Me utility restore and defrag will only partial work?

**Direct Current** · 02-09-2008, 08:02 PM

Hay folks, got a question.
-- Have a computer restore and defrag, will run only half way thru and stop.
--Can I copy the restore and defrag utility from another Me system and place it on the the sys that will not work and get it to run restore and defrag-- correcting my problem -hopefully? Please let me know.

**OldGrayGary** · 02-11-2008, 11:20 AM

Hi Direct Current

As far as System Restore, if you haven't looked through Microsoft's troubleshooter for System Restore yet, have a look --- http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306768 ---

Both System Restore and Disk Defragmenter for WinMe work best in Safe Mode -- so if you've been running them from normal mode, try again in Safe Mode.

I'm not sure that copying the executables for System Restore or Defragmenter from another WinMe system will help any . . . I wouldn't expect that their troubles lie in their executables.

What errors or system problems are you enlisting System Restore's aid for?
. . . Gary

**Direct Current** · 02-11-2008, 08:21 PM

Hay OldGrayGary, How are you me friend? Has far as I can tell they did or seem to have done a little to much TEMPT FILE DELETIONS and have created holes in there system files. I figured that backing up to a early date may bring them files back inline, howsome ever, they also did a defrag, but defrag did not complete its function and stop half way through. So I when ahead and ran restore a few months back only to find restore would also stop. NO error message was indicated on defrag or restore failure. I am somewhat at a lose what to try next to retreave if possible the missing files to get things back in order. I am open for suggestions here. O the system is running to some degree. The Me pack they have is appears to be a piece together Me pack that someone prior jumbled together, from somewhere. Tried looking for a better Me pack to put on there, but that is wishfull thinking or am I going in the wrong directions here?

TheShadowFl · 02-12-2008, 09:07 AM

D.C.,

I've worked on many systems using Windows ME and besides the regular stuff like getting jammed up with temp files and other garbage, it also has one other problem.....

The restore feature only partially works and when you really need it most, it can't or won't work at all.

Tech's for years have turned off that troublesome feature and there's even a nice little utility that I've use for years to turn off Restore.

Anyway, one huge problem is that the Restore program will make new restore points every day and save them to the HD till there is NO free space left. Then, other programs that need HD space, like Defrag, can't run.

I have regularly deleted all those old restore files, to revive an otherwise dead HD and OS. My worse case scenario was a ME PC with over 500,000 restore files on it. It took over a day, in DOS, to delete all those files.

You can't do this in ME however, as it protects those files like a mother hen protecting her chicks.

However, you can manually delete all those files, in DOS, with a Windows ME boot disk with the Deltree.exe program on it.
Here's the command line I use on my own ME utilities Boot Disk.

deltree /y C:\_restore

Then I run the Restore Remover program to totally disable the restore program.

Having a Ghost backup of the C: drive on another drive or DVD works much better, for recovery, when there is a severe HD problem.

That's just my own solution to the problem.
Just a thought.

The Shadow

PS: If you need an ME Utils Disk PM me for info on how to build one for yourself.

**OldGrayGary** · 02-13-2008, 12:19 AM

Hi again

I like Shadow's advice to check your disk space usage: it is true that a restore needs a certain amount of free space available to do its work.
_______________

The procedure given to delete restore points looks like it would work, too: but then - of course - you lose any chance of enlisting the aid of the files contained in the deleted restore points to help with your current system troubles.

Theoretically, the same effect should be effected by turning off System Restore. WinMe is supposed to delete all restore points if System Restore is turned off.
1) Right-click My Computer, and select Properties.
2) On the Performance tab, select File System.
3) On the Troubleshooting tab, select Disable System Restore.
4) Select OK twice, and select Yes when you are prompted to restart the computer.
_______________

You mention Me-packs ... does the system have a Windows Me installation CD available? Or some sort of Recovery Disk?

If there is a Windows Me installation CD available to help with the repair, you could try an "over-the-top" in-place reinstall. This usually repairs operating system file tangles, but leaves most personal data (documents, music, pictures...) and installed programs intact.

If you have access to such a WinME CD, and want to try that procedure, let us know... I can paste in a guide for that (I'd do that right now, but I'm not at my own computer at the moment). . .

