Error Message: Restore Operation Failed

ID: Q220878

The information in this article applies to:

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to manually restore a previous copy of your computer registry using the scanreg command with the /restore switch (scanreg /restore), you may receive the following error message:

Restore Operation Failed


RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, manually restore the registry files:

NOTE: The following procedure may also be useful if you want to restore a registry that does not appear in the Scanreg tool. This occurs because you can use the Scanreg.ini file to save more that five backups, but Scanreg only displays the five oldest registries. You can also use this method to install a backup registry that does not appear in Scanreg.

  1. Restart your computer, press and hold CTRL until the Windows 98 Startup Menu appears, and then choose Safe Mode Command Prompt Only.


  2. At the command prompt, type path=c:\windows\command, and then press ENTER.


  3. At the command prompt, type the following commands, pressing ENTER after each command:

    cd windows\sysbckup
    md temp
    dir rb*.cab


  4. In the list of .cab files that start with "rb" (such as Rb000.cab), note the name and date of the newest file, the second newest file, and the third newest file.


  5. At the command prompt, type the following commands, pressing ENTER after each command:

    copy rb .cab file name c:\windows\sysbckup\temp
    cd temp
    extract /e rb .cab file name *.*
    attrib -r -s -h *.dat
    cd \windows
    attrib -r -s -h user.dat
    attrib -r -s -h system.dat
    ren system.dat *.xxx
    ren user.dat *.xxx
    ren system.ini *.yyy
    ren win.ini *.xxx
    copy c:\windows\sysbckup\temp\*.*

    where rb .cab file name is the name of the newest .cab file you noted in step 4.


  6. Restart your computer.


  7. Test to determine if the issue is resolved, and if it is not, repeat this process, but in step 5, change to the second newest file instead of the newest file. If this does not resolve the issue, repeat this process, but in step 5, change to the third newest file.



MORE INFORMATION

Note that when the scanreg command with the /restore switch does not work correctly, the .cab file you are attempting to restore is damaged. If this procedure does not work correctly the first time, Microsoft recommends backing up all remaining .cab files before attempting it again.

Additional query words: 


Keywords          : kberrmsg win98 
Version           : WINDOWS:
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: July 8, 1999