ConfigSafe Update Offers Precise Data Recovery

Imagine LAN's update goes beyond 'snapshot' utilities to remove only problem-creating software from Windows 98 and Me.

Stan Miastkowski, special to PCWorld.com

All Windows users know the drill. You've just installed a new software package or added new hardware and the required drivers, and suddenly Windows doesn't work right anymore.

If you're conscientious about making backups, you can restore your PC to where it was the last time you made a backup. Or you can use a "snapshot" utility such as Roxio's GoBack (a free download) or PowerQuest's Second Chance. (See "Hassle-Free Backups.")

But these solutions can only restore your PC to a specific point in time when everything was working correctly. Any applications you've installed and data files you've created will usually be lost. Imagine LAN says it has a better solution with ConfigSafe Complete Recovery, recently released in Version 4. The company claims this is the first recovery utility that can identify and remove only system components that are causing problems, while leaving working components intact.

Covering All Windows

The new version sells for $40 and works with Windows 98 and Me. The company says a version for Windows NT and 2000 will be available "within several months."

Imagine LAN says ConfigSafe now uses two system-tracking mechanisms. "Complete Snapshot" technology takes scheduled snapshots of the system configuration, and "System Monitor," which is activated whenever new hardware or software is installed, tracks all changes to the registry and file system.

ConfigSafe's full application tracking lets you completely remove (or keep) applications during a system restore, according to the company. It's also designed to remove all files and settings left behind by incomplete application uninstalls. Also new is data file tracking.

Something for the Registry

Imagine LAN also has introduced RegSafe Professional Edition, Version 2.0, a suite of advanced tools for registry editing, management, and restoration. The utility can be used in conjunction with ConfigSafe. The new version, which works with Windows 98, Me, NT, and 2000, sells for $95.

The utility lets you restore the registry from a command line, as well as from within Windows and DOS. The command-line option is the only method available to restore the registry on a Windows NT or 2000 system that has developed problems, according to the company.

RegSafe includes new management and comparison features, including the ability to find invalid registry paths.