Using the Utilities on the Windows 98 Emergency Recovery Disk
Hello everyone~~ I have a question for all you DIYers (of course, that includes those "old birds" who have built countless machines, and also those "new birds" who have failed at building machines again and again and been cheated badly by crooked dealers -- saying "new birds" like that, is it a bit hurtful~~??!!). After you finish building a machine, what is the first thing you should do~~?? Some people will say: "Of course, check whether the CPU and memory are fake~~". (Wrong: that's something you should have done before building the machine.) Some others will also say: "Of course, install games like 'Need for Speed 4' or 'Quake 3' and have a good 'blast' for a few days." (Wrong: that's the second thing.) What what~~ then what is the first thing~~??!! (You're not fooling us here, are you~~ even if we're 'new birds,' don't do this to us~~??!!)
Everybody don't hit me~~ I'll confess~~ The first thing is installing "WIN98"~~~!! (Editor: after writing so much nonsense, do you not want the稿费 anymore~~~)
Alright alright~~ I should get to the point. Look at the title above, "mastering SYSTEM" (what what, someone's asking what that means). It means letting us DIYers personally get Bill Gates's "WIN98" under our control. Got it? Alright, first let me give everyone an appetizer~~~
★ Using the Windows 98 Emergency Recovery Disk ★
Almost everyone who uses Windows 98 has run into system crashes. Who told us to use that damned (Gates's) "plague bar" (Windows 98)? There are so many BUGs in it that our eyes can hardly believe it! But that's the fact, so we can only figure out ways ourselves to make this "plague bar" more stable, safer, and faster! To use a computer well, system security is the most important thing, so below I'll first introduce how to make a Windows 98 emergency recovery disk.
There are two ways to make a Windows 98 emergency recovery disk: one is to insert a floppy during Windows 98 installation and make a boot disk according to the on-screen prompts; the other is to select "Add/Remove Programs" in the "Control Panel," then choose the "Startup Disk" option, click the "Create Disk" button, and according to the prompts insert the Windows 98 installation CD and a floppy, and then you can make a Windows 98 emergency recovery disk. Note that this disk contains only the most basic recovery tools. If you want your Windows to be restored completely intact, it's recommended that you install and use some of the related software we recommend later.
Below I'll introduce the main functions of the emergency recovery disk:
Actually, the emergency recovery disk made by Windows 98 has many recovery functions. Compared with the Windows 95 boot disk, it is more flexible, convenient, and comprehensive to use. It mainly has the following features:
Implements a multi-configuration boot menu
Adds real-mode CD-ROM support
Adds the EBD.CAB file
Includes some commonly used utility commands
1. Multi-configuration boot menu
If your Windows 98 system has errors such as being unable to start, you can use this emergency recovery disk to boot the computer. After the computer starts, a multi-configuration boot menu will appear:
Start computer with CD－ROM Support
Start computer without CD－ROM Support
View the help
When you choose the first item, the system will automatically load the real-mode CD-ROM driver, letting you use the CD-ROM drive with ease. Even if the Windows 98 graphical interface cannot be used, the CD-ROM drive can still work normally in DOS.
2. Using the EBD.CAB file
When booting with the emergency recovery disk, the system will create a 2MB RAMDrive (virtual drive) used to emulate a physical hard disk. The system will also extract the EBD.CAB file from the floppy disk into the RAMDrive. The EBD.CAB file mainly includes the following files:
Attrib.exe modifies file attributes
Chkdsk.exe a small and simple disk status tool
Debug.exe debugging utility
Edit.com a real-mode emergency text editor
Ext.exe a shell for EXTRACT.EXE, able to do simple file extraction
Format.com disk formatting tool
Mscdex.exe CD-ROM extension file for MS-DOS
Scandisk.exe disk scanning tool
Scandisk.ini disk scanning tool configuration file
Sys.com system transfer file
When your computer cannot boot, many times it is because the system files have been damaged. You only need to type at the a:\ prompt: sys x: (where x is the partition where Windows 98 is located, usually c). The three files io.sys, msdos.sys, and command.com will be copied to drive x. If the above process succeeds, the message "System transferred" will be displayed, indicating that the system files have been transferred. Remove the emergency recovery disk and restart the computer, and you may very well find that the blue-sky-and-white-clouds Windows 98 startup screen is back before your eyes. Actually, this is the simplest way to rescue a crashed Windows 98 system, but it is often overlooked.
The EBD.CAB file also contains some other small tools, such as Scandisk.exe and Chkdsk.exe. These two programs are often used to check hard disk errors. If you suspect there is file corruption on the hard disk or some other problem, you can run the disk scan program Scandisk.exe to check and repair the hard disk. For example, to scan the entire surface of the hard disk and prevent data loss to the greatest extent possible, you can enter the command Scandisk /all /Surface. If the disk scan program cannot check your drive, try Chkdsk.exe. It can check linked files and lost clusters.
