Member Avatar for Catweazle

Hi,

It's time I sought some assistance from the more technically minded of you. I have a small (big?) problem I'm trying to resolve. The situation is this:

For Windows 98, the system can be backed up, using MSBackup, and restored by using PCRESTOR.BAT, which resides in the TOOLS folder on the CD, and performs an automated minimal installation which then prompts for the backup file you wish to restore. A fully configured system can be restored quickly and easily using the tools.

With the release of Windows Me, Microsoft omitted the 'Resource Kit' from the package. They, of course, wanted business users to use Windows 2000 instead.

The process outlined above simply uses Windows setup with a number of 'switches' which automate the task. It also uses a file called 'msbatch.inf' which sets up some general user settings within that minimal Windows installation.


Is it possible to edit the files, 'PCRESTOR.BAT' and 'msbatch.inf', so that the process will work with Windows Me? The switches work for both Windows versions. Will the procedure work as well, if it's suitably tailored?

  • 2 Contributors
  • 3 Replies
  • 212 Views
  • 2 Days Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by JANINE

Dani AI

Generated

Short answer: it’s feasible. Both files are plain-text and can be repurposed (as already noted), but Windows Me’s retail media may not include every restore utility or the exact INF/registry keys used by Windows 98. The work is mostly: identify what the batch/INF call, provide any missing utilities on writable media, and adjust paths/INF entries so they match Me’s layout. Test everything on an image or in a VM before touching a production machine.

A practical checklist:

  • Copy PCRESTOR.BAT and msbatch.inf from the CD to writable media (CD contents are read-only) and open them in Notepad to map every external reference (EXE names, copy commands, registry imports, backup file names).
  • Confirm each referenced executable exists on the Me CD; if not, place a compatible copy (for example from a Win98 toolkit) alongside the edited batch or package them onto a boot floppy/new CD.
  • Edit paths and any hard-coded drive letters so the restore runs from the media that will actually be used during setup.
  • Trim msbatch.inf to only set values known to be supported on Me; defer less-critical tweaks to a post-install script if needed.

Troubleshooting notes: failures are commonly caused by missing executables, incorrect drive letters, or INF entries that Me ignores or rejects—run the restore manually after the minimal setup if automation fails. Use a spare drive or a virtual machine to iterate quickly and capture full disk images before testing. If adapting the batch proves fragile, a disk-imaging tool or a scripted post-install configuration is a more reliable redeployment approach. As suggested, inspect the Win Me CD with Explorer first so the required utilities can be located and planned for.

Recommended Answers

All 3 Replies

Member Avatar for JANINE

unlikely that you'll be able to editv these as they are system files and are most likely to be read only. do you have a win me disk? might be worth looking inside that in win explorer and seeing if theres anything with those file names listed in the restore folder or the tools folder. i cant promise anything cos i dont know for sure as im running an oem version of xp with built in system restore

Member Avatar for Catweazle

Thanks for the interest and concern, Janine :)

Those are actually text files, which can be edited quite easily, or created anew with Notepad. It's the appropriate changes which I'm trying to determine.

Member Avatar for JANINE

no probs, we've both learnt something new

Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.