Restore Points Disappearing in Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit OS


  1. Posts : 54
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
       #1

    Restore Points Disappearing in Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit OS


    I am having trouble with system restore points disappearing on my Windows 7 OS. Both automated and manually created restore point vanish. I have more than enough space allocated for the restore points and yet they still disappear. I know that this has been a Windows 7 issue for some time, and I have tried a few 'fixes' (eg. making sure VSS & Windows Backup are started in 'Services'), however, nothing I have tried to date has corrected this problem.
    I read on some forum that certain 'clean up' applications may delete restore points. I currently have CClean (free ver.) and iolo System Mechanic running on my machine. Could either of these system maintenance programs possibly be deleting restore points?
    Any suggestions / solutions will be very much welcomed! ...Thanks in advance!
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 71,977
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
       #2

    Hello DJ,

    CCleaner will only delete your restore points if you manually delete them in it like below.
    Restore Points Disappearing in Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit OS-ccleaner.jpg
    I don't know about System Mechanic. You might uninstall it for a while to see if your restore points are still disappearing or not. Some disk defrag programs will also wipe restore points, so if this program has this feature, then it could be wiping them.

    Do you dual boot with another OS? Dual booting with XP has been known to do this everytime you start either OS.

    Hope this helps some, :)
    Shawn
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 54
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #3

    ...Thanks Shawn for 'quick' reply!

    I do not use the CCleaner restore point feature, actually, I was not even aware of this option. Also, I do not dual boot. I know that System Mechanic has a defrag option, I will check to see if it's turned on, although I would think that doing a defrag on your disks wouldn't delete restore points...?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 71,977
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
       #4

    Yes, some 3rd party disk defraggers have been known to wipe out restore points and shadow copies. It wouldn't hurt to turn off that feature or uninstall System Mechanic for a while as a test to see if either may be the cause.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 54
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
    Thread Starter
       #5

    ...Thanks again Shawn. Given that this has been a known problem in Windows for some time, you would think that the developers @ Microsoft would have corrected this problem vs having to jump through these 'fix' hoops...
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 71,977
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
       #6

    Yeah, poorly written or incompatible programs can be a pain in Windows.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 1
    Windows 7 Home Ultimate 64 bit
       #7

    Restore Points Disappearing in Windows 7 Home Ultimate 64 bit OS


    I regularly encounter a very strange behavior with regard to Restore Points in Windows 7 Home Ultimate 64 bit, which gives me big 'headaches'. Because of this every time I had to do a clean install of Windows (thereby losing all my data and installed software as well) since there were no recovery software whatsoever (Including Microsoft's System Repair Disk - absolutely useless in my opinion) that could recover Windows to start up normal again, as all the restore points had suddenly disappeared for some reason. Now, when I did the clean Installation of Windows the first thing I did was to make a Restore Point and I double checked that the restore points were there and working before and after a reboot (and keeping them up to date) - every time.

    But all of a sudden I encountered the same strange behavior again, all restore points had vanished - and this usually happens just when you need them as Windows would also all of a sudden start up 'normal' up to the point where the "Welcome Screen" displays and then the Screen goes blank (black) and it would just sit there - although, nothing seems to hang or crash, even the mouse pointer would still work normal.

    Running Windows "Repair Disk", it says that there is no problem with the Windows Installation!! However, it cannot find any "Restore Points" either!! Running other Recovery software (highly recommended) SpotMau 2012 also indicates that there are no Windows Restore Point whatsoever - trying the other Recovery options of the particular Software will indicate that the software is not compatible with this version of Windows!!

    I do suspect these third party "Registry Cleaners" which also has the ability to clean the "Windows Temp files", which may also interfere and wipe the "Windows Restore Points" at some point in time.

    I used the latest version of "Advanced Uninstaller PRO v11.62" which I really like for all its built-in functions and ease of use, but if this software (which I suspect to be the culprit) keeps on wiping my Windows Restore Points I will have to discard it permanently.

    I am at wits end. I do not have any "dual-boot" or any "defragger software" either on my system, and I am definitely not stupid to deliberately instruct any software, like a registry cleaner for instance, to wipe the Windows Restore Points either. And on top of it all, I manually made a Windows Restore Point just prior to shutting down Windows, but still, when I started up Windows again the next day all Windows Restore Points were gone!!

    All I am currently doing is to keep a second 2 Terra Byte HDD which contain a weekly clone of the C:\ Drive, but this also takes up about 3 hours of my precious time every week when making such a clone. But in the end 3 hours is better than several months of restoring installation, data, software etc.

    EDIT TODAY 29 MARCH 2015:

    HOWEVER, I THINK I HAVE FOUND A SOLUTION (TODAY) TO THE PROBLEM!!

    MY PROBLEM WITH 'DISAPPEARING RESTORE POINTS' (WINDOWS 7) IS RESOLVED. I DID THE FOLLOWING TWO THINGS:

    1) Make sure 'System Restore' (SR) have all the authority (Permissions) it needs: Click the 'Run' Button, then within the 'Search programs and Files' type 'System Restore'->right click on the Icon of the 'System Restore' link found-> click on 'Properties'->click to 'Security' tab and put checks in all authority (Permission) columns.

    2) Give SR all the HD space it needs: within the 'Search programs and Files' of the START menu type 'create restore point' -> click on link found for 'create restore point' -> click to 'System Protection Tab-> click on Configure Button->under 'Restore Settings' make sure the Radio Button for 'Restore System Settings & previous versions of files' are selected->under 'Disk Space Usage' move slider ALL the WAY to right (max) -> Click on Apply Button->click on OK Button->. Now, first Go back to 'create restore point' and create one and only then reboot the computer. See if the restore point is there. Mine was, hope yours is too.

    Note: This is clearly a Windows problem. You should NOT have to specify all your available free HD space to this component or change it's Authority (Permissions) manually. 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.

    Hope this helps others!

    BUT WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THE WINDOWS 7 'RESTORE POINTS DISAPPEAR' AT A TIME WHEN WINDOWS REFUSE TO START UP IN NORMAL MODE?

    1) First, shut down Windows 7.

    2) Then start-up Windows 7 in 'Safe mode' by holding down the F8-key on the keyboard - this will display the 'Advanced Boot Options Menu'.

    3) From this menu, first select the 'Last Good Configuration' option and let Windows 7 reboot. If this solve Windows 7 startup problem you are ok, if not, follow instruction in next step below.

    4) Again follow steps 1 up to step 2 and this time select 'Safe Boot' from the 'Advanced Boot Options Menu' and allow Windows 7 to startup in 'Safe Mode'. Click the Start button -> within 'search programs and files', type 'Turn On System Protection' and select it from the menu when it appears -> then do a 'System Restore' by selecting it whilst still in 'Safe Mode'. Allow computer to reboot.

    Worked for me, hope it works for you too.
    Last edited by Robin Wood; 29 Mar 2015 at 08:26. Reason: Found a Solution to this problem.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 25,847
    Windows 10 Pro. 64/ version 1709 Windows 7 Pro/64
       #8

    Hi Robin Wood and welcome to the forum.

    I highly recommend not using any program by IOBit.
    Their are many horror stories; to many to mention.
    Once IOBit products chew on a system many if not most have to do a clean install. Just seeing the problems members have had with IOBits programs I would remove the program and hope the damage can be repaired with a Repair Install or using a Backup.


    Is this a corporate computer on a network/domain?
    I notice this in your specs
    Antivirus Symantec Endpoint Protection 2012
    Symantec Endpoint Protection-Antivirus Software



      My Computer


 

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