System Restore Management: Is it actually possible?

[teckneeculler]

I've used System Restore since XP days and it's rescued me from system problems many times. So I'm a fan of the process.

My new W7 system runs on a 240GB SSD, and, of course, it's into this limited space that Windows saves the Restore Point files.

I'd prefer to store these somewhere else, like my 2TB storage drive.

I'd also like to selectively delete older Restore Points from time to time. Yes, I'm quite aware that one can control the amount of space used for this purpose, but that's not the same thing as selective deletion.

So I got quite excited when I saw an app called 'System Restore Manager' on the Window's Club website, that purported to fulfill those two requirements. Sadly, it didn't work. Turns out, the developer disappeared before he got the bugs ironed out. No personal system restore, perhaps?

My questions then, are:
Is it actually possible to control where Windows 7 stores its Restore Point files?
Is it actually possible to selectively delete individual Restore Points?

Or is it just just pie in the sky?

Helpful answers only, if you don't mind.

 

[Callender]

UVK can delete any selected system restore point. I hesitate to recommend it just for deleting them because it also does a whole lot more stuff that can screw up your system if not used correctly.

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I don't use system restore as it's never been 100% reliable and it only monitors certain files and folders hence there are no system restore points shown in the screenshot. If they exixt they are listed and can be individually deleted.

RE: Moving restore points. Not sure about that one. The way windows works it's probably set to look for system restore points on each monitored drive so I don't see how it would find those if moved elsewhere.

RE: TheWindowsClub System Restore Manager. It always worked for me in the past when I used to keep system restore enabled. What's the problem with it?

 

[teckneeculler]

Callender, 'System Restore Manager' just didn't work. Like, I'd select some restore points and click 'Delete' and nothing would happen.
It did occur to me later that I should perhaps have deleted them one at a time, rather than as a group. Comments?

 

[Callender]

It's been 2 years since I last used it. I guess deleting them one at a time would be the way to go. Also you'd probably want to create an Elevated Shortcut to run the program.

See: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/193743-elevated-program-shortcut-create-standard-user.html

It's a lot easier to use this: ElevatedShortcut for Windows 7 and Windows 8

 

[Callender]

I've done a little research and everything I've seen so far suggests that system restore points must be created on the monitored partition.

 

[whs]

From my experience I would say NO to both questions.

 

[DavidE]

If you want more control of what is backed up, where, and for how long, consider using an imaging program such as Macrium Reflect.
MR free has Differentials, for me "they run fast and create small files", and i consider them a better option than a Restore Point.

 

[Wandering one]

C-Cleaner works very well to select and delete any restore point except the latest one.
Art.

 

[Layback Bear]

yep Ccleaner works well for me selecting which Restore point to remove.

I would recommend leaving Restore Points on the "C" partition so Windows 7 can find them if need be.
5% of hard drive space will hold a lot of Restore Points.

 

[whs]

Good you posted that. I forgot all about the CCleaner deal.

 

[maxseven]

I'd prefer to store these somewhere else, like my 2TB storage drive.

I'd also like to selectively delete older Restore Points from time to time.

Another vote for CCleaner, and my belief also that RPs cannot be moved.

I am a big fan of Restore Points also, but must caution against relying upon them too far in the past (better to do an Image Backup once a week). Reason being that System Restore only tracks/restores System settings (registry, system files, program files) but not AFAICT ProgramData for example, and I have had problems in the past with going-back to SR points and having certain of my programs fail because their *settings* got out-of-whack vs. their executables and ancillary e.g. dll files.

I'm saying that while RPs are a great way sometimes to quickly "get out of trouble" if you've messed something up and can't figure-out how to fix it, to try to revert to a point many times past is usually IME problematic anyway so you shouldn't obsess over managing them too closely.

And I know about obsession--I'm the king of obsessing over details of my computer operations.

 

[RolandJS]

System Restore Manager does not list or delete many of the SRPs done by Windows prime. And, correct, deleting SRPs initiated by other causes is done one SRP at a time.

 

[teckneeculler]

Thanks for the tips, guys, very interesting.

Good call on CCleaner. Just ran a portable version of 5.15 and it does, indeed, remove SRPs, either singly or as a selected group.

But I'm also hearing the advice on imaging. Never bothered with this system in 20+ years of tech work, but maybe I should check it out.

Best app for imaging, then?

 

[whs]

I don't know whether this is the best imaging app, but it works very well.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/73828-imaging-free-macrium.html?ltr=I

 

[teckneeculler]

Thanks. I'm looking for something simple. Like me

 

[whs]

With the instructions of the linked tutorial you should have no problem using the program.

 

[RolandJS]

Within Tools, there is a menu of user settings you can adjust to simplify your making of images. I turned off some of the questions/choices that used to always appear during my image-making.