Windows 7: System Protection - Turn On or Off

Art,

Here's a REG file download below that will do the above for you. You just need to double click on it and approve to merge it. You may need to restart the computer afterwards to apply.

I was reading about stoping XP deleting the Windows 7 restore points in a dual boot (XP) environment.

I see the "offline" work around, but just wanted to know where are the restore points stored / how are they called / how can I see them ?

In my setting I can see WINXP, and Windows 7 disks in both Windows 7 environment and WINXP. There was some comment (I may have mis read it) that indicated one or the other OS disk not being visible from the other

Thanks

Hello User,

They are stored in a allocated space on your hard drive. You cannot view the files in the actual restore points, or see them in Windows Explorer like other files. However, you can see a list of your available restore points and what they will affect as if you were doing a system restroe usin the tutorial below. You can just cancel before doing a actual system restore to see what you have.

System Restore

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Dear Shawn,

I have encountered a problem with my system and is trying to fix it, using System Restore. As some other users here, I can't see the System Protection tab. I apologize, if the following explanation will be somewhat chaotic - i am a bit stressed at the moment - and hope you could give me an advice.

1. Problem
When i try to restore the system, i can see the list of restore points, but after I select one, the system tells me that System Protection must be turned on to continue.

As i've mentioned, System Protection tab is missing, so i can't find a way to turn it on.

2. Circumstances
I am trying to restore the system using Repair System (or is it repair computer?) option from the 'F8 list'. I try to find System Protection tab in Safe Mode. Better to say, I am obliged to. When i boot the system in normal mode, it seems to boot ok, but freezes completely after first 15-30 sec or after first mouse click.

As you can see, I can't make a repair install to fix the problem. And the only disc i have is an upgrade DVD.

3. Problem with OS
The first freezing of the system occured after following actions. I have added a few gadgets to the desktop, then installed Microsoft security essentials and ask it to do a quick scan. While the scan was running (stupid me!!) i started installation of ZoneAlarm free firewall. The freezing occured, when i clicked on one of the newly installed gadgets. The installation of ZA firewall was at 23% at the time.

I had to hold power button for 6 sec. And now, when i boot in normal mode, it freezes again every time.

Already in safe mode i deleted files associated with the firewall from Program Files folder (there was nothing in the installed programs list about it) and tried to uninstall security essentials (apparently you cant in the safe mode).

4. Configuration
I have Windows 7 Ultimate, which (was) running on Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pro v3545 laptop.


Please, don't hesitate to ask additional information,

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Cheers,
Kirill

Hello Kirill, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If you have restore points available, then you might be able to do a system restore at boot instead of inside Windows 7 using a restore point dated before this problem.

If that does not work for you, then a repair install may be able to in hopes of avoiding a clean reinstall of Windows 7.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Thanks Shawn,

Actually, it is becoming weird. In the morning i tried to boot the system with the network cable pulled out...and it worked. With no signes of anything unusual. Now, I plugged back the cable, and it continues to run smoothly. In the normal mode of course.

And, surprise surprise, now I do have a System Protection tab, that was missing in the safe mode. Although it was indeed turned off (i dont remember doing so manually).

Kirill,

That is strange, but I'm happy to hear that things managed to sort themselves out for you.

My Win 7 Home Premium came pre-installed on a Toshiba Satellite. I am in the process of configuring options and installing applications, so I want to understand the implications of options. My questions are as follows:

Q1. The Protection Settings section of the System Protection tab of the System Properties window shows two items: the C drive, and something called System. Protection is turned ON for the C drive, but not for System (see screenshot below). What is "System"? Should protection be turned on for System (pro & con)?

[IMG]file:///C:/Users/bikengen/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot.png[/IMG]

Q2. I created some manual Restore points at key times during installation, but I did not see them among the Restore versions when I restored a previous file. Shouldn't they be listed by the names I gave them during creation? If so, any tips for why they don't appear?

Q3. What determines when automatic Restore points are created? Is that a configurable option?

Hello Bikengen, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Q1) System sounds like it would either be your OEM Recovery partition (most likely), or the 100 MB System Reserved partition created during the installation of Windows 7. Either way, you would not want to have System Protection turned on for this drive/partition.

Q2) It depends on how old the restore points are, and how much maximum disk space you have allocated for restore points. As space fills up, older restore points will be deleted to make room for new ones.

Q3) By default in Windows 7, System Restore creates a scheduled restore point only if no other restore points have been created in the last 7 days, and before significant system events such as a program or driver installation.

You can make changes to the scheduled tasks for this using this tutorial below. It's the same in Windows 7.

System Restore Task - Change Automatic Restore Point Schedule - Vista Forums

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Dear Mr. Brink,
I tried to follow the instructions in this tutorial and came across this hitch:
In Control Panel Items in System when in the left pane I click on System protection, System Properties window opens along with a message box which says:

There was an unexpected error in the property page:
System Restore encountered an error. Please try to run System Restore gain. (0x81000203)
Please close the property page and try again.

When ever I attempted to reopen the same message appears.
Please help.
Thanks
gpedit: "Turn Off System Restore: is not configured.
services: "Mocrosoft Software Shadow copy Provider: is set at Manual.