[quote="Blissy"]Specifically, we might try changing the jz at 76113F13 to jmp, since it is the last conditional branch before it sets that it is protected.[/quote]I tried this and it didn't work. System Restore didn't restore anything.
[quote="Blissy"]You know, I started to think about this and I seemed to remember that Windows ME (unlike 2k which had some files hardcoded) was fairly to easy to configure which files would be protected by sfp. So, I started to look into it a little and have configured sfpdb.sfp and filelist.xml files to only protect the dos command EDIT.COM. I would have removed everything, but when I did that it system restore fail to make restore points, so at least 1 file is needed. Instead of patching a .dll, which, by the way, could be overwritten by an update, this is probably an easier way to go about it, if you're willing to give it a try.
[/quote]I gave it a try, and it worked. No problems upgrading or downgrading files or anything. It seems System File Protection and System Restore go hand in hand at some point.[quote="Blissy"]You could patch the code to read data from a different .CAT file (and empty one) than it writes to when it does updates.[/quote]This is exactly what we might need. Can you give me a hand with this? If we combine this method with your other method using the modded FILELIST.XML we might just be able to get it working. I remember someone did something similar to this for Windows 2000/XP. I also learned that System Restore requires IE 5.5 or higher core files to work.

[quote="Non Hic"][quote="Blissy"]...when you booted normally, it had no drivers for the mouse of keyboard loaded, so it was impossible to click the "next" button on the driver installation dialog. Very frustrating...[/quote]
A fool's design, for sure! :lol:...[/quote]
That is indeed foolishly designed! This topic belongs in the "[url=http://www.foolsdesign.org/viewforum.php?f=1]Fool's design, editorials.[/url]", we should have moved it in here from the start. :!: :idea:

EDIT: Although, some topics become a little blurry, for example this one started as a story about a foolishly designed something and then moved into some Windows 98 help discussion within the replies. [b]That's not a problem though, [u]we will not tell people to "Keep on topic", that would be pure bullshit[/u]...[/b] but for categorizing a topic, we will use the original first post on each thread. Anyway, choosing the right category is not an exact science so we will have to giggle things into place in the start.

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionSystemFileProtection]
"SfpDbHash"=hex:12,02,22,78,30,b7,c5,44,98,d1,24,5e,c9,bb,98,c1,d3,d5,6d,ec
;

Do you know what this key means?

[code]REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionSystemFileProtection]
"SfpDbHash"=hex:12,02,22,78,30,b7,c5,44,98,d1,24,5e,c9,bb,98,c1,d3,d5,6d,ec
;[/code]

You have to start from the point before you installed system restore or it won't let you replace the files.

1. Download the latest SP for Windows 98 Second Edition http://www.htasoft.com/u98sesp/downloads.htm
2. Install Main Updates only and reboot.
3. Install all options except for Mdac 2.8 SP1 and reboot. This is only for testing purposes. All options are not required for System Restore, but some updated files are. I don't have a list ATM, so to avoid any future errors lets install everything.
4. Install Mdac 2.8 SP1 and reboot.
5. Follow the System Restore instructions I posted already.

Depending on how fast your system is, it should take approximately 20 min to install everything including reboots.

I followed your instructions, and additionally copied the vxdmon.vxd to systemvmm and when i rebooteded I got a SPFDLL.DLL linked to missing export WINTRUST.DLL:CryptCATAdminAcquireContext.

C:windows
undll.exe setupx.dll,InstallHinfSection PCHealth.Install 132 C:WINDOWSINFPCHealth.inf

Here we go,

Make sure you have MDAC and WMI installed on your Win98 system.
Copy ALL CAB files from the Win9x folder from the Windows ME CD.
Download the ZIP file and place all of the files in the same place where the Win ME CAB files are.
Copy the PCHEALTH.INF from the ZIP file to C:WindowsInf directory.
run this command
[code]C:windows undll.exe setupx.dll,InstallHinfSection PCHealth.Install 132 C:WINDOWSINFPCHealth.inf[/code]
ReBOOT.

Create a Restore Point.
Reboot.
Make some small changes.
Restore Point you created.

Clean install, no VM console. U98SESP3 with all updates installed. I believe you was on the right track with the last option.

Make certain you have 290700usam.exe installed from this knowledge base: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290700

You should be able to extract the file on windows 98 and install it by using:
290800usam.exe /C /T:C:Temp

Then navigate the the C:Temp folder and rightclick the .inf file and click install. I had to do it on ME to get it to be able to restore without getting that error.

Otherwise, tell me how I can set up a 98 install to get the same error. Do you have a vmware image I can work from?

I tried all steps and still got Restoration Was Unsuccessful :tired: One other thing, the SFC.DLL and SFPDLL.DLL are native to System Restore, which means there is no UPDATE to replace those 2 files. Thanks. If you want to quit that's fine, but with your help we have gotten a step closer. I have the utmost respect for you and thank you very much for your time and skills.

You know, I started to think about this and I seemed to remember that Windows ME (unlike 2k which had some files hardcoded) was fairly to easy to configure which files would be protected by sfp. So, I started to look into it a little and have configured sfpdb.sfp and filelist.xml files to only protect the dos command EDIT.COM. I would have removed everything, but when I did that it system restore fail to make restore points, so at least 1 file is needed. Instead of patching a .dll, which, by the way, could be overwritten by an update, this is probably an easier way to go about it, if you're willing to give it a try.

[attachment=0]unsfp.zip[/attachment]
wfp by default protects the filelist.xml file, so here is how to install it without booting to DOS and overwriting both files at once:

1. Check the "Disable System Restore" checkbox in system properties -> troubleshooting -> filesystem
2. reboot
3. overwrite %windir%systemsfpsfpdb.sfp to remove protection for files (including filelist.xml)
4. reboot
5. overwrite %windir%system estorefilelist.xml to remove system restore's protecting sfp files
6. Uncheck the "Disable System Restore" checkbox in system properties -> troubleshooting -> filesystem
7. reboot to rebuild the _restorevxdmon.dat file which system restore actually uses.

Once finished you should have a working system restore and a system that is only protecting the dos executable %windir%EDIT.COM.