AIS Restore Problems

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DonZ
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2002 3:10 am

AIS Restore Problems

Post by DonZ »

:cry:

I have done 3 backups to date; C: and D: partitions plus emergency backup. They were completed in the same above sequence. The backup media was InCD formatted CD-RW disks. Finally, when I did the C: backup, I requested that the Registry also be backed up.

After I completed the emergency backup, I created the AIS enhanced Win start-up diskette following the procedures indicated in your user manual.
Note: I did not create or modify this diskette after C: or D: partition backups.

I restored my C: partition using the "delete existing folder files" option using the above C: backup. All went fine. At the end of the backup, it informed me to reboot using the above created startup diskette. I then rebooted and selected the option to Restore Registry. I then received an error message saying "registry not found".

Since I have restored the Registry in the past, I didn't panic but just did it by running scanreg /restore from the recently restored windows folder.

Why didn't the startup diskette do this? Should I always update the diskette when I do a C: partiton backup? I don't recall AISBackup prompting me to do this.

Additionally, after this restore, the AISBackup folder was back to the state it was at the time the backup. I lost all my D: and emergency backup database data. I would expect the backup to be "smart" enough to retain this data; especially the D: partition backup data. :?:
Barry
Site Admin
Posts: 1529
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2002 3:16 pm

Post by Barry »

Hi Don

This answer is based on running Windows 95, 98 or ME.

The registry is backed up if you backup the whole of C:\Windows or more correctly the files c:\windows\system.dat and c:\windows\user.dat. If you are using family logon the ‘User’ portion of the registry is in the folder c:\windows\profiles\username\user.dat.

These files cannot be restored during a Windows session so must be restored via a DOS session. AISBackup restores the registry to the ‘Temporary Location for Restored Files’ folder, this by default is C:\AISRSTR (see Tools / Program Options / File Locations).

The registry files should therefore be in the c:\AISRSTR after phase one the restore. In-use files are also written to this folder. Here is the c:\aisrstr\restore.bat file after restoring the registry.

Code: Select all

@Echo off
REM This file is used to restore Windows Registry files
Echo Restoring: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.DAT
Attrib C:\AISRSTR\S97\A2292\SYSTEM.DAT -R -H 
Attrib C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.DAT -R -H 
Copy C:\AISRSTR\S97\A2292\SYSTEM.DAT C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.DAT > nul
Attrib C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.DAT +H +R
Echo Restoring: C:\WINDOWS\PROFILES\BARRY\USER.DAT
Attrib C:\AISRSTR\S97\A2292\USER.DAT -R -H 
Attrib C:\WINDOWS\PROFILES\BARRY\USER.DAT -R -H 
Copy C:\AISRSTR\S97\A2292\USER.DAT C:\WINDOWS\PROFILES\BARRY\USER.DAT > nul
Attrib C:\WINDOWS\PROFILES\BARRY\USER.DAT +H +R
Ren c:\AISRSTR\RestReg.tod RestReg.don > nul
echo ****************************************
echo *                                      *
echo *   Remove the Windows Boot Diskette   *
echo *   then press CTRL, ALT & DELETE to   *
echo *    re-boot and finish the restore    *
echo *                                      *
echo ****************************************
Can you check the following please:
  • 1/ The files system.dat and user.dat are on the backup. You may quickly find these files by using the Find option on the restore form.

    2/ Backup (to keep things current) then change the windows desktop picture (to force a registry change) then restore c:\windows from the latest backup session. After the restore check that c:\aisrstr contains the registry files and that restore.bat contains the appropriate copy instructions (start notepad then drag and drop restore.bat onto notepad).

    3/ re-boot with the AISBackup start-up diskette and try the AIS Restore Registry option again.
Please let us know if this works okay.

The missing AISBackup Backup Contents files:

As you found out AISBackup can restore a PC back to a date, this includes the AISBackup database files (if they are selected). All is not lost because a copy of the Backup Contents File is also kept on the last backup media used. To restore the latest version of the Backup Contents File use the Manage Backup / Import Backup Contents File option. If the backup does not exist (the D drive backup may not be in the list any more) use the Tools / Load Script From Backup option instead.

I think you have a fair point and we should display a warning if you are about to restore the AISBackup database files. We should also give an option to de-select this folder. What do you think?

Barry
DonZ
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Dec 28, 2002 3:10 am

AISBackup Restore Problems

Post by DonZ »

Barry,

I should have looked in my C: backup log file first. Here's what it shows:

DT37617.5817715278 INF CDriveBackup Restore From: [CBACKUP01] on Friday, December 27, 2002 1:57:45 PM
DT37617.5892996528 INF CDriveBackup Restore From: [CBACKUP02] on Friday, December 27, 2002 2:08:35 PM
DT37617.5946605324 ERR CDriveBackup Error Restoring: C:\WINDOWS\Profiles\Default\USER.DAT from F:\CDriveBackup_105.zip
DT37617.5946612269 ERR CDriveBackup Error Restoring: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM.DAT from F:\CDriveBackup_105.zip
DT37617.5946612269 ERR CDriveBackup Error Restoring: C:\WINDOWS\USER.DAT from F:\CDriveBackup_105.zip
DT37617.5946612269 RESERR CDriveBackup 3 file(s) could not be restored.
DT37617.5946618056 ENDRSTR CDriveBackup Phase One Of The Restore Ended: Friday, December 27, 2002 2:16:18 PM

This explains why there is no C:\AISRSTR folder.

Now the question is why did it have a problem restoring the 105.zip file?
I verified the backup CD-RW disks using Nero's CD Speed Quality and Scandisk utilities. I also ran AISBackup's file verification option prior to restore. No problems registered on all checks. Finally, when I ran scanreg /restore, the normal 5 Registry backups where present. Two of them looked corrupted; they were prefixed by "starting" on two of them.
The fact that the Registry entries existed and were dated from the time of the prior C: backup indicates to me that both user.dat and system.dat were at least partially restored?

Presently, my PC appears fine. Also no strange boot messages appeared after the first boot after the restore.

Now I did notice that user.dat files both exist in C:\windows and C:\windows\profiles folders. The one in the profiles folder is an old one dated 10\2\2002. It is possible that I had activated Family Logon one time in the past in error and had deactived it. I also had AVG 6.0 virus checker active at the time of the restore.

So, any ideas on what went wrong?

My suggestion on the Backup Contents File is that the software should save the existing contents prior to restore in your prior mentioned C:\AISRSTR temp folder. Then the user should be given an option during restore if they want the Backup Contents File to remain as it was prior to restore. Then the software should update the restored Backup Contents File with the corresponding data store in the temp folder if they indicated they want the prior to restore info retained.
Barry
Site Admin
Posts: 1529
Joined: Tue Aug 20, 2002 3:16 pm

Post by Barry »

Hi Don,

Unfortunately in-use files, including the registry are not restored when 'Delete all files in existing path prior to restore' option if used. This will be fixed in the next version of AISBackup.

There is potentially a problem when using when using the 'Delete all files in existing path prior to restore' option when restoring the Operating system, that is Windows may crash if it cannot find part of itself during the Restore process.

The best way to restore Windows or any folders back to a specified date is documented on this web-page:

http://www.aiscl.co.uk/RestoreS2.htm

We will put a warning in the next version of AISBackup when the Operating System or backup destinations that AISBackup knows about are included in the 'Delete all files in existing path prior to restore'.

Barry
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