Solved Tried everything to get rid of "System Image Restore Points"

[Max Pen]

Tried everything to get rid of "System Image Restore Points" SOLVED

When I say everything I really mean everything that people usually recommend.

I tried everything here: Deleting "Unreacheable" System Restore Points « How-To Geek Forums

I also tried doing:

http://i.imgur.com/rXNuLdC.png

And:

http://i.imgur.com/VUA0rXy.png

and:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/632-backup-user-system-files-reset-default-configuration.html

and:

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/336-system-protection-restore-points-delete.html

But deleting that regedit data didn't do a thing. So I simply did a regedit restore. I did a backup before deleting those things in regedit.

I'm really clueless on how to solve this. Can you help me?

Edit: What really would help is tell me where Windows stores all its info on system restore in regedit or elsewhere. As maybe there it has those points listed that I can delete manually.

Also do not tell me to leave it be, as it really

bugs me​

like the OP stated in the topic I linked to.

 

[Tookeri]

Sorry, I didn't check your links, but if you have saved the system images to another hard drive, then these restore points won't take up much space locally. If you still want to remove them you do this from Windows Backup and Restore - Manage space. When you delete a system image backup from there the corresponding restore point entry you refer to will be deleted too. Unless I've misunderstood you.....

 

[whs]

but if you have saved the system images to another hard drive, then these restore points won't take up much space locally

That is not an option in Windows 7 for the desktop. It is only an option for Windows server editions.

I would suggest you delete the restore points with this command in eleveted command prompt.

Vssadmin Resize ShadowStorage /For=C: /On=C: /MaxSize=400MB

Just paste that command into the cmd window.

 

[Tookeri]

but if you have saved the system images to another hard drive, then these restore points won't take up much space locally

That is not an option in Windows 7 for the desktop. It is only an option for Windows server editions.

Not sure I understand what you mean by that. Maybe I was unclear, I meant if you create a system image on an external hard drive, then you'll see an entry for it in System Restore, but it's not taking up any space locally other than the info about that entry. The system image itself is of course only stored on the external hard drive.

 

[Max Pen]

but if you have saved the system images to another hard drive, then these restore points won't take up much space locally

That is not an option in Windows 7 for the desktop. It is only an option for Windows server editions.

I would suggest you delete the restore points with this command in eleveted command prompt.

Vssadmin Resize ShadowStorage /For=C: /On=C: /MaxSize=400MB

Just paste that command into the cmd window.

Did not work:
http://i.imgur.com/IPuD5Q3.png

Btw what does that command do and is it easy to change that? Is it the max size allowed to use for restore points?

Sorry, I didn't check your links, but if you have saved the system images to another hard drive, then these restore points won't take up much space locally. If you still want to remove them you do this from Windows Backup and Restore - Manage space. When you delete a system image backup from there the corresponding restore point entry you refer to will be deleted too. Unless I've misunderstood you.....

This is simply not true. Else not so many people would be complaining online about this common issue that system image restore points still stay regardless of what you do.

 

[whs]

but if you have saved the system images to another hard drive, then these restore points won't take up much space locally

That is not an option in Windows 7 for the desktop. It is only an option for Windows server editions.

Not sure I understand what you mean by that. Maybe I was unclear, I meant if you create a system image on an external hard drive, then you'll see an entry for it in System Restore, but it's not taking up any space locally other than the info about that entry. The system image itself is of course only stored on the external hard drive.

We are talking about restore points - not images.

 

[whs]

Btw what does that command do and is it easy to change that? Is it the max size allowed to use for restore points?

The command resizes the shadowstorage (the place where the restore points are stored). I suggested to 400MB because that makes sure that all restore points disappear (350MB is minimum).

You can then run the command again and select a Maxsize of e.g. 5 or 10GB. That should be enough. Each restore point takes 500MB to 1GB. So with 5GB you have enough space to store appr. 7 restore points. After that, the oldest will be deleted to store the most recent - so called FiFo principle (first in, first out).

 

[Max Pen]

Did not solve it,

Did get alot of text though in CMD;
http://i.imgur.com/GCCdXuM.png

Anyways I think you may be confused about what I need. While this issue is present in system restore it is not a restore point that is causing this issue it are multiple "system image restore points"

 

[Tookeri]

Well, we're talking about restore points but for system images in this case. The entries for a "System Image Restore Point" are different from other restore points and can only be deleted from within Backup And Restore AFAIK. As stated previous even deleting all restore points and turning system restore off/on won't delete the system image restore points. I'm guessing this perhaps is a safety mechanism for the day you need to use such a restore point. But it would make sense - the restore point is deleted only when you delete the corresponding system image.

I've searched a lot for this too and never found another way of deleting them. I've successfully deleted them from Backup And Restore, but when you have as many as Max Pen has, you probably don't have all old system images still available, and then it seems impossible.....

 

[Max Pen]

I have deleted my latest system image from backup and restore and the last system image restore point is still present.

So there is no way of solving this? Why has no one build a tool for this?

 

[Tookeri]

Weird! For me that worked, I'm 100% sure because I spent a lot of time searching for it and was very pleased when I found that solution.

I'm guessing no one can tell exactly where that information is stored and how do delete it and therefor can't build a tool for it. But I hope I'm wrong!

 

[Brink]

Hey Matt,

You might also see if doing this will nuke them for you.

1) Delete all WindowsImageBackup folders to delete all created system images.

2) Reset Windows Backup to default.

3) Turn off and on System Protection to clear restore points.

 

[Max Pen]

Done all that and also about 2) I did from that tutorial "To Reset Windows Backup to Default using a Reg File Download"

No result.

 

[Max Pen]

I managed to solve it and couldn't believe how easy it is!!!! I can't believe either that I couldn't find anything about this on the internet too.

For those of you wondering how I did it:

1) type in search backup and restore

2) click the manage space link


3) click change settings

4) select 'keep only the latest system image and minimum space used by backup'

Result: Your long list of image backup restore points that don't work and are long and useless to have listed are GONE!

 

[Brink]

Ah, perfect.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/628-backup-user-system-files-delete-backups.html

 

[Max Pen]

Why didn't you link me to this before or why didn't the previous users who tried to help me, I wonder.

 

[Brink]

It just didn't click at the time, but I added it as OPTION FIVE below to help others with the same issue.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/336-system-protection-restore-points-delete.html

 

[Max Pen]

That is brilliant Brink. Thanks for doing that.

 

[whs]

Did not solve it,

Did get alot of text though in CMD;
http://i.imgur.com/GCCdXuM.png

Anyways I think you may be confused about what I need. While this issue is present in system restore it is not a restore point that is causing this issue it are multiple "system image restore points"

You specified Maxsize=5MB. It should be 5GB. That's why you got all the messages. As I told you, 350MB is the minimum.

 

[Tookeri]

...why didn't the previous users who tried to help me, I wonder.

I tried to tell you in my first post: from Windows Backup and Restore - Manage space
And my 3rd post: The entries for a "System Image Restore Point" are different from other restore points and can only be deleted from within Backup And Restore AFAIK

but I didn't list all steps

Glad you solved it!