Using System Restore Points and/or 3rd Party Imaging Software

I use System Restore and only had to use it twice since Windows 7 was released. I use Macrium Reflex Free for my OS partition and Working partition about once a Month or before a major update. I also use SyncToy for my Pics and Video disc which changes a lot.

Jim

I use Restore Points and Acronis True Image Home.

Although I must point out that I hardly ever need to utilize Restore Points, because I use Virtual PC with a Windows 7 installation on it when I test new software. Only when I happy that the new software functions as desired do I install it into Prometheus.

I always create a new Acronis Image of my system drive before I install new Windows updates for just in case any new updates stuff up the system. I find restoring from an image is easier than trying to remove a bad update.

I don't make the messes I used to experimenting with stuff, I use VirtualBox a lot now and if I know something I'm playing with may foul things up on the 'real' machine I usually create 2 or 3 new restore points before-hand just in case and if it gets out of hand I have images created using Paragon HDM 2010 Suite I can lay down.

I use System Restore Points except on the SSD, Acronis free for Seagate and WD, Macrium Reflect on one notebook.

Even though I've had SR fail a few times it's nice to have, image backups when it doesn't work.

System restore points have other uses than just doing a system restore.

1. Windows 7 uses them in the previous versions tab in properties along with backups.
2. Using the free Shadow Explorer you can recover any file in them.

Windows 7 images can also be used to recover individual files either by mounting the VHD using Disk Management or even more simply by opening them as an archive with the free 7zip program.