sysbckup folder needed ?

Hi all, I think this 11.7 mega folder is just a backup of the system files
from last time I did an overlay install of Windows 98SE.
99 % seems identical to the original Win98SE CD files.
Would you say OK to delete this folder ?
(I know you reckon I have deleted it already )
Do you have this waste of space also ?
regards

 

I would say NO to deleting that folder.

For one thing that is where the RB00X.cab ( registry backups ) are stored. That is if you have SCANREGISTRY loading at startup.

11meg is small. I just checked my SE machine and the folder contains 20meg.

And is also a folder that is created at the original install of SE. Again for one reason, storing the reg backups.

BillyBob

 

Hello BillyBob, Nice to see you here again.
I do not save to RB00x files at all - I use my own batch files for system
save and restore. (Can RB00x files be restored in DOS ? - I do not think so)
But mine can - 10 seconds max.
I know my 11.7 mg or your 20mg is not disk-breaking, but if you make a lot
of backups, as I do, they just add to the daily processing time/luggage and do not bring any increased security.
regards

 

Yes they can. I have Scanreg.exe stored on my 98SE Startup disk and it does work. Can't get any more DOS than that.

But the RB00X.Cab files must be in the default ( sysbackup ) folder.

BillyBob

 

Hi again BillyBob,
So, if you had no need of / no use for, RB00x files, would you delete
your 20 mega sysbckup folder ?
regards

 

For an honest answer. Probably not. As it may well be ( I do not know for sure ) used by the OS itself at some time or other.

But with SE only using 1.7gig out if 4.5 gig I do not worry about it.

BillyBob

 

Do you have TweakUI installed, and ever use the Repair System Files function? Guess where it gets those files to use for the repair? The folder you deleted.

Yes, they are CAB files. Extract.Exe can extract files from cab files into any folder you choose, this command will extract system.dat and put it into the windows folder.
extract /y /l c:\windows c:\windows\sysbckup\rb001.cab system.dat
When installing windows, setup does this very thing in the first stage of the install, when it is copying files.
When you use Scanreg /restore, you are in dos mode selecting a cab file containing the backup files, so Scanreg.Exe can extract and then copy them into the windows folder.
Then there is the other side of the coin, you are trying to save space, and you use dos commands to backup and restore the registry. While this method will definitely work, this doesn't compress them so they use less space. ScanregW.Exe does when it backs up System.Dat, User.Dat, Win.Ini and System.Ini into a RB00x.Cab file.

 

Hi Mark, Thanks for your comments.
I did not say I had deleted the folder - only that I was thinking seriously about it.
Yes, I do have TweakUi - use it very rarely, but never to restore system files.
To restore my system files I exit to DOS, or boot from a floppy and
type 12 characters - not 50+ like your extract command.
The .bat files for Save/Restore use Winrar DOS command line for compression.
I do not think the four files you mention, that are saved to RB00x are the
complete system files for a successful system re-install, so I do not use
scanregw for the job.
As for looking for space saving, my root drive is backed up completely
and automatically three times a week whilst I am enjoying Mrs. Merlin's
dinner - so we are looking at 3 x 11.7 or about 35 mega disk (wasted ?) disk space.
regards

 

Yes it will. BUT you had best not just replace ONE ( 1 ) of the four files. All four files should be backed up and restored at the same time. They all work together.

When merlin asked earlier about restoring from DOS I gave the wrong answer. I said YES. But I should have said " It is the only way." I just checked that out. I typed scanreg /restore at the Start-run line and got politely told to restart in the MS-DOS mode.

I do have to ask. " Are there enough chances made that warrant the 3 per week backup ? "

About space. NO not really. 2 x 11.7 or about 23 mega disk sapce wasted. Unless you have made A LOT of major changes and wish to wait a while to make sure all is going to be OK what good are the 1st two backups ?

For instance ( in my case ) I made quite a few changes on my Wifes' machine yesterday. I fixed a couple of things that did not work. I removed some stuff that she just plain did not like. I added something new for her.

I then ran Norton WinDoctor and Regeeker to clean things up. I restarted Windows a couple times and when I felt things were OK I DELETED all existing rb00x.cab files and restarted Windows and it made a new one that represents the system AS IT IS not as it was.

BillyBob

 

Hello BillyBob. You are quite right - 3 backups are probably too many, as I do
not do many basic changes. But you are wrong on the maths, and so am I
1 copy of the folder on the root drive and 3 on the backup drive is actually
4 x 11.7 in total. So I will cut the auto-backups of the root drive to 1 x per week. No way I will use scanregw, or Mark' s tedious extracts.
So, my friends, have I convinced you that the sysbckup folder is
unnecessary ?
I doubt it, as we are all used to what we are used to

 

Nope. At least not me as I do use it. ( or at least the other two machines do )

I Agree.

BillyBob