MS Backup

[korky45]

:) Why can I not install MSBackup from my Win98 disc as an add on? The add/remove programmes properties window, keeps saying it cannot find the MSBackup.chm - can I manually install this programme and if I can where do I find it on the disc.

Thanks everybody

[FrankSG]

I'm not sure if this is the answer or not, but if you have the CD there may be a folder called WIN98. Have it look in there. If not, have it look in the C:\Windows\Options\Cabs folder. That is assuming that your Windows folder in on the C: drive. It's been awhile since I used Windows, so I can't be certain that my information is accurate. But, you may as well give it a try until you hear form some other member.

[korky45]

Yes I've looked in the Win98 folder but its full of cab files and other files, nothing that looks like MSBackup though. I've unzipped some CAB files to have a look, but its like looking for a needle in a haystack. I'd hoped that someone might remember where they were located on the disc.

I have not loaded windows into a folder - do you think that may make it easier to find files?

Thanks anyway.

[Paul Komski]

From memory - you install it from Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs, Windows Setup, Accessories. You may need to have the Win98 CD handy.

The chm file is the help file for the application and not the application itself. These are mostly found in the Windows/Help Folder.

[Sylvander]

Did you go to “Control Panel>Add/Remove Programs>Windows Setup>System Tools>Details” and make sure the “Backup” box was ticked?
If it was not and you then ticked it, then Windows would attempt to install “MS Backup” by extracting the files from the cabinet files on your Win98 CD.
“C\Windows\Help\Msbackup.chm” is one of the 3 help files needed to open the Help program for “C\Program Files\Accessories\BACKUP\Msbackup.exe”
But here’s the problem:
The Win98 CD would need to be in a drive that NOW has a drive letter, which is the same as the drive letter that was allocated to the drive that was used to install Windows from originally.
I’m assuming here that windows cannot find the cabinet files on the drive that now has that letter and it only mentions that particular file because it happens to be the first one it looks for and cannot find.
If the drive letter designations have changed since then it does no good to put the CD in the same physical drive if it has now been given a different drive letter.
The original installation “source path” should be found here:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr ent Version\Setup\
and the “Source Path” “Data” will give the address of the [original] drive letter, path & folder where the Windows installation files were.

TWO POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

1. Edit the registry to make the drive letter match the one given to the drive you intend to use.

2. Copy the Windows installation folder from the CD to a partition other than C: on your HDD and use a DOS command to run “Setup.exe” [in the install folder]. Setup will detect that Windows is already installed and you should instruct it that you wish to confirm your installation, but then tell it not to alter any files when it reports it has found ones more/less up-to-date. Windows will now have been installed from this new location and that fact will be recorded in the Registry. Leave the install folder exactly where it is. Never move it or delete it. Make sure the hard disk drive designation remains unchanged. If Windows ever needs a file it will automatically go there and fetch it, which makes such future operations trouble free.

[korky45]

Yes I did move the drive letters up one when I partitioned the c drive to accomodate the swap file.

The cd drive that I would have used to install windows is now drive e(from drive d)

I have gone through all the usual procedures from the control panel to add an accessory without any luck - Sylvander's solutions seems most logical but I need to think it through, as both options could be hazardous if I get anything wrong.

Thanks again everybody.

[Sylvander]

Copy and paste the Windows installation folder to your new [HDD] D: partition. Do whatever it takes to give it the same address as the one it had when first installed from the [CD] D: drive.
Then when you try to install a Windows component and Windows goes looking at that address, the files will be found and the installation should succeed.
You will then have all the benefits of having the files permanently available to Windows without having to re-run “Setup.exe”.

GREAT SOLUTION:)

[korky45]

OK I'm going off line now to have a bash at creating a partition d and as you say - its copy then paste to the new d drive. I'll let you know how I got on later - if I'm still able to.

Thanks again.

[korky45]

Thanks Sylvander, I've managed to load MSBackup from the WIN98 disk by changing my SWAP file partition D: into a file drive containing the Win98 folders. This as you said it would has fooled my PC into thinking its reading from the Cd Rom, which was originally drive D:.

The reason I am late in replying is that I had all sorts of problems in changing over my drive letters so that I could release D for use as an ordinary partition and not a SWAP file location.

Thanks for your help. :)

[Sylvander]

Some points:
1. You haven't "fooled" your PC "into thinking its reading from the Cd-Rom". All you have done is to make the present address of the install folder the same as that recorded in the Registry, which is the address where the folder was when you last installed the Operating System. Windows goes to that address to find the files and now they can be found. The crucial part of the address [the part that had changed] is the drive letter.

2. The "Swap File" ["Win386.swp"] can be relocated to any "ordinary partition", so if there was enough space on your D: partition you could have both the swap file and the install folder on it. That's what I have. "D:\Win386.swp" and "D:\Win98tmp\Setup.exe".
I assume you moved the swap file to another partition because there was not enough room for both and you didn't want to have to re-size the partition.

Remember that now, when you want any Windows component, including Windows drivers [anything supplied from the Windows installation files], there will be no need to go find your Windows CD and hope that when you put it in the CD-drive it will be found. It will be found on your D: drive quick as a blink.

GREAT:) :D

[Paul Komski]

BanishCD (http://www.analogx.com/contents/download/system/banishcd.htm) from AnoogX is a great wee utility for "repointing" the system to the location of the setup files.

[Sylvander]

Did I forget to mention that if, at some time in the future, you ever need to run "Setup.exe":
1. You want to run Setup to repair your installation of Windows or;
2. You want to re-format the C: partition and re-install Windows to give you a clean, new installation.

You can boot to a Windows 98 Startup floppy disk and use a DOS command to run the "Setup.exe" file in the Win98 installation folder on the D: partition.
"Setup.exe" will run from the D: drive [it would be better if it was a separate physical drive] and install to the C: drive even faster than from the CD-drive [HDD's are faster than CD-drives].
Not only that, but DOS is in control and although a little slower, its safer [so I believe] because there are no other programs running to possibly interfere.

[Paul Komski]

... and if you want to speed-up any installation using a boot diskette to install from files copied to the HDD - try running smartdrv from the floppy first.

[korky45]

This all excellent stuff I'm getting from you guys. I really apprciate the time you have given to help me out. I've printed out all the advice for future reference.

Thanks again to you all.

PS you were right about the SWAP file by the way. I did do exactly as you said in your post - made another SWAP partition then relocated everything around so that I could free up the D drive for Win98.