Windows 7: System Restore question (hopefully simple)

Hello- I've been on Google for an hour and checked 4 pages on here but do not see a duplicate thread so i'll post.

New system 64 bit. Why does system restore not create automatic restore points? I've had the system running out of the box for 3 weeks and installed many things - not 1 restore pt. created.

I did see where folks say "Scroll down until you see Volume Shadow copy and make sue it'd stated" I did that yesterday. Will SR 'kick in' or is this the way Windows 7 is designed?

I can create them fine manually BTW

TIA folks.

okay.. I just read "Windows 7 does not auto-create unless no other restore point set in last 7 days."

Does that mean now that I created 1 it will now start to do it auto.?

Thx

It's odd that you have done numerous app installs and no restore point was created. Most installs create one automatically.

Any significant Windows Update should create one also. Have you tried that?

I think the default is to create one weekly, but in the real world, doing what I do, I have 3 or 4 in an average week---none of which I create manually.

I'd give it some time and watch it for a week.

If like many you find Windows a bit vague when it comes to automating restore points you may want to automate them according to your own requirements.

I came across this handy forum article recently and now have them scheduled every 12 hours. If you're dubious about downloading the file there, run your own virus/malware scans or upload it to Virus Total for peace of mind.

Thx yea I read that already but was hoping to see if my OS is fooked somehow or this is the norm. Tons of threads in Google about Windows 7 and no auto. restores so I guess its normal.

I will wait a bit and see what happens and yep all Windows updates done but no restore point even when SP1 was installed..

It seems very strange that you have installed various software and have accrued no automated restore points? Have you done any tweaking?

It may be stating the obvious though have you checked the Disk Space Usage allocated for the relevant drive, in System Protection > Protection Settings?
If it's set to the lowest level then it's possible it won't have enough space to create even a single restore point, even though the VSC service is started?

See picture:

Good points last 2 replies. I just found this on another forum. Seems like its a space issue because my slider is all the wayyy to the left. I'll have to try it when I get home.

I did check it this morning after making sure the Volume Shadow service was started and it did create a restore point at 2:45AM so I was pumped but when I closed SR it was gone! I created another one on the spot - closed SR and re-opened and bam it dissapered also. LOTS of problems with this on the net. Hopefully below will be the fix.

"My problem with disappearing restore points (Windows 7) is resolved. I chatted with ms Windows 7 support and they did two things:

(1) Made sure 'System Restore' (SR) had all the authority it needed: system restore icon-> right click-> properties->click to security tab and put checks in all auth columns

(2) gave SR all the space it wanted: within the 'Search programs and Files' of the START menu type 'create restore point' -> click on link found for 'create restore point' -> Custom->stretch slider ALL the WAY to right (max). apply, Reboot. Go back to 'create restore point' and create one and reboot. See i restore point is there. Mine was hope yours is.

Note: this is clearly a Windows problem. You should NOT have to specify all you available free space to this component or chage it's Auth. Both will surely come back and haunt you. If this solves it for many others then someone should open a bug under MS Windows 7."

PS i'm now working on another issue when I open Task Scheduler

"The selected task {0} no longer exists. To see the current tasks"
- ughhhh (But have found a fix for that I hope) I hope they correct this stuff with SP2! this is silly nonsense to be honest.

And after some extensive reading Volume Shadow Copy should be left at Manual and not Automatic...

You should not put the slider all the way to the right. That will fill up your disk with shadows. I found, that the slider does not work very well anyhow. It is better to assign the space with Command Prompt. Open an elevated cmd (run as admin) and paste the following command - then hit Enter.

vssadmin resize shadowstorage /for=C: /on=C: /maxsize=10GB

If you want a different size, just change the 10 to your number. But I would not go any larger than 10GBs.