[jaydee888]

What kind of LiveCD distributions are you talking about?

I got these from tweaking.com

Here are 3 examples of how to create easy to use bootable Live USB drives

1. Universal USB Installer – Easy as 1 2 3 - http://www.pendrivel...-easy-as-1-2-3/ "Universal USB Installer is a Live Linux USB Creator that allows you to choose from a selection of Linux Distributions to put on your USB Flash Drive. The Universal USB Installer is easy to use. Simply choose a Live Linux Distribution, the ISO file, your Flash Drive and, Click Install."

2. UNetbootin - http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/ UNetbootin allows you to create bootable Live USB drives for Ubuntu, Fedora, and other Linux distributions without burning a CD. It runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X.

3. YUMI – Multiboot USB Creator (Windows) http://www.pendrivel...ot-usb-creator/ "It can be used to create a Multiboot USB Flash Drive containing multiple operating systems, antivirus utilities, disc cloning, diagnostic tools, and more."

PS: About my question on backing up using System State. What are your feelings on that?

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For ERUNT, it says that I've to turn off System Restore when I'm using it. I like to know if this is also true for Registry Backup.

I have XP pro and you don't have to mess with system restore.
I have mine set to backup everyday and never had a problem.

Go with ERUNT, can even be access when the computer won't boot.

MrC

I usually put my PC on hibernation on a long stretch and boot up once in 3 to 4 days. Does this screw up the daily backup schedule of ERUNT?

[jaydee888]

For ERUNT, it says that I've to turn off System Restore when I'm using it. I like to know if this is also true for Registry Backup.

I have XP pro and you don't have to mess with system restore.
I have mine set to backup everyday and never had a problem.

Go with ERUNT, can even be access when the computer won't boot.

MrC

I usually put my PC on hibernation on a long stretch and boot up once in 3 to 4 days. Does this screw up the daily backup schedule of ERUNT?

[MrCharlie]

No, it will only back up the registry once a day when you first boot up......here's the whole tutorial:

http://maddoktor2.co...ic,46889.0.html

MrC

[godawgs]

ERUNT only backs up the registry. The System State data comprises the registry, COM+ Class Registration database, files under Windows File Protection, and boot files. So while it includes more data, you can't get to it if the system won't boot and like MrCharlie said...You can use ERUNT even when the system won't boot.

As for the LiveCD, it might help to know what you are trying to do.

[jaydee888]

ERUNT only backs up the registry. The System State data comprises the registry, COM+ Class Registration database, files under Windows File Protection, and boot files. So while it includes more data, you can't get to it if the system won't boot and like MrCharlie said...You can use ERUNT even when the system won't boot.

As for the LiveCD, it might help to know what you are trying to do.

So, System State is not very useful, just like System Restore, IF one cannot get the PC to boot. When you mean 'boot', do you mean Windows booting or something else?

On the question of LiveCD, I've PE Bart already, but was thinking of getting a LiveCD on a USB instead of a CD. The purpose of the LiveCD for me is to access the hard drives. For example, if I've used ERUNT to backup my Registry, but on a USB hard disk instead of the usual C:\Windows\, I will use the LiveCD to access Erdnt backup that is on the USB hard disk and execute the registry restore. Does this make sense to you?

[godawgs]

So, System State is not very useful, just like System Restore, IF one cannot get the PC to boot. When you mean 'boot', do you mean Windows booting or something else?

I mean Windows not booting into Normal mode.

On the question of LiveCD, I've PE Bart already, but was thinking of getting a LiveCD on a USB instead of a CD. The purpose of the LiveCD for me is to access the hard drives. For example, if I've used ERUNT to backup my Registry, but on a USB hard disk instead of the usual C:\Windows\, I will use the LiveCD to access Erdnt backup that is on the USB hard disk and execute the registry restore. Does this make sense to you?

I'm sorry but that doesn't make sense. The whole purpose of ERUNT being put in the C:\Windows directory is so that you can get to it if Windows won't boot normally. If the registry is the problem and you have set ERUNT up correctly there isn't any need to have it on a USB drive.

