How to Restore Windows 98 from a Full System Backup

This article describes how to use the System Recovery wizard to restore a full system backup of Windows 98.

The System Recovery wizard restores the data on your computer by installing Windows 98 with a custom Msbatch.inf file. This installation of Windows 98 allows the protected-mode Microsoft Backup program to restore a previously created full system backup.

The System Recovery wizard restores your Windows 98 installation by using the full backup that you previously created with Backup. To use the System Recovery wizard to restore your Windows 98 installation, you must have the following items available:

• A Windows 98 Startup disk.
• A CD-ROM drive supported by the Windows 98 Startup disk.
• Your Windows 98 CD-ROM.
• A backup device connected to your computer.
• A full system backup created with Backup.

For information about modifying the Windows 98 Startup disk if your hardware is not supported by the Startup disk, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
To restore Windows 98 on your computer, use the following steps.

IMPORTANT: You can use these steps only to restore data to the same hardware on which it was backed up. If your computer hardware has changed since the backup was made, you can use these steps to restore your data, but you will need to reinstall all of your Windows-based software after the process is complete.

1. Insert your Windows 98 Startup disk into the floppy disk drive, and then start your computer.
2. On the Microsoft Windows 98 Startup menu, choose Start Computer With CD-ROM Support.
3. At the command prompt, type the following lines, pressing ENTER after each line
   
   <cdrom>: cd tools\sysrec pcrestor
   
   where <cdrom> is the drive letter of your CD-ROM drive.
   
   NOTE: The Pcrestor.bat batch file starts an automatic version of Windows 98 Setup. After Windows 98 Setup is complete, the System Recovery wizard is automatically started.
4. After Windows 98 Setup starts, remove the Windows 98 Startup disk from the floppy disk drive.
5. In the System Recovery wizard, click Next.
6. Type your name and company name, and then click Next.
7. In the System Recovery wizard, click Finish. The Microsoft Backup Welcome screen appears.
8. In the Microsoft Backup dialog box, click Restore Backed Up Files, and then click OK.
9. In the Restore wizard, use the following options when you are prompted:

      
         Restore From:        Select the location where your backup is stored.
   
         Select Backup Sets:  Select the most recent full system backup.
   
         What To Restore:     Click to select the check box next to each local drive.
   
         Where To Restore:    Click Original Locations.
   
         How To Restore:      Click "Always replace the file on my computer."
    
   						

10. Click Start to start the restore process.