DR. MAC'S COMPUTER CLINIC
IMPORTANT DISCLOSURE
For those concerned about animals and the ethics of clinical trials :
All medications prescribed by Dr. Mac HAVE been tested on live computers !

Dr. MAC's COMPUTER CLINIC
No. 32

DISASTER RECOVERY PART 2
Bring Your PC Back to Life

Dear Readers

  •   Have you EVER experienced the moment when you tried to boot back into Windows ... and   couldn't ???
  •   Have you EVER experienced your palms sweating and your heart stops beating ... while   you stare at a blank computer screen ? Even worse ... a black screen telling you "Windows   is knackered ... it must be reinstalled"
BE WARNED ... one day it could happen to you ... and more than likely will! This is why you need to back-up regularly AND know about Disaster Recovery!
This is Critically Important :

In the last Clinic we reviewed the ways to prevent disasters by looking after your PC.

We also asked you to make several very important backups on a regular basis.

We showed you how to move your Outlook Express e-mail folder OUT of the Windows folder
.
We told you it is CRITICAL to have a good Windows start-up/boot disk. And it is VITAL that users of Windows 95 download and make their OWN boot disk. The one made on your own computer is useless!

And we also stressed the vital importance of learning how to work in DOS ... and gave you the links to Clinics 13 and 14 where you can learn precisely HOW to do this.

Please make absolutely sure you have mastered ALL of the steps in Clinic 31 before you continue - and that INCLUDES learning how to work in DOS.

What is Disaster Recovery ?

The aim of Disaster Recovery is two-fold :

  • To recover your computer when you can't boot into normal Windows or Safe Mode ... or when your system has become so corrupted that the PC has severe problems that cannot be fixed.

  • To save as much data (files, programs, folders etc) as possible

Formatting your hard drive will certainly get you back into normal Windows again - but you loose everything - absolutely everything! You have to re-install everything again. And I mean everything!

Formatting your hard drive and reinstalling Windows from scratch is NOT, therefore, disaster recovery.

The following methods are intended for Windows 95, 98 and ME.

  • Some of the methods will work with all these versions - some will not.
  • We present these in no particular order of importance - use what you can. If one method doesn't work, try the next. Sometimes you may need to use several methods to bring your PC back to life!
  • All of these methods are used from DOS. After all, if you can't boot into normal Windows or even into Safe Mode, you have no other option BUT to work in DOS! That's why it is VERY IMPORTANT you get familiar with DOS ... BEFORE disaster strikes! Again, the full "how to" is in Clinics 13 and 14
  • And remember ... "Tomorrow" IS too late !

It should also be obvious that you will NOT be able to refer to these directions in DOS ... so PRINT THIS CLINIC OUT.

If you don't have a printer, you will need to write these directions out ... OR see my tip "How to print if you don't have a printer" in Clinic 8

RESTORE YOUR SYSTEM START-UP FILES

  • Make sure your computer is completely turned off.
  • Put in your Windows 95, 98, 98SE or ME start-up disk in the floppy drive.
  • Turn your computer ON using the big On/Off switch
  • You do NOT need CD-ROM support (if given the option)
  • At the "A" command prompt, type : sys C:
  • That is ... the letters "sys" ... followed by ONE space (use your space-bar) ... then type "C" and immediately type a FULL colon (NOT a semi-colon) - it looks like this :
At the "A" command prompt ... type :
sys C:

Now press the "Enter" key
  • Now press the "Enter" (carriage-return) key on your keyboard.
  • You should get a message telling you the system files have been transferred.
  • Take the floppy OUT ... and press Ctrl + Alt + Del to restart your computer.
RESTORE MASTER BOOT RECORD AND CRITICAL FILES
  • As always, make sure your PC is completely powered OFF.
  • Boot your computer using the AVG (Anti-viral Grisoft) boot disk. When asked, remove this and put in the AVG Rescue Disk.
  • If you don't have the AVG boot-up disk (ME owners can't make it) then boot your computer using your Windows boot disk. Again, you do NOT need CD-ROM support.
  • When you get to the "A" command prompt, take the Windows boot-disk out and put in your AVG Rescue Disk
  • When the AVG Rescue disk is in the floppy drive, type : avg at the A command prompt and press the "enter" key on your keyboard (N.B. You do NOT need to do this if you have used the AVG boot-disk first)
  • After the AVG DOS program has loaded, you will see the option to restore critical system files.
  • This facility also restores the MBR - Master Boot Record.
  • When the operation has completed, remove the floppy and press Ctrl + Alt + Del to restart your PC.
 RESTORE YOUR REGISTRY

