WinSafe 2001

View WinSafe Product
This page is a copy of the help file for WinSafe

by Easy Desk Software
http://www.easydesksoftware.com

Contents

Backing Up and Restoring
Special Notes
What you need to know
Using On Line Help

Menu Bar Items
Interface Buttons
DOS Commands

If you don't find what you at looking for on this page go to the More Help for WinSafe page at our web site.

What You Need to Know

You will find an in-depth help file in the WinSafe folder for recovering from a crash, Help.txt. It is viewable in Notepad and can be viewed in DOS by typing Help at the C:\WinSafe> prompt.

There are only a few items on the WinSafe interface that need to be explained, see Special Notes.

After you have installed WinSafe 2001 certain procedures must be observed if you decide to make any of the following changes:

Using On Line Help

To access the on line help, click on the button in the lower right corner of the interface with the question mark on it. Then click on any button and WinSafe 2001 will tell you what the button does. If you still want to see more - click on the question mark again and then click on the button and WinSafe 2001 will show what it does. Don't worry, if WinSafe 2001 is going to make any changes to your system it will prompt you first and you can select cancel.

Backing Up and Restoring

Backing Up: You should backup when WinSafe 2001 tells you to, if you have the boot option set to ON. If not your on your own. When WinSafe 2001 tells you to backup, ONLY backup if you have not just installed a new piece of software or hardware, and you are not changing setting or the Registry. To backup the current files click on the Save Current Files button located near the upper right corner of the interface.

Saving Current Files: This will backup your current Registry and system files. Do not backup immediately after installing a new program. Do not backup if you are making changes to the system, even if WinSafe 2001 tells you that files have changed and you should backup. Reboot a few times and then backup. WinSafe 2001 does not do an auto backup so in the event you need to undo a change you can.

Update Safe: The Update Safe button is to be used when WinSafe 2001 tells you that the files in the Safe need to be updated. They will be updated the next time you backup using the Save Current Files. This ensures that you have at least 3 good copies of the Registry and System files. WinSafe 2001 stores 2 verified valid copies (the current backup and the copy in the Safe) and depending on the version of Windows will depend on how many other copies of the Registry are backed up. The Safe contains an earlier set of files, the Registry and system ini files. The Safe cannot be updated until you backup this ensures that there will always be two different versions of the Registry.

Restoring the Registry: When you need to restore the Registry, WinSafe 2001 will make a backup of your current Registry and rename it to System.000 and User.000. This will ensure that you can always go back to the current Registry if the backups in WinSafe not be valid. You should always restore using the newest backup first, start with Restore with Current, if that does not fix the problem, then use the Restore with backup in Safe. If that still is not good enough use the Restore with last Windows install. The Original Registry may not work and cause VXD errors, because you may have added a program that has changed or deleted the need for a VXD file and the old information is not valid.

SPECIAL NOTES

After Setup: You should install a Generic Text printer in the Printer folder using Add New Printer. Then open the Device Manager on the WinSafe 2001 interface and select Device Manager tab. Highlight My Computer, click on the Print button, select Setup and choice the Generic Text printer, click on All Devices and System Summary. Then click OK and save the file to the WinSafe folder as System.prn. Now click on the Hardware Diagnostic on WinSafe and print this information to the WinSafe folder saving it as Hardware.prn. If you find you cannot print this file due to an error, use the "SaveAs", and save or copy the file to the WinSafe folder.

Windows Explorer: When accessing the Explorer from the WinSafe 2001 interface you will be accessing a backup copy of the Explorer stored in the WinSafe folder. This way if your Windows Explorer becomes corrupt you have a backup. Some programs like WinBoost disk edit the Explorer when you customize Windows. If you upgrade your Internet Explorer you should also update the backup copy in the WinSafe folder.

Creating CheckSums: Using this feature on a monthly or weekly basis may pay off some day. This is the MS Anti Virus program. When you first run it, it will create a file named Chklist.ms in every folder that contains either an exe or a dll file. This file contains a checksum for each of this files; when a file is altered or replaced the checksum changes. If you crash after an installation you can use this feature from DOS or Windows to show you which files changed since your last update. This should then allow you to find the file that has caused you to crash. So keep the update current.
The System File Report will do the same job in the System and Windows folders, but only since your last successful reboot, and only if you can get into Windows in Safe Mode. So you see why the checksum system can be very valuable. Also note that if a directory contains too many files this program will come up with a memory error. Click OK and continue, it seems to still record the checksums.