Read the links that MrCharlie gave you. For the complete ERUNT documentation click here. If you read all of it I think you will see how ERUNT accesses the backups even when Windows won't boot.

[jaydee888]

Thanks. I've read the documentation on ERUNT.

I've the following fresh questions:

1. Can ERUNT be used manually? Meaning, I only use it to backup the registry before I install a new software. That also mean that I may used ERUNT manually on the same day a few times, if on that day, I installed a few software. I've configured to install Windows update manually and would like to backup the registry before I install any Windows update. I know that Windows update will create a Restore Point before it install but I can use ERUNT as a fall-back.

2. What is the difference between ERUNT and ERUNTgui? I've googled and I found out they're different products.

[MrCharlie]

1. Can ERUNT be used manually?

Yes it can, just run ERUNT.EXE as many times as you want.
Auto backups and regular backups are stored in 2 different folders.


2. What is the difference between ERUNT and ERUNTgui? I've googled and I found out they're different products.

I never used it and seems you don't need it.

Being this is XP, do you have the recovery console installed or have it on a cd??

MrC

[godawgs]

1. Can ERUNT be used manually? Meaning, I only use it to backup the registry before I install a new software. That also mean that I may used ERUNT manually on the same day a few times, if on that day, I installed a few software. I've configured to install Windows update manually and would like to backup the registry before I install any Windows update. I know that Windows update will create a Restore Point before it install but I can use ERUNT as a fall-back.

ERUNT can be used manually. I just don't see the need to run it several times a day. First off, I always create a restore point before installing any new software. This backs up not only registry settings but all of the system settings. So if something goes wrong I can restore those settings. ERUNT will not do that. It is just a registry backup.
I always create a restore point of my own before installing Windows Updates so if something goes wrong with the the update and the restore point that Update created doesn't work I will have a backup to fall back on...and I've never had a problem if I had to use that backup.
But the point is...if a software installation or a windows update messes up, using ERUNT to restore the registry will not restore the other system settings that the software installation or the update might have changed. And if Windows still boots up normally there is no need to restore the ERUNT registry backup.
System Restore is still you best option in those cases.
IF you make a change to the system, any change, and then it won't boot into normal windows, there is a possibility that something got changed in the registry that is preventing the normal boot up and assuming that you haven't been infected with malware or a virus (cause that can cause the system to stop booting also) then restoring the registry to the one that was working when you first booted up or backed it up makes sense. But you only need one registry backup for that day when you knew the system booted up OK.

2. What is the difference between ERUNT and ERUNTgui? I've googled and I found out they're different products.

ERUNTgui is just a graphical user interface to use with ERUNT.

ERUNTgui is a graphic user interface for the popular registry backup and restore program "ERUNT" created by Lars Hederer.
The reason for creating "ERUNTgui" is to place all the modules that make up the original "ERUNT" utility in to one user interface, making the program easier to use.

As far as I know the only ERUNT modules are ERUNT (used to back the registry up) and NTREGOPT. NTREGOPT is a registry optimizer that GTG does not recommend. We don't recommend any registry cleaners or optimizers. We've never found them to do anything to speed the system up and if used improperly they will break the registry and turn your computer into an expensive door stop.
I've never used ERUNTgui since ERUNT has all of the provisions for running it and restoring the registry if need be. And if windows won't boot up you couldn't get to it anyway so learning how to use the GUI (nothing more that a program window) wouldn't do you any good. You are better off learning how to use ERUNT the way the ERUNT documentation says to. I have the documentation printed out so that if I ever need to restore the ERUNT backup I will have it in front of me.

It just seems to me that you are thinking ERUNT will do something it was not designed to do.

[jaydee888]

1. Can ERUNT be used manually?

Yes it can, just run ERUNT.EXE as many times as you want.
Auto backups and regular backups are stored in 2 different folders.


2. What is the difference between ERUNT and ERUNTgui? I've googled and I found out they're different products.

I never used it and seems you don't need it.

Being this is XP, do you have the recovery console installed or have it on a cd??

MrC

I really appreciate your help and explanation.