Sorry ... this technique is not normally available on Windows 95. (But don't be too upset ... make sure you attend the next Clinic for a treatment that is 99.9% guaranteed to raise your PC from the dead!)
  • Make sure your PC is completely off ... insert your Windows start-up/boot disk ... then turn your computer ON using the main On/Off power button.
  • When you get to the "A" command prompt, type : C:
  • That is ... the letter "C" followed immediately by a FULL colon (NOT a semi-colon) ... then press the "enter" (carriage-return) key on your keyboard.
  • You will now see the command prompt has changed to "C"
  • At the "C" command prompt type : cd\windows\command
  • That is, the letters "cd" ... a backwards slash ... the word "windows" ... another backward slash ... and the word "command" ... then press the "enter" (carriage-return) key on your keyboard.
  • Finally, at this new command prompt, type : scanreg /restore
  • That is, the word "scanreg" ... ONE space (use your space-bar) ... a FORWARD slash ... followed immediately by the word "restore" ... then press the "enter" key on your keyboard
  • This is what the three steps look like in DOS ...
Type C: and press "enter"

Type cd\windows\command

Type scanreg /restore

Always press "enter" after each
  • The Windows "Restore Registry" facility will now appear.
  • Use the Up/Down arrows to select a date ... and then the "enter" key to give the command to Restore.
  • When the restore operation has completed ... remove the floppy - hold down Ctrl + Alt - and while holding these down press the Del (Delete) key once to restart your computer.
NOTE : By default, Windows saves the previous 5 Registries. If the most recent date doesn't work, try the Registry from two days ago ... then three days ago.
DO A SCANDISK IN DOS
  • Make sure your PC is completely switched off ... put in your Windows boot-up floppy ... and turn your computer on.
  • When you get to the "A" command prompt, type : scandisk C:
  • That is ... the word "scandisk" ... ONE space (use your space-bar) ... the letter "C" followed immediately by a FULL colon (NOT a semi-colon)
  • Now press the "enter" key on your keyboard.
  • Windows will do a STANDARD SCANDISK in DOS.
  • Along the way, if a problem is found, you may be asked if you want Windows to "fix it" - use your "enter" key to issue the command YES !

When the standard scandisk has completed, you will be given the option to continue with a FULL hard drive scan, or to exit. If you are impatient, select Exit ... remove the boot-up floppy ... and press the three keys (at the same time) Ctrl + Alt + Del to restart your computer.

For a very thorough hard drive check, you need to allow Windows to do a FULL scan.

DO A FULL VIRAL SCAN IN DOS

Yes! A virus could be preventing you from booting into Windows. Please remember, those internet viral scanning services are useless if you can't get into Windows and connect to the internet!

If you use AVG (Anti-viral Grisoft) this is very easy to do.

  • Boot using your AVG boot disk and follow directions.
  • If you need to boot using your Windows boot-disk, at the "A" command prompt, take out the Windows boot disk, pop-in your AVG Rescue disk, type : avg and then press the "enter" key on your keyboard.
  • Select the option to "Clean and Disinfect"
  • When the full scan is completed and any viruses have been disinfected or removed, take out the floppy and hold down Ctrl + Alt + Del to restart your PC.
If you do NOT use AVG, then please make sure you learn how to use your anti-viral software in DOS
There are MANY other Disaster Recovery methods ... and we will be looking at additional techniques in the next Clinic ... but those we have discussed today should help to bring about recovery in many cases.
Ladies and gentlemen ... I cannot stress enough how critical it is to master everything we covered in Clinic 31 - and that includes having a first-class boot disk ... and knowing how to work in DOS.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE revise that Clinic again - even if you think you "know it all" !

Again ... you will NOT be able to read the Recovery steps if you can't get into Windows ... so make sure you print them out ... and keep it next to your boot disks and rescue disks ... where you can find them easily!

More healthy PC medicine at my next Clinic !

With my very best wishes ...

Dr. Mac


Dr. Mac's Computer Clinic

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