Best of luck
. . . Gary

**Direct Current** · 02-14-2008, 06:21 PM

Hay Guys, just got thru copying your advise. Many thinks for the info.
--When you get the chance Gray I would like to have the paste instructions.
--Again many thanks to you--
-----------------------------------------------
**For all thing are possible thru the Lord God and Jesus Christ**

**OldGrayGary** · 02-14-2008, 11:18 PM

Hi again

Hope it all turns out well: here are the "over-the-top" in-place reinstall instructions from a guide I put together a few years ago:
_______________
Windows 98/Me "Over-the-top" Reinstall

Sometimes an over-the-top reinstallation of Windows can be a timesaver. On most recent computers the whole procedure can take as little as 30 or 40 minutes. A nice feature of this procedure is that your programs do not have to be reinstalled, and your data is not lost. You likely will need to visit Windows Update when finished, though, to download and reinstall some of the Security Updates. [Windows Update still works for Windows 98/Me, even though its period of active support by Microsoft expired in mid-2006 (all the updates up to that point can still be found there)].

Beforehand:

You may need to temporarily disable the Bios virus protection that is found on some motherboards (if your motherboard does not have this feature, you can skip this step). Enter Bios Setup by pressing the key displayed during startup, and somewhere on the first or second menu should be an item to Enable or Disable Bios Virus Protection (might be called BiosShield, or VirusGuard, or whatnot) ---> then, when you're finished with your reinstallation of Windows, re-Enable the Bios protection feature.

During the reinstall, it is also a good idea to be entirely disconnected from any networks, wired or wireless (unplug ethernet cables, disable wireless), and to be disconnected from printers, scanners, cameras, multifunction devices, fax machines, PDAs, memory card readers, USB flash drives, external USB/Firewire/eSATA drives, etc.

Over The Top ReInstall:

Place your Windows98/Me CD in the CD/DVD drive (or be ready to point Windows to the place on your hard drive where your Windows 98/Me installation files are stored).

Boot with a bootable floppy or CD - "with CD-rom support", and from DOS rename the win.com file to win.bak. Like this

C:
cd \Windows
rename win.com win.bak

If you have the Windows 98/Me CD in your CD/DVD drive, you can then switch to the drive letter of your CD drive [often drive D:], simply by typing the drive letter followed by a colon ( for example - D: ) at the command prompt.

If you have the Windows 98/Me installation files on your hard drive, switch to that location (which is often C:\Windows\Options\Cabs - by typing cd C:\Windows\Options\Cabs ), and start setup (by simply typing the command: setup)

***Important!*** When Windows asks if you want to use the directory C:\Windows.000, instead choose Other and type in C:\Windows (without the .000 following).

Make sure that you have your antivirus, antispyware, and firewall running before you connect to networks afterward. Don't forget to visit Windows Update ASAP to get the Critical Patches the need reinstalling.
_______________

Best of luck
. . . Gary

02-11-2008, 11:20 AM	#2 (permalink)
OldGrayGary Mentor, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Woodland Hills, CA Posts: 1,979 OS: Windows 98se/2000/XP/Vista	Re: Me utility restore and defrag will only partial work? Hi Direct Current As far as System Restore, if you haven't looked through Microsoft's troubleshooter for System Restore yet, have a look --- http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306768 --- Both System Restore and Disk Defragmenter for WinMe work best in Safe Mode -- so if you've been running them from normal mode, try again in Safe Mode. I'm not sure that copying the executables for System Restore or Defragmenter from another WinMe system will help any . . . I wouldn't expect that their troubles lie in their executables. What errors or system problems are you enlisting System Restore's aid for? . . . Gary __________________

02-12-2008, 09:07 AM	#4 (permalink)
TheShadowFl Retired PC Builder Tech Hardware Team Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Central Florida Posts: 233 OS: XP-SP3, Vista Ult.	Re: Me utility restore and defrag will only partial work? D.C., I've worked on many systems using Windows ME and besides the regular stuff like getting jammed up with temp files and other garbage, it also has one other problem..... The restore feature only partially works and when you really need it most, it can't or won't work at all. Tech's for years have turned off that troublesome feature and there's even a nice little utility that I've use for years to turn off Restore. Anyway, one huge problem is that the Restore program will make new restore points every day and save them to the HD till there is NO free space left. Then, other programs that need HD space, like Defrag, can't run. I have regularly deleted all those old restore files, to revive an otherwise dead HD and OS. My worse case scenario was a ME PC with over 500,000 restore files on it. It took over a day, in DOS, to delete all those files. You can't do this in ME however, as it protects those files like a mother hen protecting her chicks. However, you can manually delete all those files, in DOS, with a Windows ME boot disk with the Deltree.exe program on it. Here's the command line I use on my own ME utilities Boot Disk. deltree /y C:\_restore Then I run the Restore Remover program to totally disable the restore program. Having a Ghost backup of the C: drive on another drive or DVD works much better, for recovery, when there is a severe HD problem. That's just my own solution to the problem. Just a thought. The Shadow PS: If you need an ME Utils Disk PM me for info on how to build one for yourself. __________________ A person with experience is never at the mercy of a person with an argument.

