HOLD ON... http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q221512
There is a utility called scanreg that should be on your hard drive. It comes with Windows 98. I have included a MS KB article that describes how to repair or revert to older registries. Sometimes this works. Feel free to tap me for help offline. Nerd From Hell [EMAIL PROTECTED] SUMMARY This article describes how to restore a backup copy of the Windows 98 or Windows Millennium Edition (Me) registry. MORE INFORMATION Under normal circumstances, Windows 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 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: Start your computer, press and hold CTRL, and then choose Safe Mode Command Prompt Only from the Windows 98 Startup menu. If you are running Windows Me, start your computer with the startup disk. At the MS-DOS prompt, type cd\windows\command , and then press ENTER. Where windows is the name of the folder in which Windows is installed. At the C: prompt, type scanreg /restore , and then press ENTER. Select the previous registry you want to restore, and then press ENTER. NOTE : A properly working registry has the word "Started" next to the date. When you receive notification that you restored a properly working registry, press ENTER to restart your computer. > -----Original Message----- > From: The Fool [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2002 2:55 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: Irregulars Question -- Win 98 Registry Problem > > > ---------- > > From: Ronn Blankenship > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: Brin-L <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Subject: Irregulars Question -- Win 98 Registry Problem > > Date: Thursday, February 14, 2002 4:31 PM > > > > Hi, you experts . . . > > > > Over the weekend, my Win 98 machine refused to boot. It reported a > > registry problem, and SCANREG did not fix it. A friend of > mine locally > who > > does this kind of thing for a living said I needed to > reinstall Win 98 > to > > correct the problem. Numerous attempts to reinstall it > from the .CAB > files > > in the C:\WIN98 directory to the C:\WINDOWS directory all > resulted in > the > > message: > > > > "Message SU995028 > > Setup encountered an error while creating registry keys. If the > problem > > persists, you will not be able to upgrade but should > install Windows 98 > to > > a new directory. (0x13a4)" > > > > Finally, I took its advice and created a new directory and > installed it > > > there. Not only does that mean that I will have to > reinstall all the > > software before it can work, but for some reason it cannot > find any of > the > > proper drivers: for example, it refuses to let the monitor show > anything > > but 16 colors, 640x480 resolution. > > > > What I would like to do, of course, is to get back to where > I was last > week > > or so, without the impending registry problem. I have exhausted my > store > > of ideas on what to try (and my friend is not currently > available and I > > > don't want to keep bothering him for free advice, anyway), > so I got my > old > > Win 95 machine running (or at least walking) so I could ask > for help. > > > > Is there some way I can do something like copy the registry > file from > the > > new directory into the old C:\WINDOWS directory, then try > reinstalling > > there again with any hope of success? Or is there > something else I can > try? > > > > Thanks, > > Do you have any backups you have made in the past? Look for a backup > file System.da0 . > > You can move the registry from your temporary installation > into your old > installation but you will encounter problems. > > 1 wipe the new installation. > > 2 rename the old windows directory winold (move windows winold). > > 3 reinstall from cd, with the directory windows > > 4 copy system.dat and user.dat to another directory. > > 5 move windows winnew > > 6 move winold windows > > 7 backup / rename your current registry files > > 8 copy the new system.dat file into the windows directory > > you _Will_ lose installation information about everything that was > previously installed on your computer, but by this point you > are screwed > anyway. > > Need more information about the video problem. What did you > do to try to > change the mode? What video card do you have? What drivers have you > installed for this video card? Windows doesn't always > magically have a > driver for everything, they have to be installed from the > vendors disks, > etc. > >