You may find that some files will come up that have different dates but the same checksum. These file you can disregard or select Update. If the file has the same date and different checksum the file is corrupt.

DOS Commands

Learning a few simply DOS commands can help you recover from a Windows crash. After typing a command you need to press the Enter button. You must have a space between the command and the file name, as well as between files. There is no space when using the CD\ command. Below is a short list of commands, these will be the most common ones you will need.

C: : This command will change the current drive. If you are at the A: prompt type C: to change to the C drive

CD\ : This command will change the folder you are currently in. If you are at C:\Windows and want to go to C:\Winsafe type CD\WinSafe

CD : This command is the same as the CD\ command but it can only be used to go to a subfolder.

Dir : This command will display the contents of a folder. If you are a the A: prompt it will display the Contains of the A drive. If you are are the A: prompt and want to view the contents of C:\Windows type Dir C:\Windows

Del : This command will delete a file or folder. If you are at the A: prompt and want to delete the file C:\Autoexec.bat type Del C:\Autoexec.bat. If you are at the C: prompt type Del Autoexec.bat.

Copy : This command will copy a file from one folder to another. If you are at the C: prompt and want to copy the Autoexec.bat file to the Windows folder type Copy Autoexec.bat C:\Windows. If you are at the C:\Windows prompt type Copy C:\Autoexec.bat C:\Windows. If you want to rename the file Autoexec.bat to Newname.bat you would type Copy C:\Autoexec.bat C:\Windows\Newname.bat

Menu Bar Items

FILES:
FILE LOG: Displays a list of files that WinSafe 2001 has polled the last time you booted to Windows that WinSafe monitored. This is the list that will be checked and verified when you use the System File Report button.

FILE REPORT:
Displays the last report generated by WinSafe 2001's System File Report.

CHECKSUM REPORT:
Displays the report that the virus scanner made the last time you ran it.

REINSTALL WINDOWS:
If you installed you Cabinet files to your hard drive WinSafe 2001 can start reinstalling Windows for you.

BOOT OPTIONS:
WINDOWS:
This opens a window to show you and allow you to change the way Windows boots up.

WINSAFE:
>>>>>>>>STOP BOOT:
>>>>>>>>This option stops WinSafe from monitoring the bootup. When selected you will no longer see the Please Wait! upon entering Windows.
>>>>>>>SET BOOT ON:
>>>>>>>This option enables the monitoring during bootup.
>>>>>>>SET WAIT TIME:
>>>>>>>WinSafe cannot read files that are in use; it must WAIT until Windows has finished loading before it runs. If you receive an error notice during startup (bootup) after installing new programs, or after setting up WinSafe, you may need to adjust the wait time. Increase the by 2 each time you change it. You will be telling WinSafe to start 2 second later, this may take up to 10 reboots to Windows to get the WAIT TIME adjusted properly. A value of too low may cause WinSafe not to be able to read the Registry. If the wait time is set too low, you get a message box at EVERY bootup that the Registry has changed. Click on Backup File Report and if you get a message box saying that an error has occurred than Wait time is set too low.

TURN TIPS ON/OFF:
This enables or disables the display of the WinSafe Tips during the bootup.

REGISTRY SCANNER:
DISABLE and ENABLE:
This feature is not available on Windows 95. This feature will make a backup copy of the files Scanreg.exe in the command folder and Scanregw.exe in the Windows folder. Then delete the files. When you Enable the scanner with WinSafe the files are restored.

SETUP:
WINSAFE.INI:
This open the ini file that controls WinSafe. In this file you will find a few notes. You can change paths, remove files from the VMM32 list and more.

WINDOW SIZE:
In the vent you need to enlarge the Window size of the WinSafe interface use this feature.

DESKTOP SHORTCUT:
Use this feature to stop or enable WinSafe from adding a shortcut to the desktop.

TEST:
Not for user use.

UNINSTALL WINSAFE 2001:
This will uninstall WinSafe from your machine.

Interface Buttons

This section is broken up into sections as labeled in yellow on the WinSafe interface. There are six main sections on the WinSafe interface.

REPAIR:
The three Restore features allow you to restore the system files using the files that WinSafe backed up on the date shown to the right of each button. There is one Restore VMM32.vxd which is discussed in the next paragraph.When restoring always use the most current backup first (before attempting to use the older files). If the backup files are to old your system may have changed enough so that the information in the older backups will not work.

