[duffy98]

Jump to the how-to procedure, at post #27!

A brief mention of using System Restore in Windows 98 was made in the topic "Problems with 98FE" ... I thought I would separate it and start a new topic dealing with getting System Restore to work in Windows 98SE. I am directing these questions to PROBLEMCHYLD since he said in message #3:

Quote

(loblo) You've got system Restore on 98FE?

(PROBLEMCHYLD) It works on 98SE too!

message #5:

Quote

(CharlesF) I thought that Windows Me was the first OS including System Restore.

(PROBLEMCHYLD) True but it also works on Win98SE.

... PROBLEMCHYLD then proceeded in message #7 to give the steps to install and get the System Restore program to work on Windows 98SE.

message #7:

Quote

copy PCHealth.inf from your WinME cd to C:\Windows\inf

Run this command:

C:\windows\rundll.exe setupx.dll,InstallHinfSection PCHealth.Install 132 C:\WINDOWS\INF\PCHealth.inf

and then replace the patched vxdmon file, then intall 290700usam.exe ... and you are good to go.


The VXD patch is from dencorso he used his downgrade technique and thats how I got it working.
Attached File: VXDMON.zip (16.26K)

.... OK, I have questions ... yesterday I tried the System Restore install ... I actually see a "hidden" Restore folder in C:\ (C:\Restore) and I see a Restore folder in the Windows - System folder but how do I get it to work? ... I see nothing anywhere to start a restore point or to see any "restore points" to go back to when needed. When I was installing 290700usam.exe in the last step ... I was missing 3 files ... one was found in the Windows 98SE cd and the other two I was not able to find in the 98SE or Win ME cd ... so I said "skip" those two files .... they were CHECKSR.BAT and EBDUNDO.EXE . Do you know anything about those two missing files ... anyone else have the same problem when running 290700usam.exe ? When I rebooted my computer, the "hour glass" ran for the longest time (very long) and I rebooted again ... it seemed to be stuck but then I am thinking now ... maybe it was doing a "restore point" for the very first time ... I do have many extra GBs of stuff on my hard drive at present, which I normally do not have, as a rule.

PROBLEMCHYLD ... can you add any more information about how you installed all this, anything about the "missing files" and where do you go to manually run a "restore point" ... either to establish a new one or run one from an earlier date? This is all very interesting. ... thanks

[PROBLEMCHYLD]

You must install every first and the 290700usam.exe
You must have a WinME cd because it has all the files.
Then check your shortcut menu. Should be somewhere in there.

This post has been edited by PROBLEMCHYLD: 23 February 2011 - 11:35 AM

[duffy98]

Yes, I installed everything in the order that you posted. I have this on another computer so I can't check the shortcut menu for now. Is this going to work like System Restore in XP ... I remember seeing several "restore points" to go back to (years ago when I fooled around with XP a little.). I guess those two missing files didn't pop up for you? What do you mean "Shortcut Menu" ... can't quite place where that would be ... do you mean to "right click" with the mouse or the Desktop? ... totally blank for now on that.

This post has been edited by duffy98: 23 February 2011 - 12:05 PM

[PROBLEMCHYLD]

duffy98, on 23 February 2011 - 11:50 AM, said:

Yes, I installed everything in the order that you posted. I have this on another computer so I can't check the shortcut menu for now. Is this going to work like System Restore in XP ... I remember seeing several "restore points" to go back to (years ago when I fooled around with XP a little.). I guess those two missing files didn't pop up for you? What do you mean "Shortcut Menu" ... can't quite place where that would be ... do you mean to "right click" with the mouse or the Desktop? ... totally blank for now on that.

Yes, make sure you use the 290700usam.exe or else it won't work.

[CharlesF]

duffy98, on 23 February 2011 - 10:36 AM, said:

When I rebooted my computer, the "hour glass" ran for the longest time (very long) and I rebooted again ... it seemed to be stuck but then I am thinking now ... maybe it was doing a "restore point" for the very first time

duffy98,

read here in Microsoft Support:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290700 (about the 290700usam.exe), in section RESOLUTION:

When you install this update, a checkpoint is automatically generated.

That could explain a part of your problem .

[duffy98]

CharlesF ... yes, that may be what was going on ... I left the computer go for maybe 6 or 7 minutes and the hour glass was still there ... thought about letting it run longer, to see if the hour glass would finally go away.

