How to make restore points last forever

[hatemf23]

Hi,

I know old restore points are deleted when new ones are made and the space reserved for it is filled up, but with windows automatically making backups whenever I install a program it becomes useless, ecpecially that it seems there is only room for 4 restore points on my system... (I checked the "show more restore points" theres nothing)

For example yesterday I was trying to make a game work, installing it many times, each time directx is installed automatically and a restore point is taken, so now all the restore points I have were made yesterday.

My question is how to stop windows from making restore points on its own and more importantly how to make these points last for ever (or atleast much much longer)

thanks.

 

[richc46]

For both Vista and Seven, Increase the allotted space for SR
System Restore - disk space - Vista Forums

You can go to task mangager and turn off the default once a week SR point.

At best they are deleted after 3 months, and I do not know of a way to stop restore points from being made automatically.

 

[James Colbert]

In addition to what Rich has suggested, a good imaging program is a good bet. You can keep a partition forever (longer than you own the machine, even ). I use Acronis True Image, but there are plenty of good (basic featured) free imaging programs out there. Many recommend Macrium Reflect.

James

 

[pbcopter]

The best way to have more restore points is to allocate more disk space to them.
There is no way I know of to keep them forever.
I generally only use a few while installing new software, etc. I prefer to image my system periodically.

 

[Arc]

I dont know how to make a restore point last forever, but if you http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html , it will remain forever, unless you delete it.... and if it is kept alongwith http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18629-user-folders-change-default-location.html , it will serve the same purpose .

 

[Joan Archer]

Another point is that you shouldn't really use System Restore points more than a couple of weeks old anyway. I believe the whole idea of it was to give you an escape route if you installed something or did something that damaged or corrupted System files, you could just pick a point to just before you did the damage and return the machine to working order. Going back too far in time could lead to all sorts of problems especially considering all the changes that may have happened during the time.

Those are my thoughts on it for what it's worth.

 

[pparks1]

Don't use restore points all that often. Instead make a system image with something like Macrium Reflect Free and use that instead. You can take images as often as you want and keep as many as you want.

 

[hatemf23]

Thanks every one, I increased the maximum space for SR (it was only 1.8 GB)

You can go to task mangager and turn off the default once a week SR point.

At best they are deleted after 3 months

I looked around but couldnt find how to do this in the task manager... are they deleted after 3 months anyway even if theres space?

As for taking a system image should I use a program or the windows backup future? which one creates a smaller file?

 

[hatemf23]

Don't use restore points all that often. Instead make a system image with something like Macrium Reflect Free and use that instead. You can take images as often as you want and keep as many as you want.

Yes im starting to think I should abandon SR totally and start making images.

 

[unifex]

In my opinion the System Restore and the Backup serve different purposes. The main question for me is: how often do you want to do backups and how long are you going to keep the backup files from each particular date?

I use the Backup rather infrequently. I do not know if I can completely trust the "incremental' backup feature of programs such as Acronis. Therefore, if I am to keep several backup images at the same time, then I will inevitably run out of storage space.

Also, it takes a while to create a full system image. Suppose you want to install a new app, but you're not 100% sure you need it, you're just checking it out - that happens, right? Then, you are unlikely to make a Backup image just because you're installing a program. And what if you're installing 5 programs?

That's where the System Restore comes in. You install that app and it crashes your PC. Best thing to do - use the Restore point made just prior to that app installation. And it takes only a minute or so. But you don't really want to keep this Restore point forever - tomorrow or next time you install something else you will make another one and the "new" one will be as good as the "old" one.

So these are just the two different tools available to you. You decide which one you're gong to use based on your needs and experience.

 

[richc46]

Thanks every one, I increased the maximum space for SR (it was only 1.8 GB)

You can go to task mangager and turn off the default once a week SR point.

At best they are deleted after 3 months

I looked around but couldnt find how to do this in the task manager... are they deleted after 3 months anyway even if theres space?

As for taking a system image should I use a program or the windows backup future? which one creates a smaller file?

Sorry buddy, meant task scheduler.

 

[DeaconFrost]

Yes im starting to think I should abandon SR totally and start making images.

I have. System restore has been utterly useless for me going back since it's inception with XP. People will argue with me on this, as if they were sitting next to me each and everytime I've tried to fix someone else's computer using SR, but for me, personally, it is useless and is disabled right away on my own systems. I keep my data backed up, and my systems backed up as well. If I need to lay down a clean image, I can, or else I can do a clean install in under 2 hours and restore my data. My plan works for me across all of my own systems.

Now I'm not telling you to follow my lead, as you should choose what works for you.

 

[lch41]

you might try comodo time machine it is free here is a link to it.
it works great for me I do a lot of trial software it lets me to go back to before
I installed in just a few minutes.

Data Recovery with Comodo Time Machine | Comodo