Registry Checker Tool Displays Only Some Backups with Time Stamp

When you use the MS-DOS version of the Registry Checker (Scanreg.exe) tool to view the list of backup copies of your registry, only some of the backups may contain a time stamp indicating the time they were created.

This behavior can occur if either of the following conditions exists:

• You use the Windows version of the Registry Checker (Scanregw.exe) tool to create backup copies of your registry. The Windows version of the Registry Checker tool does not add a time stamp to backup copies of your registry.
• You use the "/comment=<text>" command-line switch when you create backup copies of your registry.

To resolve this issue, create all registry backups using the MS-DOS version of the Registry Checker tool without the "/comment=<text>" command- line switch. To do so, type scanreg /backup at a command prompt, and then press ENTER.

To work around this issue and view the time a registry backup was created, use either of the following methods:

Method 1

At a command prompt, view the list of Rb0<nn>.cab files located in the <drive>:\<windows>\sysbckup folder, where <nn> is a number between 00 and 99, <drive> is the drive letter on which the Windows folder is located, and <windows> is the name of the folder in which Windows is installed. To do so, type the following commands at a command prompt, pressing ENTER after each command:

cd <windows>\sysbckup
dir rb0*

Method 2

In Windows, use the Find utility to locate and view the time a registry backup was created. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, point to Find, and then click Files Or Folders.
2. In the Named box, type rb0* and then click Find Now.
   
   NOTE: If no files are displayed in the Find window, follow these steps:
   
   
   1. In My Computer or Windows Explorer, click Folder Options on the View menu.
   2. Click the View tab.
   3. Under Hidden Files, click Show All Files.
   4. Click OK.
   5. Repeat steps 1-2.

NOTE: The time the registry backup was created is displayed in the Modified column in the Find window.

The lowest numbered Rb0<nn>.cab file may not be the earliest registry backup. To determine the earliest registry backup, you must check the dates of the Rb0<nn>.cab files.

For additional information about the Registry Checker tool, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

For additional information about using command-line switches with the Registry Checker tool, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

For additional information about how to use the Registry Checker tool, click Start, click Help, click the Index tab, type registry, and then double-click the "Registry Checker" topic.