Can "System Restore Points" be locked? [Windows XP New Users]

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From: J. P. Gilliver (John) on 24 Oct 2009 06:23

I know that a system restore point is far from an everything;
nevertheless, they do seem a useful concept. However, like the ERU/ERD
ones in Windows 95 (works fine in 98/Me too), I'd like to be able to
keep the odd one; at present SRPs seem to be like the replacement to
ERU/ERD that came with '98, i. e. they go into a FIFO buffer: since the
system makes SRPs quite frequently, the oldest isn't that old. I've just
installed CCleaner, which has a useful "manage your CRPs" tool (actually
all it lets you do is remove them, but it's useful as a way of seeing
what you've got), and I see my oldest is only just over a month old, and
there are only ones made by my system and a utility there, none that
I've made myself.

Can it be done (marking one as "keep")? If not, can they be moved to a
safe place, and moved back when needed? (What form do they take?
Presumably not registry entries! Though how they're indexed I rather
fear _is_ in the registry.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar(a)T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
outdated thoughts on PCs. **

"Most of us, when all is said and done, like what we like and make up reasons
for it afterwards." - Soren F. Petersen

From: Shenan Stanley on 24 Oct 2009 16:04

From: J. P. Gilliver (John) on 24 Oct 2009 19:15

In message <OH8n8UOVKHA.844(a)TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl>, Shenan Stanley
<newshelper(a)gmail.com> writes:
>J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
>> I know that a system restore point is far from an everything;
[]
>No. That would be a backup. System Restores are not the same, nor can they
>be treated in the same way - as a backup.
>
>You could use ERUNT to backup your XP registry if you want. You could make

I do.

>just 'System State' backups if you want.
>
>ERD (Emergency Repair Disk) is nothing like System Restore. The Windows XP
>CD itself contains most everything you would need to boot and repair an
>installation of Windows XP. In conjunction with the Recovery Console, you
>have a whole slew of tools at your disposal in this way.
>
>You could utilize something like a BartPE or Ultimate Windows Boot CD to get
>in and have a more familar interface from a CD/DVD.

I have BartPE (as dual boot; I haven't got round to making an actual CD
yet).
>
>In the end - no - system restores cannot be saved. Use backups. Get
>yourself an inexpesive external drive that probably has twice to five times
>the total amount of space you have and either use some feature of it to
>backup your system or use some third party application to make images of
>your hard disk drive to it or just make system backups using internal or
>third party methods.
>
What you say matches what I suspected; it just seems a pity that System
Restore appeared with XP, but it is far from clear (to me at least) what
a System Restore point actually _does_ store.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar(a)T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
outdated thoughts on PCs. **

Mathematics is the language with which God has written the universe. -Galileo
Galilei, physicist and astronomer (1564-1642)

From: Shenan Stanley on 24 Oct 2009 20:02

J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
> I know that a system restore point is far from an everything;
> nevertheless, they do seem a useful concept. However, like the ERU/ERD
> ones in Windows 95 (works fine in 98/Me too), I'd like to be able to keep
> the odd one; at present SRPs seem to be like the replacement to ERU/ERD
> that came with '98, i. e. they go into a FIFO buffer: since the system
> makes SRPs quite frequently, the oldest isn't that old. I've just
> installed CCleaner, which has a useful "manage your CRPs" tool (actually
> all it lets you do is remove them, but it's useful as a way of seeing what
> you've got), and I see my oldest is only just over a month old, and there
> are only ones made by my system and a utility there, none that I've made
> myself.
>
> Can it be done (marking one as "keep")? If not, can they be moved to a
> safe place, and moved back when needed? (What form do they take?
> Presumably not registry entries! Though how they're indexed I rather fear
> _is_ in the registry.)

Shenan Stanley wrote:
> No. That would be a backup. System Restores are not the same, nor can
> they be treated in the same way - as a backup.
>
> You could use ERUNT to backup your XP registry if you want. You could
> make just 'System State' backups if you want.
>
> ERD (Emergency Repair Disk) is nothing like System Restore. The Windows
> XP CD itself contains most everything you would need to boot and repair an
> installation of Windows XP. In conjunction with the Recovery Console, you
> have a whole slew of tools at your disposal in this way.
>
> You could utilize something like a BartPE or Ultimate Windows Boot CD to
> get in and have a more familar interface from a CD/DVD.
>
> In the end - no - system restores cannot be saved. Use backups. Get
> yourself an inexpesive external drive that probably has twice to five
> times the total amount of space you have and either use some feature of it
> to backup your system or use some third party application to make images
> of your hard disk drive to it or just make system backups using internal
> or third party methods.

