How to Manually Restore the Windows 98 Registry

ID: Q221512

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

This article describes how to restore a backup copy of the Windows 98 registry.


MORE INFORMATION

Under normal circumstances, Windows 98 is capable of detecting and recovering from registry errors automatically. If Windows is incapable of this, a previous copy of the registry can be restored manually. Windows 98 makes and stores a backup of the registry when you start your computer successfully each day. By default, five previous copies or the registry are stored. To restore one of these previous copies:

  1. Start your computer, press and hold CTRL, and then choose Safe Mode Command Prompt Only from the Windows 98 Startup menu.


  2. At the MS-DOS prompt, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after you type each line
    cd\windows\command
    scanreg /restore
    where <windows> is the name of the folder in which Windows is installed.


  3. Select the previous registry you want to restore, and then press ENTER.


    4. NOTE: A properly working registry has the word "Started" next to the date.

  4. When you receive notification that you restored a properly working registry, press ENTER to restart your computer.



REFERENCES

For additional information about the Windows Registry Checker Tool, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q183887 Description of the Windows Registry Checker Tool (Scanreg.exe)

Additional query words: 98 


Keywords          : kbenv kbtool win98 
Version           : WINDOWS:
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: June 1, 1999