3. Using the 3.Ext.exe utility
Actually, Ext.exe is stored inside the EBD.CAB archive file. It is a shell program for Extract.exe and can perform simple file extraction. The reason it is listed separately is that it is simply too useful. If your Windows 98 cannot run because some file is missing, with it you can easily extract the file from the Windows 98 CD to the hard disk to restore lost or damaged files.
The steps for extracting files with Ext.exe are: when booting the computer with the system emergency recovery disk, choose option 1, then press Enter, and insert the Windows 98 CD into the CD-ROM drive. Then type Ext at the DOS prompt, and according to the prompts, enter the location of the Windows 98 installation files, the file to be extracted, and the location where the extracted file should be placed. If you want to extract multiple files at once, you can also use wildcards.
Above I introduced a little of the most basic system maintenance knowledge for everyone. Take a break, because right away we're going to introduce a lesson that you can't afford to let distract even the slightest bit of your attention.
System Analyser download link：http://www.idp.com.cn/system/11060042.shtml
People who use computers generally pay little attention to what exactly is inside the computer. People like us who care about what's inside computers mostly can't afford to buy computers, so we can only keep researching, hoping to find some cheap parts to put into a computer so it can run both fast and stable (aren't we dreaming, wanting the horse not to eat grass and still wanting it to gallop happily). But when we usually open the case, all we see is the hardware itself; we can't see how well the hardware is actually being used, or whether it is delivering maximum performance. Now with System Analyser, everything is easy. Install it and take a look from time to time. What, you found a configuration problem? Hurry and fix it. Then we can sleep peacefully, without worrying that our precious machine will mysteriously "die" on us.
System Analyser is a system analysis software developed by Hans Niekus. It can help you gather as much information as possible about your computer, including hardware information, power management information, PC specs, network setting information, DOS and Windows information, and so on. Among many system analysis programs, people often pay a lot of attention to testing CPU speed, graphics card speed, and hard disk speed, but few pay attention to memory speed. System Analyser not only gives fairly detailed tests for the important speeds mentioned above, it also specifically includes a memory speed test, and can provide you with a detailed and authoritative memory speed test! Also, the speeds tested with this software can be said to be very accurate, so friends who build machines should pay attention: with it you can spot shady tricks like remarking used by dishonest computer dealers! But note that it is shareware. If you don't register it, you can use it for 15 days, though of course it has a few fewer functions!
At present, the latest version of System Analyser is version 5.1 U. The download size is 178KB. Don't look down on it for being so small; it's really powerful. It supports PentiumIII, AMD K7 and other processor series. In addition, hardware such as Diamond V770, VooDoo3 3500 TV, and Matrox G400 can't escape this little software's notice either.
System Analyser is a green environmental protection software, which means it does not require installation. Once you extract the downloaded ZIP file into a designated folder, you can use it. What needs to be explained is that it is best to use this software under pure DOS, that is, press F8 when starting the computer and choose DOS mode, or in Windows95/98 choose Start－Shut Down－Restart the computer in MS－DOS mode, because only under pure DOS can this little software obtain the most accurate results. Of course, you can also use it in Windows95/98, but the results will be affected by the Windows95/98 settings. Here we will mainly talk about System Analyser under pure DOS. This software is very convenient to use, but its interface is a bit too old-fashioned. What era is this now, and it still uses a DOS interface, looking a lot like the HD-COPY or PC Tools series that everyone often used a few years ago. The blue background brings back the melancholy yet happy DOS era. But though the interface is old, the functions are very complete! I think if it had a Windows interface, nobody would use Windows's "System Information" function anymore, haha! (Though Windows's "System Information" is free, hehe, that is an advantage too!) In DOS mode, run the file named Sa51s.com, and an interface appears. A whole pile of English letters, roughly meaning that you can still use the software free for 14 days, please register, and so on. Ignore it, and follow the on-screen instructions and press Enter. Then the screen flashes, and the words "testing..." appear on the screen. Looks like it has started its monitoring work. English text scrolls all over the screen. Wait another dozen seconds or so, then another flash of blue light (why does it feel like an alien UFO is arriving), OK, the main interface is right in front of you.
In the software's main interface, the top line is information about the software itself, the bottom line is the software menu, and the middle area is the detected information. The following menus and hotkeys are in the software menu below:
Quit（Q）exit the system Print（P）print information Save（S）save information Help（H）system help
The information obtained through detection is all in English, which is a bit difficult for people like us who face square characters every day, but these are all common words used in computers, and generally you can guess eighty or ninety percent of them.
