Where are the system files usually located? 4

[JohnVogel]

Hi, and I need to know where the following might be found in Windows 98... names/folders/etc.

Where is the system registry file located?
What are the boot files and where are they located?
Where is the COM+ Class registration Database located?

If someone could help me with this, I would be very greatful. I'm mainly trying to mimich a system backup, but doing it through Visual Basic, but I can't even seem to figure out where the files/folders would be.

John Vogel
john@thecompuwizard.com

http://www.thecompuwizard.com

 

[edfair]

registry are SHR attributes in the windows directory.
Boot files are on the root. msdos.sys , io.sys , command.com, and a bunch that are also SHR.


Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[jrbarnett]

To add to edfair's comment:

Specifically, the registry files are user.dat and system.dat in the Windows directory.

If the PC has a file called system.1st in the root of C: that is a copy of the system part of the registry created just after installation and is useful for troubleshooting going back to a very early setup.

The Com+ Class registration database is part of the registry as far as I know.

It should be pointed out that this information is for Win9x/ME only, if you wanted to support NT family systems (NT, 2K, XP) what you need is quite different.

John

 

[JohnVogel]

Thank you both! You both earn a star

It never even occured to me to check the files by attributes, as well as by the filesnames... good catch, edfair!

And John, as usual you've come to my rescue, dang man, as many times as you've helped me, you oughta work for me! :-D



John Vogel
john@thecompuwizard.com

http://www.thecompuwizard.com

 

[TekTippy4U]

Just to add;
I believe that Win ME has a CLASSES.DAT file located either on Root drive , in place of, or supplemental to HKCR in the REG.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;266270

------------------------------------------
.......Windows Me separates the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT hive to its own file and uses the registry to store information in the Classes.dat and System.dat files........

The Classes.dat File
This file contains software settings, essential information about OLE, and association mappings to support the drag-and-drop feature, Windows shortcuts (which are OLE links), and core aspects of the Windows user interface
-------------------------------------------

I don't have ME to test it out and investigate


TT4U

Notification:
These are just my thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions.
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[MiggyD]

To add to TT4U

Classes.dat is located in Windows Directory.
Classes.1st is located in the root.

Both are have RH activated.

 

[TekTippy4U]

hi MiggyD
Can you explain a little more to me, the way ME uses these.....like,

-- does the REG still have the same 6 Main Keys or is another added or subtracted, or replaced.

-- does HKCR still exist entirely? (is classes.dat and extended backup of HKCR, in supplement to system.dat and user.dat -- so all 3 files are necessary...hmm.....winME's new System Restore functionality maybe?)

-- does ME use classes.dat "along with" system.dat and user.dat?, or are one of these missing.

just trying to get an overall pic is all

I'm going to assume that classes.1st is the counterpart to system.1st (though neither 9x or ME have a user.1st)

TIA


TT4U

Notification:
These are just my thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions.
Backup All Important Data/Docs

 

[MiggyD]

Hi TT4U;

-- does the REG still have the same 6 Main Keys or is another added or subtracted, or replaced.

Yes, I still have 6 mains, hkcr, hkcu, hklm, hkdd, hkcc, and hku.

-- does HKCR still exist entirely?

Mine appears to be intact. Here's a sampling of my current Classes.dat (approx 3.6MB):

