Restoring Files and Software

    This chapter helps resolve simple problems like recovering a deleted file and more complex problems like getting your computer operating again when it is not working properly.

    Gateway GoBack and the Gateway Recovery CD are two important tools available to help you recover from computer problems.

    If you have Windows 98, use Gateway GoBack when you have deleted a file that you want to recover. Or, if you have trouble starting Windows when you recently added software, use Gateway GoBack to return the computer to a working condition. For more information about recovering files, see "Using Gateway GoBack".

    If Gateway GoBack does not help you resolve the problem and you have tried other troubleshooting solutions described in "Troubleshooting", then you may need to reinstall Windows. Find out more about reinstallation options in "Reinstalling Windows 98".

About Gateway GoBack

    Gateway GoBack is a program that lets you go back, or revert your computer, to recover deleted files, undo changes to programs or files, or return your operating system to an earlier state. It does this by reserving part of your hard drive to store information and data each time you make a change or when there is no activity on your hard drive. When your hard drive changes, Gateway GoBack automatically creates Safe Points that you can revert your computer to.

      Important

      Gateway GoBack cannot recover files or programs from a hard drive that has mechanical problems. To ensure against losing data because of hard drive failure, you should back up your data using a tape backup unit or high capacity disks.

      You can return your computer to the way it was five minutes ago, an hour ago, or even a week ago by reverting your entire hard drive to a Safe Point, restoring individual files, or undoing individual changes.

      If you... see...
      • Deleted a file by mistake
      • Saved over a file by mistake

      "Recovering a file".

      • Installed a program or made a change to a file and your computer is not working as it used to
      • Downloaded a virus to your computer from the Internet
      • Deleted an important system file

      "Going back to an earlier hard drive state".

      • Are not able to start Windows

      "Using GoBack if your computer will not start".

      • Plan to upgrade or reinstall your operating system
      • Need to repartition or reformat your drive

      "Disabling Gateway GoBack".

      • Need to start up from a diskette

      "Starting your computer using a diskette".

    Using Gateway GoBack

      If you have never used Gateway GoBack before, you may want to view the short video in the program that explains what Gateway GoBack is and how to use it. To start the video, double-click the GoBack icon on your desktop, then click Watch a short video to learn more about Gateway GoBack and how to use it in the Gateway GoBack Main Menu dialog box.

      Gateway GoBack is not supported on drives compressed with a disk-level compression utility such as DriveSpace or DoubleSpace. However, Gateway GoBack is compatible with file-level compression utilities such as PKZIP, WINZIP, and ARJ.

      If you use Norton Speed Disk, make sure that hidden and system files are marked as "unmovable" in Speed Disk's performance option. See the Norton Speed Disk documentation for instructions on how to make those files unmovable.

      If Gateway GoBack does not fix a problem and you have tried the troubleshooting techniques in this guide, then you may need to reinstall Windows and device drivers using the System Recovery CD. See the System Recovery CD documentation for instructions.

    Recovering a file

      Use this procedure to restore a deleted file or a previous version of a file.

    To recover a file:

      1. Double-click the GoBack icon on your desktop. The Gateway GoBack Main Menu dialog box opens.

      1. Click Recover a deleted file, or get back an earlier version of a file. The Gateway GoBack File Recovery window opens.

      2. From the File menu, select the hard drive where the file you want to recover was located.

      3. Click the file that you want to recover.

      4. Click Recover To.

      5. Save the recovered file in a new location on your hard drive.

    Going back to an earlier hard drive state

      If your computer has stopped working properly because of a software problem, a change in setting, or a virus, you can use Gateway GoBack to revert to a point before the problem started.

    To revert your hard drive:

      1. Double-click the GoBack icon on your desktop. The Gateway GoBack Main Menu dialog box opens.

      2. Click Revert your entire hard disk to a time in the past, or view your hard drive as it was before. The Gateway GoBack Drive window opens.

