Will a system restore recover system %PATH%

[swiftie]

A software install I just did has wiped out my system %PATH% variable... will a System Restore recover this for me?

My most recent System Restore point is the Windows Critical Fix from 22 November (three days back). Will running Windows Update be sufficient to get that Critical update re-applied?

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
If you've imaged your system (Macrium, Acronis etc) then a RESTORE will restore your system to EXACTLY the state it was in at the time you backed it up --in other words if you backed your system up at 23:00 on Nov 14 then on restore your system will be exactly as it was on 23:00 on Nov 14.

You should always take regular backups of your system (and keep the OS + programs on a separate partition to user data - music, multi-media, office documents etc).

I don't use the Windows built in backup but I'd imagine it would work similarly -- restores your system to the state it was in at the time the backup was taken.

I wouldn't restore from Windows Last restore point as you don't know when the system got "broken". You might be able to fix it manually though or with the scannow command.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[swiftie]

Hi there
If you've imaged your system (Macrium, Acronis etc) then a RESTORE will restore your system to EXACTLY the state it was in at the time you backed it up --in other words if you backed your system up at 23:00 on Nov 14 then on restore your system will be exactly as it was on 23:00 on Nov 14.

I wouldn't restore from Windows Last restore point as you don't know when the system got "broken". You might be able to fix it manually though or with the scannow command.

I take daily Macrium backups, but I've never done a restore, and I'm so addled, I doubt I could cope at the moment.

My last restore point is from 22 Nov, and I know precisely when my problem started... 10:00 today, 25 Nov. So I'm probably going to try the Restore Point first. I can always use the Macrium image if that fails.

I've done many system restores in my life, but non under Win7 yet. My previous system was XP, and most system restores ended up with "cannot restore from this restore point", after several minutes of trying. Hopefully Win7 is more robust in this environment.

 

[z3r010]

There is a good chance it will sort it, just do the restore and find out.

 

[Kaktussoft]

A software install I just did has wiped out my system %PATH% variable... will a System Restore recover this for me?

My most recent System Restore point is the Windows Critical Fix from 22 November (three days back). Will running Windows Update be sufficient to get that Critical update re-applied?

PATH is in registry so it will be fixed by running "system restore". Patch will be reapplied after system restore

 

[Urthboundmisfit]

...Restore point is the Windows Critical Fix from 22 November...

What "Critical Fix" from 22 Nov do you refer to, or is this a typo & should read 12 Nov? (MS Patch Tuesday).
I have no such "Fix", critical or otherwise, showing on my system from Nov 22.

 

[swiftie]

What "Critical Fix" from 22 Nov do you refer to, or is this a typo & should read 12 Nov? (MS Patch Tuesday).

I was quoting the restore point data; my most recent restore point was from 22 Nov with a description of "Windows Update" and type "Critical Update"
I now have two newer restore points, both today (25 Nov) "Restore Operation" and "Windows Update"/"Critical Update".

These are all the dates that the restore point was created, nothing directly to do with the update date.

 

[Kaktussoft]

What "Critical Fix" from 22 Nov do you refer to, or is this a typo & should read 12 Nov? (MS Patch Tuesday).

I was quoting the restore point data; my most recent restore point was from 22 Nov with a description of "Windows Update" and type "Critical Update"
I now have two newer restore points, both today (25 Nov) "Restore Operation" and "Windows Update"/"Critical Update".

These are all the dates that the restore point was created, nothing directly to do with the update date.

So you did the restore? Problem solved?

 

[swiftie]

Can I do a daily System Backup?

On my old XP system, I had a scheduled task to create a daily restore point.

I couldn't find a mechanism (read "command prompt syntax") to do this under Windows 7.

Is it still possible, and if so where can I find out the details. I'm fine creating the scheduled task, I just need the command to run.

 

[swiftie]

So you did the restore? Problem solved?

I'm nearly done.
I did the restore, and it fixed the initial problem. However, the restore point was three days old.

I'd like to schedule a task to take daily restore points. I'm fine with creating the task, but I couldn't find the syntax of the command to create a one-off restore point.

 

[Kaktussoft]

Answer #8 please.

Why do you want to create a system restore point everyday? It will automatically be created when:

• You install/uninstall software
• You install/uninstall windows updates
• Once every week if no restore point has been created last 7 days

 

[Kaktussoft]

You make daily backups I read using Macrium Reflect. Really every day ... why for a home computer? If you have really important files.... back them up or synchronize them seperately. A backup each day is ridiculous in my opinion.

You really want a restore point each day as well?

 

[z3r010]

So you did the restore? Problem solved?

I'd like to schedule a task to take daily restore points. I'm fine with creating the task, but I couldn't find the syntax of the command to create a one-off restore point.

Will this do (option 2)? - http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/67114-system-restore-point-create-system-startup.html

 

[swiftie]

Why do you want to create a system restore point everyday? It will automatically be created when:

• You install/uninstall software

• Because the last software I installed didn't create a restore point, and nearly destroyed my system.
• Because my most recent Restore point was three days old.
• Because, when I screw up my system, I want to go back to the picosecond before the screwing started.
• Because I have enough disk space to take daily restore points.

 

[swiftie]

You make daily backups I read using Macrium Reflect. Really every day ... why for a home computer? If you have really important files.... back them up or synchronize them seperately. A backup each day is ridiculous in my opinion.

You really want a restore point each day as well?

I'll answer your question with another question:

Would you be upset if you lost everything that you'd done yesterday?

I take daily backups of nearly everything on my system, cascaded across three different external drives (one of which is a RAID array), and to a distant server (in my friend's garage).

My PC acts as my memory these days, with the organic memory in my head beginning to fail. I don't want to lose my life's memories, and I won't.

 

[swiftie]

Will this do (option 2)? - http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/67114-system-restore-point-create-system-startup.html

I only restart when forced to, which these days is mostly when Windows Update requires one. I can go weeks between restarts.

I found the VBS script which generates a restore point, and added it to my Scheduled tasks. The first of my daily restore points was taken at 04:00 today.

I'll probably create an icon to run the script as well, so I can create a restore point when something I'm about to do feels dangerous.

Thank you for your suggestions. I'm far happier now than I was yesterday!

 

[Kaktussoft]

Would you be upset if you lost everything that you'd done yesterday?

System Restore only restores dll's, exe, registry.... that kind of stuff. Not documents, pictures, music et cetera.

I didn't do anything related to dll's, exe, registry yesterday. I didn't install/uninstall anything. Even if I did... I remember what I did. Even going back a week is not a problem at all. I just reinstall 1 or 2 programs and windows updates (they will be reinstalled automagically).

 

[swiftie]

Even if I did... I remember what I did. Even going back a week is not a problem at all.

See: Swifty's words of wizdom
You'll be as old as I am, one day.