[block]
Agent.Server ___]___ __________ProgrammableL___^___L_______
___LocalServer32____ÿÿÿÿ____C:\WINDOWS\MSAGENT\AGENTSVR.EXE
`_______`___&_______{A7B93C92-7B81-11D0-AC5F-00C04FD97575}_
___ÿÿÿÿ____Microsoft Agent Server1.5M___`___M___________Tre
atAs____ÿÿÿÿ__&_{D45FD2FC-5C6E-11D1-9EC1-00C04FD7081F}u___a
___u___&_______{62BE5D10-60EB-11d0-BD3B-00A0C911CE86}____ÿÿ
ÿÿ____System Device Enumerator____ÿÿÿÿ____Version_______b_
__i___________InprocServer32____ÿÿÿÿ____C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\DE
VENUM.DLL____ÿÿÿÿ____ThreadingModelBoth_____________________
___T___c___T___&_______{CDA42200-BD88-11d0-BD4E-0A0C911CE86}____ÿÿÿÿ____Filter Mapper2h___d___h___________InprocServer32
____ÿÿÿÿ____C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\QUARTZ.DLL____ÿÿÿÿ____Threadin
gModelBothS___e___S___&_______{4315D437-5B8C-11D0-BD3B-00A0C
911CE86}____ÿÿÿÿ___DeviceMonikeri___f___i___________InprocSe
rver32____ÿÿÿÿ____C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\DEVENUM.DLL____ÿÿÿÿ____T
hreadingModelBoth.___g___.___________ProgID____ÿÿÿÿ____devic
e.1>___h___>___________VersionIndependentProgID____ÿÿÿÿ____d
eviceW___i___W___&_______{33D9A761-90C8-11d0-BD43-00A0C911CE
86}____ÿÿÿÿ____ACM Class Manageri___j___i___________InprocSe
rver32____ÿÿÿÿ____C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\DEVENUM.DLL____ÿÿÿÿ____T
hreadingModelBothW___k___W___&_______{33D9A760-90C8-11d0-BD4
3-00A0C911CE86}____ÿÿÿÿ____ICM Class Manageri___l___i_______
____InprocServer32____ÿÿÿÿ____C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\DEVENUM.DLL_
___ÿÿÿÿ____ThreadingModelBoth____m_______________Instance(c)
___n___(c)___________MJPEG Compressor____ÿÿÿÿ___FriendlyName
MJPEG Compressor____ÿÿÿÿ__&_CLSID{B80AB0A0-7416-11D2-9EEB-00
6008039E37}____ÿÿÿÿ[/block]

...(is classes.dat an extended backup of HKCR, in supplement to system.dat and user.dat[?]

It's quite possible this is (or was) a prelude to "Personalize my desktop" stuff that was added into the later OSes (and possibly with subsequent SPs--but I don't know for sure--read on.)

--so all 3 files are necessary...hmm.....winME's new System Restore functionality maybe?)

I have 4 (not 3) files--Classes, HwInfo, System, and User DATs. This I have confirmed. All of them have CREG for a header within the first four bytes. As for SysRestore, I've looked within it's directory and found the following:

[ul]
[li]Classes.dat[/li]
[li]System.dat[/li]
[li]System.ini[/li]
[li]User.dat[/li]
[li]Win.ini[/li]
[/ul]

These appear to be the bare necessities to initiate windows. (I'll be presumptuous here) I think that hwinfo.dat would be rebuilt from the onset; as in "Hardware Wizard Found New HardWare"? or maybe if you change your system's hardware profile (ctrl pan > system > hw configuration)?

-- does ME use classes.dat "along with" system.dat and user.dat?, or are one of these missing.

See my previous response (paragraph above) regarding system restore.

I'm going to assume that classes.1st is the counterpart to system.1st (though neither 9x or ME have a user.1st)

It may prove to be a counterpart; but, I don't have time to do the actual testing.


Hope some of this is informative.
--MiggyD

 

[TekTippy4U]

Very informative MiggyD;
Thanks much

this part
* Classes.dat
* System.dat
* System.ini
* User.dat
* Win.ini
basically tells all, as far as backing up is concerned in ME (that extra classes.dat file)...thought the other info is helpful to know as well....


FWIW...I have hwinfo.exe and hwinfo.dat too, it's created - I think - just from running Msinfo32 (basically as a database for MSinfo32) ...and/or even created from just Start > Run hwinfo

It's the classes.dat file that would need backing up, as well as the orig 4 others found in 98.

TT4U

Notification:
These are just my thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions.
Backup All Important Data/Docs