      1. From the File menu, select the hard drive that you want to revert.

      2. Review the event list to see events that made changes to your computer such as saving or deleting files or installing or deleting programs.
        Each event has an icon in the left column of the event list that shows what kind of event it is. See "Working with the Event List" in the online help for information about the event icons.

      1. Select a time on the calendar and clock that you want to revert your hard drive to. Gateway GoBack selects the safe point that is nearest to that time.

      2. Click Revert Drive. Gateway GoBack restarts your computer and sets your hard drive up as it was at the safe point.

    Using GoBack if your computer will not start

      If your computer crashes or Windows has trouble starting, you can still use Gateway GoBack to return your computer to an earlier working state.

      If you have more than one hard drive protected by Gateway GoBack, all of the protected drives are reverted to the same point.

    To revert your hard drive so you can start Windows:

      1. Start your computer. During startup, the Gateway GoBack screen opens.
      1. Press the spacebar. The GoBack Boot Menu dialog box opens.

      1. Click Revert Drive. Gateway GoBack searches the hard drive, then a dialog box displays the safe points.

      2. Select the safe point that Gateway GoBack recommends.
        - OR -
        Select a time before or after the recommended time.
      1. When Gateway GoBack asks you if you want to proceed, click Yes. Gateway GoBack reverts your hard drive and restarts your computer.

      If your computer does not start correctly, repeat this procedure and revert your hard drive to an earlier safe point.

    Disabling Gateway GoBack

      You can disable Gateway GoBack either during startup or when Windows is running.

        Caution

        When you disable Gateway GoBack, all of the information about your computer that Gateway GoBack has tracked is discarded. You will only be able to revert your hard drive or retrieve files from the information that Gateway GoBack creates after it is enabled again.

        Disable Gateway GoBack before you:

      Reload or upgrade Windows
      Start your computer and access files using an alternate operating system
      Use the System Recovery CD to partition or format your drive
      Use the System Recovery CD to reinstall your operating system and hardware drivers.

      To disable Gateway GoBack:

        1. Start your computer.

        2. If you want to disable during startup, press the spacebar when the Gateway GoBack screen opens, then click Disable GoBack.
          - OR -
          If you want to disable Gateway GoBack while in Windows, double-click the GoBack icon, click Options, then click Disable GoBack.

        After you disable Gateway GoBack, you will see a message each time you turn on your computer reminding you that GoBack is disabled. The message dialog box also gives you the option to enable Gateway GoBack and resume tracking changes to your hard drive.

      Clearing Gateway GoBack history

        If you do not want anyone to see what has been on your computer (for example, when you are working on confidential documents) you can clear Gateway GoBack's history.

          Caution

          When you clear your Gateway GoBack history file, all history data is deleted. You will only be able to revert your hard drive or retrieve files from the history file that Gateway GoBack creates after it is enabled again.

        To clear Gateway GoBack history:

          1. Double-click the GoBack icon. The Gateway GoBack Main Menu dialog box opens.

          2. Click Options.

          3. Click the History tab.

          4. Click Clear GoBack History.

        Starting your computer using a diskette

          Some programs and games require you to start (boot) your computer using a special diskette. Gateway GoBack lets you use this diskette and still maintain Gateway GoBack protection.

        To start your computer using a diskette:

          1. Start your computer. During startup, the Gateway GoBack screen opens.

          2. Press the spacebar. The GoBack Boot Menu dialog box opens.

          3. Insert the program or game diskette into the diskette drive, then click Boot from floppy. Your computer starts using the diskette.

              Caution

              If you start your computer with a diskette, you must select the Boot from floppy option or you will not be able to access your GoBack-protected hard drives.

          Changing Gateway GoBack's storage capacity and location

            If you want to adjust the amount of space allocated to Gateway GoBack history storage or change the location where Gateway GoBack stores this information, you need to uninstall and reinstall Gateway GoBack.

            During installation, you will need to set aside part of your hard drive so that Gateway GoBack can store data. If you select Easy Install when you install Gateway GoBack, you set aside approximately 10 percent of your hard drive for Gateway GoBack to use.