02-13-2008, 12:19 AM	#5 (permalink)
OldGrayGary Mentor, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Woodland Hills, CA Posts: 1,979 OS: Windows 98se/2000/XP/Vista	Re: Me utility restore and defrag will only partial work? Hi again I like Shadow's advice to check your disk space usage: it is true that a restore needs a certain amount of free space available to do its work. _______________ The procedure given to delete restore points looks like it would work, too: but then - of course - you lose any chance of enlisting the aid of the files contained in the deleted restore points to help with your current system troubles. Theoretically, the same effect should be effected by turning off System Restore. WinMe is supposed to delete all restore points if System Restore is turned off. 1) Right-click My Computer, and select Properties. 2) On the Performance tab, select File System. 3) On the Troubleshooting tab, select Disable System Restore. 4) Select OK twice, and select Yes when you are prompted to restart the computer. _______________ You mention Me-packs ... does the system have a Windows Me installation CD available? Or some sort of Recovery Disk? If there is a Windows Me installation CD available to help with the repair, you could try an "over-the-top" in-place reinstall. This usually repairs operating system file tangles, but leaves most personal data (documents, music, pictures...) and installed programs intact. If you have access to such a WinME CD, and want to try that procedure, let us know... I can paste in a guide for that (I'd do that right now, but I'm not at my own computer at the moment). . . Best of luck . . . Gary __________________

02-14-2008, 11:18 PM	#7 (permalink)
OldGrayGary Mentor, Microsoft Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Woodland Hills, CA Posts: 1,979 OS: Windows 98se/2000/XP/Vista	Re: Me utility restore and defrag will only partial work? Hi again Hope it all turns out well: here are the "over-the-top" in-place reinstall instructions from a guide I put together a few years ago: _______________ Windows 98/Me "Over-the-top" Reinstall Sometimes an over-the-top reinstallation of Windows can be a timesaver. On most recent computers the whole procedure can take as little as 30 or 40 minutes. A nice feature of this procedure is that your programs do not have to be reinstalled, and your data is not lost. You likely will need to visit Windows Update when finished, though, to download and reinstall some of the Security Updates. [Windows Update still works for Windows 98/Me, even though its period of active support by Microsoft expired in mid-2006 (all the updates up to that point can still be found there)]. Beforehand: You may need to temporarily disable the Bios virus protection that is found on some motherboards (if your motherboard does not have this feature, you can skip this step). Enter Bios Setup by pressing the key displayed during startup, and somewhere on the first or second menu should be an item to Enable or Disable Bios Virus Protection (might be called BiosShield, or VirusGuard, or whatnot) ---> then, when you're finished with your reinstallation of Windows, re-Enable the Bios protection feature. During the reinstall, it is also a good idea to be entirely disconnected from any networks, wired or wireless (unplug ethernet cables, disable wireless), and to be disconnected from printers, scanners, cameras, multifunction devices, fax machines, PDAs, memory card readers, USB flash drives, external USB/Firewire/eSATA drives, etc. Over The Top ReInstall: Place your Windows98/Me CD in the CD/DVD drive (or be ready to point Windows to the place on your hard drive where your Windows 98/Me installation files are stored). Boot with a bootable floppy or CD - "with CD-rom support", and from DOS rename the win.com file to win.bak. Like this C: cd \Windows rename win.com win.bak If you have the Windows 98/Me CD in your CD/DVD drive, you can then switch to the drive letter of your CD drive [often drive D:], simply by typing the drive letter followed by a colon ( for example - D: ) at the command prompt. If you have the Windows 98/Me installation files on your hard drive, switch to that location (which is often C:\Windows\Options\Cabs - by typing cd C:\Windows\Options\Cabs ), and start setup (by simply typing the command: setup) *Important!* When Windows asks if you want to use the directory C:\Windows.000, instead choose Other and type in C:\Windows (without the .000 following). Make sure that you have your antivirus, antispyware, and firewall running before you connect to networks afterward. Don't forget to visit Windows Update ASAP to get the Critical Patches the need reinstalling. _______________ Best of luck . . . Gary __________________ Last edited by OldGrayGary : 02-14-2008 at 11:19 PM.