System Restore Points - Manually Extract Files and Folders

This is just fantastic.

I wonder how much data could be saved if this were wider known.

I can't believe how much there is still to learn here.

Does anyone know which folder system retores are saved in as I want to save some initial restore points on a disc other than drive C. Question comes about after a repair install and a relatively modest SSD as the C drive.

Hello Shag00,

Sorry, but that wouldn't work. Restore points can only be saved on the drive that they are created for.

Brink,

I understand the system only saves to the drive the restore was created for, what I want to do is a restore of the C drive then manually copy that restore point file to another drive for safe keeping and manually copy it back to the "restore" folder when I need it (when the restore is created it must be saved as a file in a folder). Again, I fully understand there are no Windows settings I can use to accomplish this.

When you say it can't be done do you mean it is one of those system files which Windows won't let you copy to/from, or does Windows have some mechanism for recording valid restore point files?

Exactly. Even if you were able to, doing so would corrupt the restore point and make it unseen by Windows to be usable.

Hi Shawn,

Can I manually reach to System Restore Points folders?

Becaue I used this "Windows 7 Manager" software and made some changes in customization tab. Then I wanted to restore the changes and clicked restore. I wanted to restore those changes I had done with it, nothing more. But, it changed all changes I made since I installed windows 7 and changed somethings in entirely system. For example I couldn't open registry and when I double click on computer it goes to manage. These ones are fine now. But in start menu, all sections below account picture have gone or it changed appearence and order of desktop files&documents, it changed pointer speed of mouse (sensitivity), it changed all files views, there was a mouse section under the "hardware and sound" in control panel, it has gone etc.



Then I thought that maybe I can use System Restore to undo these changes. They gave me two option: after the insalling of "Windows 7 manager" or before it. (Because when I installed it, it created a new system restore point.) I selected after one, but the system couldn't do it. Then I wanted to select before one, but it was gone, deleted.

We can recover deleted files in Windows with some programs. Can I recover that deleted system restore point with this way? Or, can I undo all these canges in another way?

I'm waiting for your respond, thank you.

Hello Erchamion, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If the restore point has been deleted, then it's gone for good.

You might see if undoing the system restore you last did may help to see what you have available afterwards.

System Restore - Undo

You're talking about undo the last system restore? After unsuccessful restore, the program offered me undo this system restore, and I did it. I think it created a new system restore point before restoring to give me an option to return if it does nothing or damage more. I think this one replaced the oldest one.

Just to clarify, is the restore you did from Windows "System Restore" or the program's backup/restore feature?

It is Windows'.

In that case, I believe you're pretty much out of luck on the deleted restore point if you already used the undo system restore option, and it didn't help.

Do you have a system image available from before all this?

Unfortunetaly, I don't.

Then I need to install a clean windows again. I hate to do it all the time.

If the program itself does have some sort of undo option you could use, then you could try doing a repair install.

Very nice tut Shawn. I still use Shadow Explorer for the same purpose. For the layman it may be a little easier.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/132087-shadowexplorer-recover-lost-files-folders.html

Brink said:

If the program itself does have some sort of undo option you could use, then you could try doing a repair install.

Click to expand...

Yes, it has. Before doing repair install, can you take a look to program itself?

Every page contains a restore button. In one spesific page (Page - Explorer(I)) I made some tries. Then I wanted to restore these changes. I clicked to restore button on that page but it changed other things too. (Like mouse pointer speed in System page) Can I undo these changes within the program? (It also undid other changes I made in this program like "Keyboard numlock state at start up". I'm okay with those but not with other ones.)

There is an options section under the about menu, but it is only for making a password to use the program.

I installed program here: Optimize, tweak, clean, speed up and repair Windows 7 - Windows 7 Manager

These programs provide absolutely no benefit for Win7 but are the source of many problems we've seen here all along. Win7 is already the leanest OS ever with virtually no overhead that can be reclaimed using tweaks or optimizations outside of normal System settings. WHile there was reason to do this in XP, there is no such reason remaining in Win7 which is always instantaneous with a perfect install on adequate, tested hardware.

Normally if you cannot restore or re-image to before such a ruinous program was used, the only real solution left is to reinstall. Following these same steps to Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 will assure you get and keep a perfect install based on what has worked best in tens of thousands of installs we've helped with here.

I agree with Greg. A repair install is just an attempt to avoid a full clean install.

I will do repair install then. If it doesn't work, I will try clean reinstall.

Thank you for your help. I won't be able to use pc for a week. One week later, I'l be back.

Ok Erchamion. Please let us know how it went.