              Caution

              When you uninstall Gateway GoBack, all of the information about your computer that Gateway GoBack tracked is discarded. You will only be able to revert your hard drive or retrieve files from the information that Gateway GoBack creates after it is reinstalled again.

              Approximately one week's data can be stored with this setting. However, the amount of drive information that Gateway GoBack can store depends on how much you use the computer, so you may need to set aside a larger part of your hard drive for storage.

            To uninstall and reinstall Gateway GoBack:

              1. Click Start, then select Settings, then Control Panel. The Control Panel opens.

              2. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove Programs dialog box opens.

              3. Select GoBack from the list, then click Add/Remove.

              4. Follow the on-screen instructions. Gateway GoBack restarts your computer.

              5. Place the System Recovery CD in the CD drive.

              6. Follow the installation instructions that came with the System Recovery CD. The setup wizard guides you through the installation process.
                After Gateway GoBack is installed, the GoBack icon appears on your desktop and in the status area of your taskbar.

            Updating your Gateway GoBack software

              Gateway GoBack can automatically check the Internet for updates to the program.

            To have Gateway GoBack check for updates:

              1. Double-click the GoBack icon on your desktop. The Gateway GoBack Main Menu dialog box opens.

              2. Click Options.

              3. Click the Internet tab.

              4. Select Periodically check the Internet for important GoBack information or updates.

              5. On the Internet tab, either click View Updates to view information about the latest updates or click Visit the Gateway Web site to view Gateway's home page.

              6. Click OK.

            Getting help

              If you need more information on how to use Gateway GoBack, you can get Gateway GoBack online help by:

            Clicking Help in the Gateway GoBack Main Menu dialog box.
            Selecting a help option from the Help menu in the Gateway GoBack Drive window.

            Reinstalling Windows 98

              If you have tried Gateway GoBack or other troubleshooting solutions described in "Troubleshooting" and they do not help you resolve your computer problems, then you should reinstall Windows.

              The Gateway Recovery CD lets you reinstall Windows and other software back to the original Gateway configuration. Insert the Gateway Recovery CD and restart your computer. Follow the instructions included with the Gateway Recovery CD.

                Caution

                Before using the Gateway Recovery CD make sure that you back up all important personal files that are on your hard drive. When you use the Gateway Recovery CD, it deletes all of your files that are on your hard drive. See "Backing up files" for more information about creating backup files.

              Reinstalling Windows 98 device drivers

                You need to reinstall device drivers if asked to do so while troubleshooting or if you see a message indicating that there is a problem with a device driver.

                If you just reinstalled Windows 98 using the Gateway Recovery CD, the device drivers are automatically reinstalled and you do not need to follow the instructions in this section.

              To reinstall Windows 98 device drivers:

                1. Place the Gateway Recovery CD in the CD drive. The Gateway Recovery CD program starts.
                  If the program does not start automatically, then double-click the My Computer icon, double-click the CD drive icon, then double-click the cow-spotted box icon.
                1. Click the Install Hardware tab and follow the on-screen instructions.
                  Depending on the driver you are reinstalling, you may only need to restart your computer to complete the installation. However, if a setup wizard opens when you restart your computer, follow the on-screen instructions.

              Reinstalling programs

                If you are having problems running a program, you can reinstall it from the Gateway Recovery CD or from a program CD.

              To reinstall software from the Gateway Recovery CD:

                1. Place the Gateway Recovery CD in your CD drive. The Gateway Recovery CD program starts.
                  If the program does not start automatically, double-click the My Computer icon, double-click your CD drive icon, then double-click the cow-spotted box icon.

                1. Click the Install Software tab.

                2. Select the programs you want to reinstall and follow the on-screen instructions.
                  Depending on the programs you are reinstalling, you may only need to restart your computer to complete the reinstallation. However, for some reinstallations, you may also need to use a setup wizard after your computer restarts. If a setup wizard opens when you restart your computer, follow the on-screen instructions.

              To reinstall a program from a CD:

                1. Place the program CD in your CD drive.

                2. Complete the reinstallation by following the instructions included with the CD.