What is the exe that controls System Restore?

[teckneeculler]

Seeing as how nobody has been able to comment on my post here:
System Restore - major problem
...perhaps someone can tell me which file or files control the System Restore process?
It's occurred to me that there may be some damage that I can circumvent by copying the necessary exe\s from another functional system.

Anyone?

Oh, and yes, I've done sfc /scannow and chkdsk /r several times but IMHO these processes don't always work. Copying functional exes have several times got me out of a hole.

 

[Callender]

I'm not expert on this but FYI:

System Restore General Troubleshooting to Fix Issues

One app I use shows this info:

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[Callender]

Also re: your windows is configuring updates issue. If it happened unexpectedly it suggests something screwed up. Possibly WINSXS related. Try advanced disk cleanup and include windows update cleanup.

Disk Cleanup : Extended

or you can just use command lines:
C:\Windows\System32\cleanmgr.exe sagerun:1
C:\Windows\System32\cleanmgr.exe sageset:1

The first one selects cleanup settings and the second one runs them.

When finished reboot and run chkdsk /r /f

If you still get windows update issues you might have to reset windows update components.

 

[teckneeculler]

Thanks, Callender. I'll try your suggestions and come back.

 

[Callender]

Someone else reported that checking that there are no invalid drives listed here might help:

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[teckneeculler]

Hi Callender. There are no invalid drives listed, but that's a good call.

Coincidentally, I had one of these phantoms show up recently. (This was several days after System Restore had disappeared so it's not significant )

I'd started backing up stuff, just in case I had to do a reinstall. In the process, I wanted to clone one SATA HDD to another. I've always used Acronis 'Migrate Easy' for this, but it's getting a bit long in the tooth now, so I thought I'd try something else. Looked around at choices and ended up with AOMEI Back-Upper 6. Really good GUI and worked a treat. Only thing was, on reboot, there was a new 384MB drive in MyComputer. I asked AOMEI's forum about it but nobody seemed to have a clue. So I just deleted it. No problems since.

Well, no additional ones, anyway. Haven't tried your suggestions yet, still preparing for the apocalypse, LOL.

 

[Callender]

Well for what it's worth personally make regular system image backups and keep a few months worth plus a few older ones including one made after a fresh install (after updating everything) using Macrium Reflect and if I ever get a hard to fix problem I just make a current image then restore an old working one then mount the "current image" and copy any changed/ missing personal and important files across.

 

[Callender]

To answer your original question. I can identify these files but it may not be a full list:

rstrui.exe - the main one
srdelayed.exe
srclient.dll
srrstr.dll
srhelper.dll
srcore.dll
srclient.dll

 

[teckneeculler]

Ha, you're one of the few people I've come across who actually DO restore images. Successfully.
Most PC users seem to just think about it, like, 'Oh, it's so reassuring to know I've got that backup'.
Or they actually do it, screw it up and never try again. Just call the computer guy, lol.

Maybe, after I've done the reinstall (if it's really unavoidable) I'll talk to you again about Macrium Reflect and get some pointers about your method. How big are your images? I think I need some more storage...

Re those System Restore files, thanks for the research. I'll keep that option as a last resort.

 

[Callender]

I use an older version of Macrium Reflect. Currently my windows partition shows 45.3 GB used and a compressed backup of that partition is around 29 GB

 

[teckneeculler]

And a 'restored' image boots and performs normally?

 

[Callender]

I just boot from Macrium Rescue USB and choose the image to restore and the drive to restore it onto. It's never let me down yet. I have "Boot Over-ride" option in BIOS that let's me choose any listed device for next boot only so that's handy.

 

[teckneeculler]

And a 'restored' image boots and performs normally?

 

[Callender]

It always has done for me.

 

[teckneeculler]

Here's a heads-up on my faulty System Restore issue.

I'm starting to suspect that I might have caused this problem myself.

In February last year I built a new computer. After configuring it I decided I needed a decent app to regularly backup the OS, so I installed Acronis True Image 2016. I've never been particularly keen on this sort of software, having tried a few over the years, but the Acronis blurb sounded good so I decided to give it a go.

To cut the story short, I'd had enough of True Image by October 2016, so I decided to dump it. But, for some unknown reason, the uninstall was proving difficult, so I lost patience and ripped out the app folder. Then did a RegSeeker registry search-and-delete for all Acronis-related entries. Then ran Acronis Cleaner to flush out any remnants of the software that might be lurking in the dungeons.

(Should have done that first, of course )

Today, after hours of searching for clues as to why System Restore won't run, I came across several website discussions that mentioned System Restore and other Windows problems being caused by imaging apps, specifically the fact that when imaging software is uninstalled, it sometimes fails to re-associate Volume Shadow Copy (and possibly other files) with their original controllers.

So all I can think of right now is to reinstall ATI, work it for a day or so to see if it runs properly, then uninstall it correctly.

Comments?

 

[torchwood]

bit of info

ALL imaging programs use the VSS system to create images, if thats corrupt then the image fails as well.
note VSS uses the MBR partition, so if thats less than 20% free, the restore operation will also likely fail.

Also check task schudeler prior to reinstall from your earlier set-up


Roy

 

[Callender]

Related thread possibly?

Suddenly, VSS mis-behaving

 

[teckneeculler]

Thanks Callender, but I don't think so. Apparently it was just a config problem that he later fixed.

Mine's a bit different. System Restore won't run, even though it looks like it's trying to.

But in Safe Mode it doesn't appear to even exist.

 

[Callender]

Okay here's a long shot. Take a look at the list of files that are included in this update:

https://support.microsoft.com/fi-fi...-windows-7-sp1-and-windows-server-2008-r2-sp1

Rstrui.exe
Srclient.dll
Srcore.dll

Maybe try installing the update or even uninstalling it if it is already present then reinstall it.

Note: Personally I'd disable system restore "turn off for all drives" before trying to install the update.

 

[teckneeculler]

Thanks Callender, I'll check it out.

However, I think I might have been correct about True Image taking control of Volume Shadow Copy and not relinquishing control because I ripped out the ATI installation folder.

I say this because I just installed a trial version of ATI 2017 and told it to create a backup (the files are labeled .tib) and it did so. Which seems to indicate that the Volume Shadow Copy system is intact and functional. But not controllable by Windows.