J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
> I do.
>
> I have BartPE (as dual boot; I haven't got round to making an actual CD
> yet).
>
> What you say matches what I suspected; it just seems a pity that System
> Restore appeared with XP, but it is far from clear (to me at least) what a
> System Restore point actually _does_ store.

System Restore appeared with Windows ME. ;-)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Restore

Probably one of the best places to research System Restore in Windows XP is
here:

http://bertk.mvps.org/

You might read this:
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/description.html

As well as:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/System-Restore-frequently-asked-questions
and
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial56.html

The last of those has a couple of lists...

These restore points contain configuration and settings and files
that are necessary for your computer to run correctly. The following
are some of the settings and files that are saved in a Restore Point:

. Registry (Contains Configuration information for application, user,
and operating system settings)
. Windows File Protection files in the dllscache folder. (Used for
protecting system files)
. COM+ Database
. Windows Management Instrumentation Database
. IIS Metabase (Contains configuration for Internet Information Server)
. Files with extensions listed in the Monitored File Extensions list in
the
System Restore section of the Platform SDK
. Local Profiles

What System Restore does not store in a Restore Point include:
. Windows XP passwords and hints are not restored. This is done
so that you do not by accident restore an old password and then
lock yourself out of the computer..
. Microsoft Internet Explorer and Content Advisor passwords and
hints are not restored.
. Any file types not monitored by System Restore like personal data
files e.g. .doc, .jpg, .txt etc.
. Items listed in both Filesnottobackup and KeysnottoRestore
. User-created data stored in the user profile
. Contents of redirected folders

Hope that helps!

I still recommend - heavily - some backup application and external location
to put the backup. Best is something that not only backs up your files
periodically (every night, once a week, etc) but also does a system state
backup every single night. For most people - if they only had a way to
restore their system state back to the way it was the day before - their
files and stuff would be readily available and they would be much happier.
;-)

Having a dual boot of BartPE really doesn't help much if it is the drive
that goes bad, eh? *grin*

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

From: J. P. Gilliver (John) on 25 Oct 2009 08:21

In message <uuIWQaQVKHA.4704(a)TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl>, Shenan Stanley
<newshelper(a)gmail.com> writes:
>J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
[]
>> What you say matches what I suspected; it just seems a pity that System
>> Restore appeared with XP, but it is far from clear (to me at least) what a
>> System Restore point actually _does_ store.
>
>System Restore appeared with Windows ME. ;-)
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Restore

OK, I didn't know that. (Assuming it's actually the same thing, and that
the Me one was not a development of ERU/ERD.)

>
>Probably one of the best places to research System Restore in Windows XP is
>here:
>
>http://bertk.mvps.org/

That tells me how to _do_ a restore, AFAICS.
>
>You might read this:
>http://bertk.mvps.org/html/description.html

That one is most informative, thank you. (I hadn't realised that, when
disc space gets low, it not only stops making restore points, but
deletes any already made. Seems an odd behaviour - since something that
is causing disc space to be eaten is exactly one of the many things for
which one might want to go back!)
>
>As well as:
>http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/System-Restore-frequent
>ly-asked-questions

That one is a bit Vista-specific. (Interesting that under Vista - and,
presumably, 7 - SR does _not_ save anything on a FAT disc.)

>and
>http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tutorials/tutorial56.html

Mostly what-it-is-and-how-to-use-it, though does include details of
registry where to change the automatic period.
>
>The last of those has a couple of lists...
>
>These restore points contain configuration and settings and files
>that are necessary for your computer to run correctly. The following
>are some of the settings and files that are saved in a Restore Point:
[lists of what SR does and does not save/restore]
>Hope that helps!

Thanks, useful to know.
>
>I still recommend - heavily - some backup application and external location
>to put the backup. Best is something that not only backs up your files
>periodically (every night, once a week, etc) but also does a system state
>backup every single night. For most people - if they only had a way to
>restore their system state back to the way it was the day before - their
>files and stuff would be readily available and they would be much happier.
>;-)
Agreed for all you say. But I _still_ think that, if system restore is
considered worthwhile at all, it should have been possible to tag one to
be kept indefinitely.

>
>Having a dual boot of BartPE really doesn't help much if it is the drive
>that goes bad, eh? *grin*
>
No, though under those circumstances I don't think having it as a
bootable CD would help me much either *grin* (well, backups of course)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar(a)T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
outdated thoughts on PCs. **

Mathematics is the language with which God has written the universe. -Galileo
Galilei, physicist and astronomer (1564-1642)

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