I've been wondering about Recovery Console and whether or not I've it or not. You see, I've a legit license of XP Pro, but the CD given to me when I bought the license, it is the one which says Upgrade from Windows 95 or Windows 98, I could not remember which. So, I'm not sure if the CD contains the Recovery Console or not. I also do not remember how to get into the Recovery Console using the CD. I cannot remember if I've ever tried using Recovery Concole mode or not. But I've a BartPE CD, which I created before and had used it once when my hard disk died on me.

What do you suggest I do? Of course, I prefer to use BartPE or some LiveCD distro, because I'm not Dos Prompt command line savvy at all, but if push comes to shove, I can learn dos prompt, but I need to prepare for eventuality, as I intend to use a software that Virustotal.com flagged some nasties, which I'm not sure if it is false-positive or not, but I may use Sandboxie, but right now, I've no budget for it, so I'm going ahead to use the software and take the chance.

[jaydee888]

1. Can ERUNT be used manually? Meaning, I only use it to backup the registry before I install a new software. That also mean that I may used ERUNT manually on the same day a few times, if on that day, I installed a few software. I've configured to install Windows update manually and would like to backup the registry before I install any Windows update. I know that Windows update will create a Restore Point before it install but I can use ERUNT as a fall-back.

ERUNT can be used manually. I just don't see the need to run it several times a day. First off, I always create a restore point before installing any new software. This backs up not only registry settings but all of the system settings. So if something goes wrong I can restore those settings. ERUNT will not do that. It is just a registry backup.
I always create a restore point of my own before installing Windows Updates so if something goes wrong with the the update and the restore point that Update created doesn't work I will have a backup to fall back on...and I've never had a problem if I had to use that backup.
But the point is...if a software installation or a windows update messes up, using ERUNT to restore the registry will not restore the other system settings that the software installation or the update might have changed. And if Windows still boots up normally there is no need to restore the ERUNT registry backup.
System Restore is still you best option in those cases.
IF you make a change to the system, any change, and then it won't boot into normal windows, there is a possibility that something got changed in the registry that is preventing the normal boot up and assuming that you haven't been infected with malware or a virus (cause that can cause the system to stop booting also) then restoring the registry to the one that was working when you first booted up or backed it up makes sense. But you only need one registry backup for that day when you knew the system booted up OK.

Hey thanks for the explanation. This brings me back to my initial question. Is System Restore EXACTLY similar to System State backup, provided under Windows Backup Utility? I've had done System Restore many times in the past and recently too and I can attest to the fact that some times System Restore takes ages, because it has to shutdown system first, then save settings, then logoff and then do the restore. After restore, it may not startup, but hang at logoff, even though a forced boot confirms it did a successful restore, and some times, you need to go into F8 and click last good configuration.

So, I was thinking aloud that perhaps doing a System State backup would be faster, simpler and more consistent in its behavour when you restore the System State, instead of using System Restore, BUT I'm not sure if System State is EXACTLY similar to System Restore, or it is just a sub-set of it.

[godawgs]

Here is a link to system state backup VS system restore. It was taken from archived posts in the Microsoft WindpwsXP users forum. I hope this will help you decide.

link

[jaydee888]

Here is a link to system state backup VS system restore. It was taken from archived posts in the Microsoft WindpwsXP users forum. I hope this will help you decide.

link

THANKS!

So, I may be on the mark if I slot the various ways of backup and restore based on the following gravity:

least
-----

ERUNT (and similar utilities, like RegBack, Registry Backup)
System State
System Restore
Automated System Restore (ASR)
Cloning (like Norton Ghost, Acronis TrueImage)

most
----

[MrCharlie]

Here's a perfect example of the importance of having ERUNT on a XP machine:

http://forums.malwar...howtopic=125907

I helped this guy recently with the Ransomware malware (FBI malware) and when we were done he took my advice to install ERUNT with auto-backup.

After trying to uninstall Mcafee antivirus with Revo uninstaller, the computer would no longer boot.

Had him boot up with OTLPE, ran ERUNT to restore the registry and he was back in business.

-----------------------------

The Recovery CD is good to have on hand:

http://artellos.com/arcdc-page

Active@ ISO Burner (if you need a program to burn an ISO)
http://www.ntfs.com/iso-burning.htm

MrC