Where does the backup registry come from ?

[Dave Moore]

Every time at boot up, there is a message stating
that some part of the registry has been recovered
from a backup hive or log.

I found that when I replace the "Software" hive
with a copy from either the CD or Repair folder,
the error message doesn't happen..

Unfortunately this seems to cause another
problem in the form of some buggered-up
user accounts.

I'd like to try an old trick I've used with win98.
However, the trick requires knowing where
the backup registry files are pulled from.

With Win98, often the system would recover
by pulling a backup of the registry and whenever
that would happen a lot of program settings would
revert back to when the backup copy was made.

After tiring of the changing settings phenomena,
I finally got smart and simply replaced *all* of the
backup copies with the current copy that had
all of program settings the way I wanted them.
So, whenever a backup copy was pulled, it always
pulled a copy that had all of the program settings
the way I wanted them.

On the particular aforementioned XP computer
that's giving problems, it seems to be stuck in
a loop. It seems to be pulling a defective backup.
So naturally at the next boot this defect it detected,
and it goes and pulls the defective backup
copy again. I figure that if I can find out where
the defective backup is coming from, then the
defective backup can be replaced and the cycle
will be broken.

I've done a lot of searching the net, but haven't yet
hit on the answer to this mystery.

Anyone? anyone ?

Thanks.
--Dave Moore--

 

[Curt Christianson]

Hi Dave,

This may be a good place to start, and please note there are many links from
this first page:

Description of System Restore
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/description.html

--
HTH,
Curt

Windows Support Center
www.aumha.org
Practically Nerded,...
http://dundats.mvps.org/Index.htm

| Every time at boot up, there is a message stating
| that some part of the registry has been recovered
| from a backup hive or log.
|
| I found that when I replace the "Software" hive
| with a copy from either the CD or Repair folder,
| the error message doesn't happen..
|
| Unfortunately this seems to cause another
| problem in the form of some buggered-up
| user accounts.
|
| I'd like to try an old trick I've used with win98.
| However, the trick requires knowing where
| the backup registry files are pulled from.
|
| With Win98, often the system would recover
| by pulling a backup of the registry and whenever
| that would happen a lot of program settings would
| revert back to when the backup copy was made.
|
| After tiring of the changing settings phenomena,
| I finally got smart and simply replaced *all* of the
| backup copies with the current copy that had
| all of program settings the way I wanted them.
| So, whenever a backup copy was pulled, it always
| pulled a copy that had all of the program settings
| the way I wanted them.
|
| On the particular aforementioned XP computer
| that's giving problems, it seems to be stuck in
| a loop. It seems to be pulling a defective backup.
| So naturally at the next boot this defect it detected,
| and it goes and pulls the defective backup
| copy again. I figure that if I can find out where
| the defective backup is coming from, then the
| defective backup can be replaced and the cycle
| will be broken.
|
| I've done a lot of searching the net, but haven't yet
| hit on the answer to this mystery.
|
| Anyone? anyone ?
|
| Thanks.
| --Dave Moore--
|
|

 

[Ron Martell]

Every time at boot up, there is a message stating
that some part of the registry has been recovered
from a backup hive or log.

Recurring instances of registry errors are often a symptom of
defective RAM. Rather than worrying about the registry recovery I
think your primary focus should be on fixing the problem.

Download one of the following free memory diagnostic utilities and run
it for an extended period (e.g. overnight) to check out the RAM in
your computer.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2008)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."

 

[Ron Martell]

Recurring instances of registry errors are often a symptom of
defective RAM. Rather than worrying about the registry recovery I
think your primary focus should be on fixing the problem.

Download one of the following free memory diagnostic utilities and run
it for an extended period (e.g. overnight) to check out the RAM in
your computer.

Might help if I included the download links:
DocMemory http://www.simmtester.com
Windows Memory Diagnostic http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp
Memtest86: http://www.memtest.org

Sorry about that.

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2008)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."

 

[Dave Moore]

:
: >
: >> Every time at boot up, there is a message stating
: >> that some part of the registry has been recovered
: >> from a backup hive or log.
: >>
: >
: >Recurring instances of registry errors are often a symptom of
: >defective RAM. Rather than worrying about the registry recovery I
: >think your primary focus should be on fixing the problem.
: >
: >Download one of the following free memory diagnostic utilities and run
: >it for an extended period (e.g. overnight) to check out the RAM in
: >your computer.
: >
:
: Might help if I included the download links:
: DocMemory http://www.simmtester.com
: Windows Memory Diagnostic http://oca.microsoft.com/en/windiag.asp
: Memtest86: http://www.memtest.org
:
: Sorry about that.
:
: Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada

Thanks Ron. Interestingly, on that computer,
I had already run memtest and had indeed flagged
and replaced some bad RAM. even before I everposted here about
the registry recovery problem.

Before the new memory stick, the system was always crashing
or producing random errors, which is why I did the memory
testing in the first place. After putting in the new RAM,
everything started working very consistantly, except for the
restoring registry from a backup on every boot. So, I assumed
that the memory problem had been addressed (pun intended)
Of course, you know what they say about "assume".

Also, bear in mind that when I replaced the "software" hive
with a copy from the repair folder, I no longer got the registry
recovery error. So, don't you think that if the registry problem
was caused by defective memory that the error would have
appeared again regardless?

FWIW, right after I gave the laptop back to the guy that owns
it, the thought occurred to me that possibly the RAM errors
might have been due to some other problem like a defective
bus or something and I really should have run memtest
again on the new RAM anyway.

Unfortunately I don't have the laptop at my disposal right now,
but I do have the old memory stick that came out of it. So,
I reckon I'll slap it into another PC and throw another volley
of tests at it. If it checks good, then I'll know that perhaps
the RAM errors were the fault of the laptop itself.

Thanks for the reply.
--DM--