Solved Restoring Windows 7 to previous point in time

[AriesCZ]

Hi,
I need a help with problem concerning restoration of windows to a previous point in time. At wok (teaching computers) I need to create some sort of backup that would allow me to restore computers to state they were before each class started (because people are capable of making terrible mess in folders that I did not even know existed).

Simply put, I need something that will give me clean system with software I installed and delete everything else.
I was hoping to use restore point, but sadly it does not work as I think it did in XP and it does not delete anything users created

Thanks for any tips

If anyone cares, this is the list of installed software

• Windows 7 Pro x86
• Office 2010 Standard
• avast! Antivirus
• Firefox
• Chrome
• Accounting software
• iTALC (software for teachers to see what are student doing, locking them out, etc)

 

[Brink]

Hello Aries, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You could create a system image to where you like to be able to do a system image recovery as needed.

Another option would be to use the free Macrium Reflect to do the same as above using the program instead.

You might also consider turning on the Guest account and having the students use that account. This way they will be unable to make changes to the system, and when logged out, all changes made are undone.

Hope this helps some,
Shawn

 

[AriesCZ]

Thanks for reply,
I was thinking about using system image, but I was just wondering if there was another way that would not take up 5 DVDs. Something like a program that would keep a "change list" and then it would revert everything on it.
As for the guest account, I still need to keep data people create there for the duration of their class (Excel spreadsheets for example), so I guess I will do the System Image
Thanks

 

[ignatzatsonic]

DVDs are definitely not the method of choice for storing images. Best to use another hard drive. I'm guessing these machines have no other hard drive, in which case you would need to use a separate partition on the existing hard drive, since images cannot be stored on any partition contained in the image.

Stored images typically require roughly half of the occupied space on the partitions in the image---an image of C with 30 GB occupied might take up 15 GB, so that separate partition would have to be at least 15 GB in size.

 

[Brink]

You're welcome.

I suppose that you could use an external HDD (if available) or another internal HDD to save the image on. If you have more than one computer, then you might consider using Macrium Reflect to make it easier to save multiple images on the same external HDD.

 

[AriesCZ]

ignatzatsonic:
Yes, the computers have only one HDD with single partition. And I was thinking either DVDs (which I though are stable enough) or some smaller external HDD or flash disks for it.

Brink:
I may look like a total ignorant (I will admit it, I do not reinstall or restore Windows that much, maybe once in 2 years), but couldn't I use single system image to restore all computers and then just change names and product key? Student computers in class are basically all clones of each other, just with different name and product key

 

[Brink]

Not at all. We are all rusty about something or another.

Unless, they were all the exact same computers with the same motherboard and such, it may present issues doing it like that. If they are, then yeah you could just change the computer name and key number after the system image recovery. The users accounts and folders would only be from the computer the image was created from though.

 

[AriesCZ]

Every single computer in classroom is exactly the same, down to every single piece of hardware
User accounts are the same (Teacher (admin, PW locked) and Student (regular, no PW)), anti-virus is using group license file, and iTALC is also using only one key file identical to all computers.
And deleting all different files and setting was the original idea

 

[Brink]

Sounds like a plan then.

 

[AriesCZ]

Well I tried to run the system restore on computers in classroom today, and I hit a problem.

After booting to Windows setup, I selected the system image, but before the restore begun, it stopped with error saying something like "Restore failed, no image could be found" (I am using Czech version of Windows, so I do not know what exactly it says in English).

During setup on other computers, the "Format and repartition drives" checkbox was grayed out, but from this article (http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/675-system-image-recovery.html) I understood that should not a be problem and it is something completely normal when using a image on different HDD.

Image is saved on freshly formatted external HDD, and work fine on the original computer, but not on any other

Any thoughts on why this keeps happening?

 

[Brink]

May be a permissions issue. Are you able to open the WindowsImageBackup folder and subfolders from each computer after clicking on "Continue" when trying to open them?

You may be better off using Macrium Reflect to make this easier though.

 

[AriesCZ]

Yes, I think I was able to get into every folder by clicking the Continue button (could not open the files, though, but I did not try launching Notepad+ with admin privileges, so maybe that was the cause). The permission issue also popped into my head, but as I was able to use the image on the original computer without single hiccup, I am not sure that is the problem.

Could the problem be caused by the fact that computers have different names before using the restore? The image is from DELL01, whre it worked without single problem, but on DELL02 and DELL03 I got the error (did not try the others)

In any way, I will try the Macrium Reflect tomorrow and we will see.

I really hate it when I try to make my job easier and it gets this complicated...

 

[Jeckler]

My wife works at a school as well. She uses Deep Freeze in her lab of 30 computers. It doesn't matter what someone does to the computer; deletes files, folders, user accounts, etc., it's all restored with a simple reboot. A couple downsides is that you can't save or change ANYTHING on the computer without thawing it out. She uses a network share to store user data for that though.

 

[AriesCZ]

Jeckler, thanks for the idea, but I think that in my classes, people would just get confused by having to save stuff on network drive (they are people who have it as part of their re-qualification, and some of them did not see a computer in their lives). Also, it is useful to let them change something, just to try it, like wallpaper, aero glass color, or folder view...

The system image restore seemed to be easy and simple way that would take about hour to implement on all computers after each class, but like I said, I encountered some major problems on the way...

 

[AriesCZ]

Update:
Here is the error line I get (managed to find English version)

The system image restore failed. No disk that can be used for recovering the system disk can be found.

It is from this article

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=439&Itemid=38&limit=1&limitstart=4

However, I am not exactly sure what to get from that. If I understood it correctly, the article suggests to reduce the size of original partition to the least amount possible and then make system image.

I will have to try this tomorrow, but it looks promising

 

[Brink]

I'd also give Macrium Reflect a try to see if it may work much better for you or not. It's not as restrictive as Windows System Images.

 

[Jeckler]

Jeckler, thanks for the idea, but I think that in my classes, people would just get confused by having to save stuff on network drive (they are people who have it as part of their re-qualification, and some of them did not see a computer in their lives). Also, it is useful to let them change something, just to try it, like wallpaper, aero glass color, or folder view...

The system image restore seemed to be easy and simple way that would take about hour to implement on all computers after each class, but like I said, I encountered some major problems on the way...

Let me clarify. They can make any change they want and it'll take effect immediately. They can save files to their heart's content and do their worst to damage the image. It's only when the computer is rebooted that everything reverts back to the last "Frozen" state. And frozen isn't permanent. If you need to add a piece of software for example, you thaw the computer, reboot it, install, freeze, reboot.
You could set up all the shares before the PC is frozen too, that way they're available at each boot.
My wife works at an elementary school. Each day her lab gets about 120 kids through it. You'd be amazed at what a 5 year old can figure out and/or screw up. DF has saved her so much time.

 

[AriesCZ]

Well thanks for all the help. I decided to go the easiest way and create hidden partition with system image on every pc.

 

[Brink]

I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted how you like.