System Restore Problem

[djmorgan]

I remember when system restore was first introduced by MS people said don't use it it's a hog, chews up disk space, bad for the environment etc etc.

I for one have found system restore to be stable and some times worth it's weight in gold, it's normally a precursor to me reinstalling a previously saved disk image.

If you get that many failures I'd look to some other cause, personally I can't recall it ever failing me and we use it in a commercial environment without issues.

It was not designed to re clone a disk or re-build an OS, it was designed to re-generate the registry and replace system files overwritten or removed for some reason, in doing that it has a position on my system

 

[youngharry]

Hi Chappy

It's not that I am using System Restore 'All the time' to get out of problems I have created on the pc - it's just that I like things to work! I have never needed to use System Restore on my Vista OS to get out of difficulty, but If I did need it I would want it to work properly.

I am not a 'newer user' either. I have been using pc's since MS.3.1 OS & have encountered (& fixed) most of the problems that occur.

My OS prior to this was XP Pro SP2 & 'System Restore' always worked when I needed it to. I am quite happy with Vista but if I don't find a solution to this problem it'l be 'Sods Law', that when I need it - it will fail.

The situation is that I am deliberately setting 'manual restore points' & doing 'system restores' to check if any of the fixes we have discussed sorts the problem, so far I have not achieved a single successful 'system restore'. I have used SFC Scannow with the original ms os disk inserted but this has not worked. I have also uninstalled AVG & Zonealarm but this does not seem to be the problem.

I think I will contact Uncle Bill at MS & ask his advice (oops sorry he retired didn't he).

I enjoy a challenge & nothing beats solving a problem like this, thats why I will carry on until I or someone else manages to do it.

Best Wishes to all of you

Harry

 

[edintrouble]

Hi Chappy

It's not that I am using System Restore 'All the time' to get out of problems I have created on the pc - it's just that I like things to work! I have never needed to use System Restore on my Vista OS to get out of difficulty, but If I did need it I would want it to work properly.

I am not a 'newer user' either. I have been using pc's since MS.3.1 OS & have encountered (& fixed) most of the problems that occur.

My OS prior to this was XP Pro SP2 & 'System Restore' always worked when I needed it to. I am quite happy with Vista but if I don't find a solution to this problem it'l be 'Sods Law', that when I need it - it will fail.

The situation is that I am deliberately setting 'manual restore points' & doing 'system restores' to check if any of the fixes we have discussed sorts the problem, so far I have not achieved a single successful 'system restore'. I have used SFC Scannow with the original ms os disk inserted but this has not worked. I have also uninstalled AVG & Zonealarm but this does not seem to be the problem.

I think I will contact Uncle Bill at MS & ask his advice (oops sorry he retired didn't he).

I enjoy a challenge & nothing beats solving a problem like this, thats why I will carry on until I or someone else manages to do it.

Best Wishes to all of you

Harry

guys just a quick word, I agree 100% with Harry on this issue and I could sign my name to his comments almost verbatim, as i have done what he has, but alas still no joy but will keep looking out for an answer,and post same,Harry email me if ya discover anything ,thanks to all for taking the time to reply
Eddie

 

[Chappy]

Hi youngharry

Understood!
Just had to make sure and the only way to do that is to ask right, so now I know your situation better and see why you're where you are.

@djmorgan - Yes it has helped many people, but almost none of them know exactly what Sys Restore does or doesn't do. In a way it's what it "Doesn't" do that can make it so unreliable to try a restore point over a week old. Since it doesn't take and replace a complete system snapshot, it leaves many file types as they were and that's where things can get ugly when someone has few failed restores or tries too old of a restore point.
We (I) did a very comprehensive and detailed study of System Restore on my other site and the numbers I came up with were pretty much mirrors of what other sites who tested Sys Restore were getting too. There are just too many different configuration options to have something like this work well across everyone's systems, so some will win while other will lose...big time in some cases.

Don't get me wrong tho, it's a great tool to have when needed but I think people should read & understand just what it's capable of doing and not doing before they ever use it...again because it's not a complete system snapshot & only monitors certain file types for changes.

I enjoy a challenge & nothing beats solving a problem like this, thats why I will carry on until I or someone else manages to do it.

Same here.., and I guess that can be said about almost everyone who ask questions at, or contribute too, Tech forums like this. We are the folk who discover probably 75% of the Problems & Fixes for MS and the other S'ware makers out there.

I have about the same issue with Vista's repair install (InPlace Upgrade now) feature. Whenever I needed and used that in XP, it worked Flawlessly almost every time! Yet now in Vista, I've tried it 5 times and 5 times it failed miserably. I was Beta testing Eset's ESS software and Comodo Firewall Pro V3 awhile back and due to some bugginess in the s'ware, I had to try a couple of Repair Installations. Again, while I worked with XP Pro SP1&2 for years and a number of times had to rebuild the installation for whatever reasons, it worked pretty much every time for me then, but in Vista that's altogether another story. It has yet to work for me and I've read about countless others who say the exact same thing.

These tools are great when they work, but frustrating and possibly Damaging when they don't...but that's Software 4 U!

 

[youngharry]

Hi Guys

Does anyone know where the system restore directory is on Vista? I cannot find it in c prog files or system32 & all the other obvious places. I have hidden files & folders showing & still cannot find it. I basically want to uninstall system restore or destroy or disable the program with the hope that I can re-install it from the original windows OS disk or sfc scannow. In other MS OS such as XP Pro I found that windows often regenerated faulty system programs if they were removed or destroyed.

I spent hours on the net at the weekend trawling through the other forums & it seems that everyone else is pretty much in the same boat as us (don't know how to really fix problem). It might be that MS will eventually release a fix.

I have put a small program online for download - a tool called 'System Restore Diagnostic tool'. This basically produces a text doc with a list of information about your System Restore Installation, registry keys etc. It hasn't helped me, but it might be of use to someone else.

4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download system_ restore_ dignostic_tool.zip

Another little tool that is uselful is called 'System Restore Point', You place the icon/program straight into C/prog files then right click it & in the context menu that pops up either click 'create shortcut' or click 'Add to Quick Launch' this will put the shortcut on your 'Desktop' or your 'Quick launch toolbar'. From then on all you need to do to create an instant restore point is click the icon. Most of you may already have it - but for anyone wanting it I have put it up for download. I have put SRP in a zip file up with 2 further zips inside, basically one is supposed to be for system 32 & the other system 64. I have found that either one works on my system 32 OS, but just in case take your pick.

4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download vista_system_restore_point.zip

Other than this I enclose a few links to other usefull forums.

System Restore in Windows Vista:

AumHa Forums • View forum - System Restore

If anyone knows about my above questions or has already tried this please post it up.

Best wishes to all of you

Harry