BackInfo and RestInfo ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ The complete disk setup information recovery utility Version 1.22 1990, 1991 (c) KsofT Development Chief Data Recovery Co. P.O.Box 499, Nes-Ziona 70400, ISRAEL. Phone: +972-8-400070 FAX: +972-8-403295 BBS: +972-3-9667562 FidoNet: 2:403/138 SHAREWARE INFORMATION The BackInfo/RestInfo package is distributed as a shareware package. It is not a free program nor public domain. BackInfo / Restinfo requires registration for individual and commercial use. If you have found the package helpful and you created a BackInfo diskette for use in the future - you mast register it. Please refer to the registration form at the end of this document. BackInfo / RestInfo Page 1 ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ Introduction ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ The BackInfo/RestInfo package designed to help in recovering a crashed hard disks and return them to use in the easiest way. The BackInfo program will create a master system diskette (BackInfo Diskette) with all the needed information to recover the hard disk crash. The RestInfo program will attempt to recover the system with the information recorded on the BackInfo diskette. Validating programs ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ To validate that BackInfo and RestInfo programs are intact, please use McAfee's VALIDATE utility and compare the results with the ones listed here. If the validation codes mismatch - Don't use the programs and get yourself a fresh copy of the package. File Name: BACKINFO.EXE RESTINFO.EXE Size: 18,004 13,317 Date: 7-31-1991 7-31-1991 File Authentication: Check Method 1 - 888D B5B9 Check Method 2 - 11E2 04A8 Creating the master system diskette ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ To create the master system diskette you must follow these steps: 1. Format a new system diskette in drive A: by commanding "FORMAT A: /S" at the DOS prompt. 2. Make sure that your PATH statement is set correctly and points to the DOS directory where it can find important files. 3. Place both BackInfo and RestInfo in the same directory and run "BACKINFO" from the DOS prompt. The program will then write all needed information to the diskette. 4. Place a write protect tab on the diskette and put it in a safe place. The BackInfo diskette should be re-created every time you change your system configuration or after the following events: 1. Installation of a new hardware. 2. Low level format of the hard disk. 3. New DOS version installation. 4. Changes in the AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS. 5. Change in system paths. 6. Any other case of changing the boot process. BackInfo / RestInfo Page 2 ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ The information on the BackInfo diskette contains the following: 1. CMOS information (AT only). 2. Partition table. 3. Track 0 of the hard disk. 4. Boot record. 5. System files and command processor. 6. Startup files (AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS). 7. Device drivers listed in the config.sys file. 8. System configuration text file. 9. RestInfo program. 10. A new AUTOEXEC.BAT file to run RestInfo. This information may be manually restored, but only by a trained person. However, the RestInfo program should restore all this information correctly. Restoring information after a system crash ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ In case of a system crash or a hard disk boot failure, you should poll out the BackInfo diskette from it's safe place and follow these steps: 1. Make sore that your PC can boot from drive A. If it's an AT computer, make sure that the CMOS configuration is correct for drive A. 2. Place the BackInfo diskette in drive A: and boot your PC. The RestInfo program will automatically start in the AUTOPILOT mode. You'll be prompted if you like to continue in this mode. If you don't know nothing about recovering a crashed hard disk, just let restinfo do it's work and answer all questions with 'Y'. RestInfo will recover the system step-by-step and will boot the system after each step of recovering data. RestInfo will always prompt for Y/N if a disk write operation is about to accrue. It will never do anything without noting you first. After RestInfo will complete it's operation, it is most likely that your hard disk is back to it's normal state. After RestInfo ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ After RestInfo completed it's operation and restored the hard disk data, it is your responsibility to check the system to validate it. Compare the information in your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS to the one recorded on your BackInfo diskette. Check important device drives like DMDRVR.BIN and copy them from the BackInfo diskette, if necessary. BackInfo / RestInfo Page 3 ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ Warnings and Notes ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ þ The BackInfo system diskette should only be used on the system it was created on. Never use a BackInfo diskette on other systems. þ If problems accrued during the creation of the BackInfo diskette you should never try to restore from it. þ If BackInfo reports of files that were not copied to the diskette do it manually. If there is not enough free space in the diskette, copy them to a second diskette and keep it with the backInfo diskette. þ RestInfo is able to successfully restore a disk in about 95% of the cases. However - almost 100% of cases may be manually recovered by the information in the BackInfo diskette. þ On rare occasions RestInfo may not safely restore the information to the hard disk. In these occasions, it is in you're judgement to decide if to use RestInfo to recover the hard disk. The safe solution ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ If you want to play safe and don't want to get into the statistics of RestInfo failures, you should consult a pro about recovering your disk. There are some companies that actually does data recovery and can recover you disk information easily by using the RestInfo diskette. In USA you may consult the ONTRACK data recovery company, and in Israel you may consult Chief Data Recovery Company. Registration ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ To register Back/RestInfo you should fill the registration form at the end of this document and send it with a 25$ check or money order to: Chief Data Recovery Co. P.O.Box 499 Nes-Ziona 70400 ISRAEL When we'll receive your registration, we'll sent you the latest version of Back/RestInfo. Back/RestInfo Registration for Individual home use ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ Yes. I want to become a registered owner of the Back/RestInfo package. Please send me the latest version of the Back/RestInfo package. Name:_______________________________________________ Date:____________ Address:______________________________________________________________ Phone(s):______________________________ _____________________________ Computer type:________________________________________________________ Hard disk(s) type:____________________________________________________ DOS Version:__________________________________________________________ Please mark one option: __ I never had a disk crash __ I had a crash and recovered in myself. __ I had a crash and used a pro to recover it. __ I had a crash and couldn't recover it. Copies Amount BackInfo/RestInfo Registration $25 x ________ = $___________ Add $5 per package outside Israel . . . . . . . . $___________ T O T A L . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $___________ Payment by (Please mark one): ____ Check/Money Order No. ______________________ ( Please make checks payable to Chief Data Recovery Co. ) ____ Charge my Visa credit card: Card Number_______________________________________________________ Name on Card______________________________________________________ Exp. Date_________________________________________________________ Signature_(Must)__________________________________________________ Diskette format requested is ___ 5 1/4" ___ 3 1/2" Site licence registration is also available. Please connect Chief Data Recovery Co. for more information.