The Restore VMM32.vxd should not be used unless you are get error messages that state the VMM32.vxd file. Restoring this file improperly can cause your system to crash.

The Repair System DLLs feature will automatically copy the files in the Sysbckup folder to the System Folder. This means that the files in the Sysbckup folder should be compared to the System files every now and then for needed updating. Our RegRepair 2000 software can do this for you.

The Repair System Icons should be used when your desktop Icons start changing to the wrong Icons. WinSafe will clear the cache and increase the default to 8000 Icons that can be stored in the cache file.

The Copy Files button will allow you to copy a file to a new location. Is feature is included so if Windows cannot run the Windows Explorer you can move files. There is also a button File Manager at the bottom of the Control Panel Tools section. This is a 16 bit program that you can use as a substitute for the Windows Explorer if the Explorer will not start.

BACKUP:
This section contains 4 buttons. The Save Current Files button allows the user to backup the current System files and Registry.

The Update the Safe button allows the user to move the current backup files to the Safe the next time the user clicks on the Save Current Files button.

The Cancel Update button cancels the command to move the current backup files to the Safe.

The Save Vmm32.vxd button allows the user to update the backup Vmm32.vxd file if  some software ever alters the file.

DISK TOOLS:
This section contains 9 utilities. It make easy access to the Windows, Scandisk, Defrag program, the MSDOS window, Hardware Diagnostic tool. Window Explorer and more. Below is a description of the few utilities you may not be familiar with.

The Microsoft Diagnostic button access the MSD program. The program will display information about your system configuration. It is recommend that this information be printed out either to a file or to hard copy for future use. This program is accessible from DOS by typing MSD at the WinSafe Prompt.

The Hardware Diagnostic button will display a detailed report of all the hardware installed on your system, including hardware with errors and a reason why it contains errors. In some cases it will display a suggestion for repair. NOTE that if you get a PCI error the repair is to disable the PCI slot in the Bios.

The Windows Explorer button access the backup copy in the WinSafe folder.

The Extract Files button will extract a file from the Windows cabinet files and place it in the Windows\Temp folder.

The Verify CheckSums button access the 16 bit version of the Microsoft Virus scanner. The scanner does not read files as does most virus scanners today but rather it read the checksum of the file. If the files checksum has checked then the file has been altered. You can use the program for determining if a file is corrupted. You will need to run the program and update it when ever you install new software so as to keep the Checksum information up to date.

The Run - End Tasks utility will allow you to start a program if the Windows Explorer cannot start. It can close a program (End Task), start a program (Run), shut down Windows and more. To End a task click on the task you wish to end, select "Windows" in the menu bar and then "End Task". To start a program select "File" from the menu bar item and then "Run Application". This is a very handy utility when the Windows Explorer crashes.

INFORMATION:
This section contains 9 utilities.

The Edit System Files button will quickly access and display the Autoexec.bat, Config.sys, System.ini, Win.ini, and Protocol.ini file all at once.

The Edit the Registry button accesses RegEdit to display the Registry.

The Review Bootlog button will access the bootlog. If you need to create a new bootlog you may do so by one of two means. The first is to reboot and just after you see the hard drives loaded and keyboard press the Ctrl button and hold it. If you have Windows 95 press the F8 button the moment you see "Starting Windows". The boot menu will be displayed, select number 2 "Log Boot". If you are unable to do this select "Boot Options" from the Menu Bar on the WinSafe interface. Then "Windows". Place a check mark in the box "Show Boot Menu", click on "Save These Settings" and reboot. The boot menu will be displayed. To hide the boot menu simply uncheck the "Show Boot Menu" box.

The Backup File Report button will display the current byte size of the Registry and the last backup size. By clicking on the "Yes" button you can view the size of each of the files that WinSafe has backed up and compare them to the current system files.

The System Information button accesses the Microsoft Information program.

Available Memory button will display a detail report of your system memory usage as of the moment you click on the button.

The Trouble Shooter will display the Windows Trouble Shooter help file.

The Compare Files button will allow you to see what changes have been made to the System.ini, Win.ini, Autoexec.bat, or Config.sys. Note: If a line is altered (modified) it will appear in both the added and deleted section of the report.

CONTROL PANEL:
This section contains button to easily access the Control Panel, Device Manger (System Properties) and other important Control Panel Applets.

WINDOWS TOOLS:
This section accesses several utilities that come with Windows 98 and Windows Millennium. The File Cleaner utility is only available if Plus! is installed. Most of this tools can also be accessed from the the System Information utility in the Information section.