Error Message: Error Backing Up the System Registry

• Microsoft Windows 95
• Microsoft Windows 98

SYMPTOMS

When you start Windows, you may receive the following error message:

Windows encountered an error while backing up the system registry. Make sure you have enough space on the drive for three copies of the file c:\windows\user.dat. This error should not cause any loss of information, but if space is not made on the drive you may experience additional problems.

CAUSE

This error can occur for either of the following reasons:

• There is not enough free space on the hard disk containing Windows 95.



• A damaged driver is being loaded from the Config.sys or Autoexec.bat file.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use the appropriate method:

• Free additional space on the hard disk containing Windows.



• Identify which driver is causing the problem. To do so, follow these steps:
  
  
  1. Restart the computer. For Windows 95, when you see the "Starting Windows 95" message, press the F8 key, and then choose Step-By-Step Confirmation from the Startup menu.
     
     For Windows 98, restart the computer. As the computer starts, press and hold down the CTRL key until you see the Windows 98 Startup Menu, and then choose Step-By-Step Confirmation.
  
  
  
  2. Press Y at each prompt except for the "Process your startup device drivers (Config.sys)" and "Process your startup command file (Autoexec.bat)" prompts.
  
  
  
  If the error message no longer occurs, the problem is with a driver being loaded from the Config.sys or Autoexec.bat file. To determine if the problem driver is being loaded from the Config.sys file, repeat steps 1-2, but press Y at the "Process your startup device drivers (Config.sys)" prompt. If the problem returns, a driver being loaded in the Config.sys file is damaged. If the problem does not occur, repeat steps 1-2 again, but press Y at the "Process your startup command file (Autoexec.bat)" prompt. Once you identify the driver that is causing the problem, contact the driver's manufacturer for assistance, or reload the driver from the original disk.

MORE INFORMATION

The following drivers, when damaged, are known to cause the error message stated above:

• Cs.exe (loads in the Config.sys file)

Additional query words: corrupted 3

Keywords          : kb3rdparty kberrmsg diskmem win95 win98 
Version           : 95
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb 

Last Reviewed: January 28, 1999