System Restore queries!

Alexey2912 said:

2. I agree restore is run on a regular windows, but to restore back to an older point, should it be done in safe mode?

I've never run it in Safe Mode.

I have no idea why you wouldn't want to use it.

Some people say it doesn't work right on their systems. That could be and those people shouldn't bother with it.

If it works on YOUR system, why wouldn't you want it in your available tools?

I've used it ever since it came around---8 or 10 years, whatever.

In that time, I've run it probably 100 times.

It's run to completion and did what I hoped it would do probably 95 times.

The other 5 times, it did no harm and I had to use Plan B.

What's wrong with that?

No, it's not imaging. But it's a lot quicker. It requires very little storage space. It's automated in that Windows should make System Restore points periodically without user interaction. In my experience, it can resolve issues in many situations.

I've used it mostly to revert away from a recent system change--maybe an installation or update didn't go right. Or even from unexplained issues that appear suddenly. I very very rarely make a System Restore point manually, but at any given time I have 8 or 10 restore points dating back several weeks and they occupy no more than 8 GB of space.

Thanks.

Care to reply on these 2 points:

1. Where are these stored?

2. When a system is fully done, all restore points deleted, but do they create/leave registry entries?

I think they are kept in C System Volume Information. That folder shows as having zero bytes when looked at in Windows Explorer on my PC, but when I drill into System Restore settings, I see that it is currently using 7.47 GB.

That's for 8 restore points dating back 3 weeks--to Nov 2.

I'd assume there are references to them in the registry.

I don't think they are copied as part of normal imaging, but I could be wrong about that.

ThrashZone said:

Hi,
I'd say system images not restore points can save your rear end :)
But not using windows features
Use third party system imaging instead
Imaging with free Macrium

Create Backup Image with Macrium Reflect by Britec - YouTube

I totally agree about using imaging instead of System Restore. I also prefer Macrium Reflect over Windows Imaging

ignatzatsonic said:

...Some people say it doesn't work right on their systems. That could be and those people shouldn't bother with it.

If it works on YOUR system, why wouldn't you want it in your available tools?...

I'm one of those who hasn't been able to get System Restore to work at all on all three of my Win 7 machines (2 Home Premiums and 1 Ultimate). It would work for me in XP but not all the time. I never had a verified image created with Macrium Reflect fail to restore. The rare times I had an image fail to verify, I ran Macrium Reflect a second time and the image verified.

Why have an iffy tool when one has one that will work perfectly all the time. In addition, one can use an image to restore the system, either to the original drive or to a new one, when the system will not boot, something System Restore will not be able to do.

Hi,
The worst thing I've seen happen with system restore points is depending on how far back you go really depends on how many programs one has uninstalled because often fragments exist.
System images don't keep anything it is a total image of everything that existed when it was created making it preferred.

The only good thing about system restore points is your personal files are usually unaffected
Programs x86 and or programs folder is another story