mail me at webmaster@hal-pc.org with any comments you have and tell me what you want to see here.