I forgot to mention in my first post ... when I ran 290700usam.exe it would not install ... a box appeared saying this was for Windows ME only or not for Windows 98SE, can't remember which ... so I right clicked on 290700usam.exe and set KernelEx to Windows ME and it then installed. I did get the PCHealth.inf from the Windows ME cd. Others, if they are trying SR out must not be having any problems. I'm still wondering where I go if I need to go back to a restore point to fix my computer. Can't find the restore points yet.

[PROBLEMCHYLD]

duffy98, on 23 February 2011 - 10:36 AM, said:

PROBLEMCHYLD ... can you add any more information about how you installed all this, anything about the "missing files" and where do you go to manually run a "restore point" ... either to establish a new one or run one from an earlier date? This is all very interesting. ... thanks

First of all after you have to get pass that missing files error. I have never got that error.
After that, once installed correctly you run a system restore point from the start menu programs.
There is no way system restore will work without 290700usam.exe. I really hope you get it working.
You have to extract 290700usam.exe with 7zip or something because this is an actual WinME file.
And then run the inf file.

This post has been edited by PROBLEMCHYLD: 24 February 2011 - 04:29 PM

[PROBLEMCHYLD]

OK duffy98,

I have receive those errors you were talking about. I don't remember them in the past when I installed or maybe I just ignored them.
It is a setting in the PChealth.inf that ask for the checksr.bat + ebdundo.exe.

Extract the 2 files checksr.bat + ebdundo.exe from Base2.cab. Put them somewhere so when its searches point to them.
Now run the C:\windows\rundll.exe setupx.dll,InstallHinfSection PCHealth.Install 132 C:\WINDOWS\INF\PCHealth.inf.
When the first error comes up press ok, not the skip file option. When its almost done towards the end
it will ask for checksr.bat + ebdundo.exe point to the files. It will install only if you press ok.
Then replace the Vxdmon.vxd file.
Then install 290700usam.exe, extract the file first and run the 290700up.inf.
Restart computer.
The navigate to the start button Programs\Accessories\System Tools\System Restore
and now you are good to go.

[duffy98]

OK ... I will get those two files later today ... as far as 290700usam.exe goes however ... I was using the version from the MS website, not from the ME cd. I thought the MS version was a patched or fixed version only for ME and the better one to use. That's what the information at the MS website is saying. The version from the MS website is 290700usam.exe v4.72.2811.0 ...

This post has been edited by duffy98: 25 February 2011 - 05:16 AM

[PROBLEMCHYLD]

duffy98, on 25 February 2011 - 05:15 AM, said:

OK ... I will get those two files later today ... as far as 290700usam.exe goes however ... I was using the version from the MS website, not from the ME cd. I thought the MS version was a patched or fixed version only for ME and the better one to use. That's what the information at the MS website is saying. The version from the MS website is 290700usam.exe v4.72.2811.0 ...

Yes that the right version. I mean extract 290700usam.exe and inside it is 290700up.inf
because it is for WinME not win98.

[duffy98]

Ok ... I have a question about when you say "run" 290700up.inf ... so I extract "290700up.inf" from 290700usam.exe and then put it in the inf folder in Windows? How would I run 290700up.inf ... just click on it ? ... I usually just put inf files into the inf folder. Sorry to be asking these questions ... just want to get this procedure down ... step by step, in the right order. You didn't mention anything about running 290700up.inf in your first set of instructions and now I am a little confused about exactly what to do.

... also, did you have to use KernelEx on 290700usam.exe to get it to run ... should I also have changed PCHealth.inf to Windows ME with KernelEx ... I just extracted it and put it into the inf folder.

This post has been edited by duffy98: 25 February 2011 - 06:06 AM

[PROBLEMCHYLD]

Installing 290700usam.exe is the last step. Extract it, because it is a WinME file. Some people don't have KernelEX
so you will get an error.
No you don't need KernelEx.
No you don't need to put the 290700up.inf anywhere. Just run it where ever you extracted it.
After you followed all the above instructions you shouldn't have any problems.