Hello everyone~~ I have a question for all you DIYers (of course, that includes those "old birds" who have built countless machines, and also those "new birds" who have failed at building machines again and again and been cheated badly by crooked dealers -- saying "new birds" like that, is it a bit hurtful~~??!!). After you finish building a machine, what is the first thing you should do~~?? Some people will say: "Of course, check whether the CPU and memory are fake~~". (Wrong: that's something you should have done before building the machine.) Some others will also say: "Of course, install games like 'Need for Speed 4' or 'Quake 3' and have a good 'blast' for a few days." (Wrong: that's the second thing.) What what~~ then what is the first thing~~??!! (You're not fooling us here, are you~~ even if we're 'new birds,' don't do this to us~~??!!)
Everybody don't hit me~~ I'll confess~~ The first thing is installing "WIN98"~~~!! (Editor: after writing so much nonsense, do you not want the稿费 anymore~~~)
Alright alright~~ I should get to the point. Look at the title above, "mastering SYSTEM" (what what, someone's asking what that means). It means letting us DIYers personally get Bill Gates's "WIN98" under our control. Got it? Alright, first let me give everyone an appetizer~~~
★ Using the Windows 98 Emergency Recovery Disk ★
Almost everyone who uses Windows 98 has run into system crashes. Who told us to use that damned (Gates's) "plague bar" (Windows 98)? There are so many BUGs in it that our eyes can hardly believe it! But that's the fact, so we can only figure out ways ourselves to make this "plague bar" more stable, safer, and faster! To use a computer well, system security is the most important thing, so below I'll first introduce how to make a Windows 98 emergency recovery disk.
There are two ways to make a Windows 98 emergency recovery disk: one is to insert a floppy during Windows 98 installation and make a boot disk according to the on-screen prompts; the other is to select "Add/Remove Programs" in the "Control Panel," then choose the "Startup Disk" option, click the "Create Disk" button, and according to the prompts insert the Windows 98 installation CD and a floppy, and then you can make a Windows 98 emergency recovery disk. Note that this disk contains only the most basic recovery tools. If you want your Windows to be restored completely intact, it's recommended that you install and use some of the related software we recommend later.
Below I'll introduce the main functions of the emergency recovery disk:
Actually, the emergency recovery disk made by Windows 98 has many recovery functions. Compared with the Windows 95 boot disk, it is more flexible, convenient, and comprehensive to use. It mainly has the following features:
Implements a multi-configuration boot menu
Adds real-mode CD-ROM support
Adds the EBD.CAB file
Includes some commonly used utility commands
1. Multi-configuration boot menu
If your Windows 98 system has errors such as being unable to start, you can use this emergency recovery disk to boot the computer. After the computer starts, a multi-configuration boot menu will appear:
Start computer with CD－ROM Support
Start computer without CD－ROM Support
View the help
When you choose the first item, the system will automatically load the real-mode CD-ROM driver, letting you use the CD-ROM drive with ease. Even if the Windows 98 graphical interface cannot be used, the CD-ROM drive can still work normally in DOS.
2. Using the EBD.CAB file
When booting with the emergency recovery disk, the system will create a 2MB RAMDrive (virtual drive) used to emulate a physical hard disk. The system will also extract the EBD.CAB file from the floppy disk into the RAMDrive. The EBD.CAB file mainly includes the following files:
Attrib.exe modifies file attributes
Chkdsk.exe a small and simple disk status tool
Debug.exe debugging utility
Edit.com a real-mode emergency text editor
Ext.exe a shell for EXTRACT.EXE, able to do simple file extraction
Format.com disk formatting tool
Mscdex.exe CD-ROM extension file for MS-DOS
Scandisk.exe disk scanning tool
Scandisk.ini disk scanning tool configuration file
Sys.com system transfer file
When your computer cannot boot, many times it is because the system files have been damaged. You only need to type at the a:\ prompt: sys x: (where x is the partition where Windows 98 is located, usually c). The three files io.sys, msdos.sys, and command.com will be copied to drive x. If the above process succeeds, the message "System transferred" will be displayed, indicating that the system files have been transferred. Remove the emergency recovery disk and restart the computer, and you may very well find that the blue-sky-and-white-clouds Windows 98 startup screen is back before your eyes. Actually, this is the simplest way to rescue a crashed Windows 98 system, but it is often overlooked.
The EBD.CAB file also contains some other small tools, such as Scandisk.exe and Chkdsk.exe. These two programs are often used to check hard disk errors. If you suspect there is file corruption on the hard disk or some other problem, you can run the disk scan program Scandisk.exe to check and repair the hard disk. For example, to scan the entire surface of the hard disk and prevent data loss to the greatest extent possible, you can enter the command Scandisk /all /Surface. If the disk scan program cannot check your drive, try Chkdsk.exe. It can check linked files and lost clusters.
