Using VRDB?

[beerslayer]

Hi, all -

I have a bit of a problem that I hope someone here can help me with...

My PC is set up for dual-boot, which means I can boot Windows 98 and Windows 2000 from C: and D:, respectively.  I normally use Windows 2000 since it is (hopefully) more secure, so I haven't booted Windows 98 in quite some time.  I have Avast 4 installed separately (in different directories on different hard drives) for each operating system, but of course the virus database and VRDB for Windows 98 haven't been updated since the last time I booted Windows 98 and connected to the Internet.

A few days ago, I tried to boot Windows 98 and got only a command prompt - no GUI.  When I checked, I noticed that CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT were both missing, and MSDOS.SYS had 0 bytes in it.  I suspect that, despite my best precautions, something malicious may have gotten at these files and, thinking they were the only OS files worth bothering with, deleted them.  (Thank goodness my Windows 2000 installation wasn't disturbed!)

So here are my questions:
1) Does the VRDB generated by avast running under Windows 98 contain any information about these files?  Or does it only store info about executables?
2) Assuming 'yes' for #1, can I use avast running under Windows 2000 to retrieve this information from the Windows 98 copy of avast, so that I can restore the files under Windows 98?  Remember that I cannot currently boot Windows 98 successfully.
3) Does the VRDB generated by avast running under Windows 2000 contain any information about these files that belong to Windows 98?  I know it's unlikely but I have to ask.
4) How do I access (browse) the information stored in the VRDB?  Is this even possible?  How does one use the VRDB manually?  I can find no way to do this in avast's interface.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer...

-- Jeff
-- aka The Eternal Newbie

[Eddy]

The VRDB is only for the OS Avast is installed on. So it is not gonna help you restoring the 98 boot. Depending on how much 98 is damaged, you may face a restore install of it.

I think best is to restore 98 (or if it works only it's boot), then repair the multi boot.

[beerslayer]

The VRDB is only for the OS Avast is installed on. So it is not gonna help you restoring the 98 boot.

OK, that answers question #3.  Thanks.

Anyone out there have an answer to questions #1, #2, and #4?  I would especially like an answer to #4, since I'd like to see for myself what information is stored in the VRDB and have the option of restoring individual files based on that information if possible.

[Lisandro]

1) Does the VRDB generated by avast running under Windows 98 contain any information about these files?  Or does it only store info about executables?

To know more about VRDB, can you browse a litte the FAQ on my signature.
VRDB is only for some viruses recovery.
It's not a backup, it cannot restore a missing a file.

2) Assuming 'yes' for #1, can I use avast running under Windows 2000 to retrieve this information from the Windows 98 copy of avast, so that I can restore the files under Windows 98?  Remember that I cannot currently boot Windows 98 successfully.

Indeed, the answer for #1 is 'not' and the #2 will be 'not' too  :'(

3) Does the VRDB generated by avast running under Windows 2000 contain any information about these files that belong to Windows 98?  I know it's unlikely but I have to ask.

The same...

4) How do I access (browse) the information stored in the VRDB?  Is this even possible?  How does one use the VRDB manually?  I can find no way to do this in avast's interface.

You cannot 'browse' these information. It's handled while recovering from a virus infection. Anyway, you can run (create) VRDB manually, just click on the 'i' icon on the system tray or on the menu item of the 'a' icon called VRDB.

I think nobody stole that files from you. Maybe some patch of Windows 2000 change them... Anyway, better solution is from Eddy: reinstall 98 over the old installation and, after, repair the boot manager.

[igor]

Actually, VRDB scans all the local hard disks for executable files and stores some info about them. So, it doesn't care if the files belong to Win98, Win2000, or to a third-party application (as long as it is able to access the files - i.e. NTFS partitions certainly won't be scanned from Win98 OS).
The rest, however, is true - VRDB is not a backup system, the stored information is very small (not the whole files). Besides, only Win32 executables are processed - i.e. autoexec.bat and config.sys aren't there anyway.

Regarding the files themselves - couldn't you simply copy the files from another computer (from somebody having Win98)? Config.sys and Autoexec.bat shouldn't contain much info on a Win98 system anyway (i.e. the system should work even when they're empty, unless you have some strange hardware), and msdos.sys should be mostly the same on every computer (you may have to edit the path to the OS, but that should be all).
I can send you examples of these files, if you're interested.

[beerslayer]

Actually, VRDB scans all the local hard disks for executable files and stores some info about them. So, it doesn't care if the files belong to Win98, Win2000, or to a third-party application.

OK, this is the sort of information I was looking for.  I was under the mistaken impression that the VRDB was essentially a backup copy of some critical system files, not that it concerned all executables anywhere on the drive.  I wondered what it was storing in over 11 MB of disk space its data file is taking up!

However, I'd say that my original concept (storing backup copies of certain critical system files) might be a worthwhile addition as well - would make system recovery a lot easier, especially on OS versions that do not include Microsoft's own System Restore (i.e. Windows 2000, Windows 98).  Not that System Restore is all that great... on my sister's PC, System Restore happily backed up all sorts of files that were already infected...

Regarding the files themselves - couldn't you simply copy the files from another computer (from somebody having Win98)?

I have another computer from which I can copy the files, and I probably will now that I know that information isn't preserved by avast (I was hoping it wouldn't be necessary).  However, I'm not convinced that a disappearing config.sys, autoexec.bat, and msdos.sys are the only things preventing this OS from booting now.  I'm worried that there may be other critical system files that have been removed.  I may have to do a clean install (assuming I can even find my Windows 98 CD!) anyway just to be sure that I have a complete OS.

At any rate, thanks to Igor and all who responded for clearing up my misconceptions about the VRDB - I had completely misunderstood its purpose.

-- Jeff
-- aka The Eternal Newbie

[Lisandro]

However, I'd say that my original concept (storing backup copies of certain critical system files) might be a worthwhile addition as well - would make system recovery a lot easier, especially on OS versions that do not include Microsoft's own System Restore (i.e. Windows 2000, Windows 98).  Not that System Restore is all that great... on my sister's PC, System Restore happily backed up all sorts of files that were already infected...

Igor, can't this be done by Chest instead of VRDB?

[Eddy]

NTFS partitions certainly won't be scanned from Win98 OS

What happens if you have NTFS reader(/writer) software installed like the one from Sysinternals? Will the VRDB generator read NTFS from within 98(se) than?

[igor]

Igor, can't this be done by Chest instead of VRDB?

Well, yes, the Chest has the whole of the files - so if autoexec.bat, config.sys etc. were backed up there, it would be possible to restore them. However, we don't want to turn avast! into a backup program...
I mean, there are hundreds of files whose corruption would make the operating system unfunctional. Backing up all the files will certainly need a lot of disk space... A decent backup program (storing the files to an external medium!) is certainly safer...

NTFS partitions certainly won't be scanned from Win98 OS

What happens if you have NTFS reader(/writer) software installed like the one from Sysinternals? Will the VRDB generator read NTFS from within 98(se) than?

Yes, it will.

[Lisandro]

Well, yes, the Chest has the whole of the files - so if autoexec.bat, config.sys etc. were backed up there, it would be possible to restore them. However, we don't want to turn avast! into a backup program...
I mean, there are hundreds of files whose corruption would make the operating system unfunctional. Backing up all the files will certainly need a lot of disk space... A decent backup program (storing the files to an external medium!) is certainly safer...

Sure, but you can publish a list of 'most infected system files' for instance.
The user can manually add the files he(she) wants.
Is it possible?