This post has been edited by PROBLEMCHYLD: 25 February 2011 - 06:20 AM

[duffy98]

OK PROBLEMCHYLD, you rock ! ... Got everything installed on my test computer and it seems to be 100% OK. I guess those 2 missing files were what was needed to complete the job. The System Restore tab is in Programs \ Accessories \ System Tools \ System Restore. There is one system restore point dated today that was created when I rebooted after installing 290700usam.exe ... the last step. I will wait till tomorrow to see if another restore point will automatically be created or I will do a manual one myself.

When I went to install 290700usam.exe ... a box popped up saying "This update is not for this OS" and it stops ... so I installed KernelEx Final and changed the 290700usam.exe to Windows ME ... then a box pops up saying "This Program Installs the Windows Millennium Edition Q290700 Update. Do you want to continue?"

So I will put this on another computer later. Did you post about all this earlier ... must have missed it. I have searched for years to see if someone had figured out the steps for making System Restore actually work on Windows 98SE. I guess the true test will be when I try to install a restore point later on and see if really works. I will purposely mess up my test computer and see what happens ... I can say so far it looks 100% good ... thanks.

This post has been edited by duffy98: 25 February 2011 - 02:50 PM

[PROBLEMCHYLD]

All credit goes to dencorso, without him patching the vxd file,
we would not be running system restore on Win98SE.
Thanks dencorso.

[duffy98]

OK ... dencorso rocks ! .... thanks

[PROBLEMCHYLD]

duffy98, on 25 February 2011 - 02:48 PM, said:

OK ... dencorso rocks ! .... thanks

Oh wow you took my rock away! just kidding you can actually test your system restore now.
Create a restore point, install a program then restore it back. It worked for me. Glad you got it working.

[submix8c]

Maybe change title to "Solved - Windows 98/98SE System Restore" + "How To From Windows ME CD"?

Would make it "glare out" at "surfers"...

[duffy98]

Well, on my 2nd computer, the SR install was a failure. I have no restore points showing, it will do a restore point but when I go to see what restore points are available it tells me that no restore points have been made since after Saturday December 30, 1899 .... yes, 1899. I put my Ghost backup on and did the SR a second time on a clean machine and everything is still the same, no restore points have been made since Saturday December 30, 1899. I have two more computers that I will work with this weekend, I'll see how SR will install on them. The first computer, an old Toshiba that I use for testing software, is OK ... everything installed perfect and I see the restore point that was created on it's own dated today Feb 25, 2011, not 1899. Oh well, win some, lose some. If anyone else sees 1899 on their computer in the SR program, I'd be interested in hearing about it.

... Yes, I guess we can mark the SR problem solved ... I don't know what the problem is with the one computer.

This post has been edited by duffy98: 25 February 2011 - 08:47 PM

[PROBLEMCHYLD]

duffy98, on 25 February 2011 - 08:44 PM, said:

Well, on my 2nd computer, the SR install was a failure. I have no restore points showing, it will do a restore point but when I go to see what restore points are available it tells me that no restore points have been made since after Saturday December 30, 1899 .... yes, 1899. I put my Ghost backup on and did the SR a second time on a clean machine and everything is still the same, no restore points have been made since Saturday December 30, 1899. I have two more computers that I will work with this weekend, I'll see how SR will install on them. The first computer, an old Toshiba that I use for testing software, is OK ... everything installed perfect and I see the restore point that was created on it's own dated today Feb 25, 2011, not 1899. Oh well, win some, lose some. If anyone else sees 1899 on their computer in the SR program, I'd be interested in hearing about it.

... Yes, I guess we can mark the SR problem solved ... I don't know what the problem is with the one computer.

you have to change the system date and time to the right time and reinstall SR all over again.

[duffy98]

Well I installed SR on my third computer today and it was also a failure ... getting that Dec 30, 1899 date again. I'm not sure if I understand what you are saying about changing the date ... my date and time are correct, that's the first thing I checked in the lower right hand corner. I was hoping that would be the solution, somehow the date was out of sync but the date was just fine and when I do a restore point it will tell me the correct date and time when SR has completed doing the restore point ... that is all just fine but when I ask to see earlier restore points, it tells me there are no restore points available and there are none after Saturday, December 30, 1899. This was a Dell notebook and the other was an IBM Thinkpad that have the crazy 1899 date ... The Toshiba SR setup is just fine ... all computers are set up the same, the company drivers being different I guess ... but I have pretty much the same programs installed on each computer.

This post has been edited by duffy98: 26 February 2011 - 08:33 AM