3. Using the 3.Ext.exe utility
Actually, Ext.exe is stored inside the EBD.CAB archive file. It is a shell program for Extract.exe and can perform simple file extraction. The reason it is listed separately is that it is simply too useful. If your Windows 98 cannot run because some file is missing, with it you can easily extract the file from the Windows 98 CD to the hard disk to restore lost or damaged files.
The steps for extracting files with Ext.exe are: when booting the computer with the system emergency recovery disk, choose option 1, then press Enter, and insert the Windows 98 CD into the CD-ROM drive. Then type Ext at the DOS prompt, and according to the prompts, enter the location of the Windows 98 installation files, the file to be extracted, and the location where the extracted file should be placed. If you want to extract multiple files at once, you can also use wildcards.
Above I introduced a little of the most basic system maintenance knowledge for everyone. Take a break, because right away we're going to introduce a lesson that you can't afford to let distract even the slightest bit of your attention.
System Analyser download link：http://www.idp.com.cn/system/11060042.shtml
People who use computers generally pay little attention to what exactly is inside the computer. People like us who care about what's inside computers mostly can't afford to buy computers, so we can only keep researching, hoping to find some cheap parts to put into a computer so it can run both fast and stable (aren't we dreaming, wanting the horse not to eat grass and still wanting it to gallop happily). But when we usually open the case, all we see is the hardware itself; we can't see how well the hardware is actually being used, or whether it is delivering maximum performance. Now with System Analyser, everything is easy. Install it and take a look from time to time. What, you found a configuration problem? Hurry and fix it. Then we can sleep peacefully, without worrying that our precious machine will mysteriously "die" on us.
System Analyser is a system analysis software developed by Hans Niekus. It can help you gather as much information as possible about your computer, including hardware information, power management information, PC specs, network setting information, DOS and Windows information, and so on. Among many system analysis programs, people often pay a lot of attention to testing CPU speed, graphics card speed, and hard disk speed, but few pay attention to memory speed. System Analyser not only gives fairly detailed tests for the important speeds mentioned above, it also specifically includes a memory speed test, and can provide you with a detailed and authoritative memory speed test! Also, the speeds tested with this software can be said to be very accurate, so friends who build machines should pay attention: with it you can spot shady tricks like remarking used by dishonest computer dealers! But note that it is shareware. If you don't register it, you can use it for 15 days, though of course it has a few fewer functions!
At present, the latest version of System Analyser is version 5.1 U. The download size is 178KB. Don't look down on it for being so small; it's really powerful. It supports PentiumIII, AMD K7 and other processor series. In addition, hardware such as Diamond V770, VooDoo3 3500 TV, and Matrox G400 can't escape this little software's notice either.
System Analyser is a green environmental protection software, which means it does not require installation. Once you extract the downloaded ZIP file into a designated folder, you can use it. What needs to be explained is that it is best to use this software under pure DOS, that is, press F8 when starting the computer and choose DOS mode, or in Windows95/98 choose Start－Shut Down－Restart the computer in MS－DOS mode, because only under pure DOS can this little software obtain the most accurate results. Of course, you can also use it in Windows95/98, but the results will be affected by the Windows95/98 settings. Here we will mainly talk about System Analyser under pure DOS. This software is very convenient to use, but its interface is a bit too old-fashioned. What era is this now, and it still uses a DOS interface, looking a lot like the HD-COPY or PC Tools series that everyone often used a few years ago. The blue background brings back the melancholy yet happy DOS era. But though the interface is old, the functions are very complete! I think if it had a Windows interface, nobody would use Windows's "System Information" function anymore, haha! (Though Windows's "System Information" is free, hehe, that is an advantage too!) In DOS mode, run the file named Sa51s.com, and an interface appears. A whole pile of English letters, roughly meaning that you can still use the software free for 14 days, please register, and so on. Ignore it, and follow the on-screen instructions and press Enter. Then the screen flashes, and the words "testing..." appear on the screen. Looks like it has started its monitoring work. English text scrolls all over the screen. Wait another dozen seconds or so, then another flash of blue light (why does it feel like an alien UFO is arriving), OK, the main interface is right in front of you.
In the software's main interface, the top line is information about the software itself, the bottom line is the software menu, and the middle area is the detected information. The following menus and hotkeys are in the software menu below:
Quit（Q）exit the system Print（P）print information Save（S）save information Help（H）system help
The information obtained through detection is all in English, which is a bit difficult for people like us who face square characters every day, but these are all common words used in computers, and generally you can guess eighty or ninety percent of them.
欢迎大家观临我的个人主页：
http://dosdiy.bluepc.com.cn/
http://dosdiy.ys168.com/
EMAIL: lydong@china.com.cn lydong@yeah.net
----------------------------------------------
http://dosdiy.bluepc.com.cn/
http://dosdiy.ys168.com/
EMAIL: lydong@china.com.cn lydong@yeah.net
----------------------------------------------
