Does Windows' System Restore really work for you?

[CrazyTim]

I'm wondering if I have a problem, or if it is the general situation, that Windows Restore Points don't usually work. (I use XP Pro -- SP3 atm.) I would like to see what your experience is.

 

I have had terrible luck with the Windows System Restore points. Though I've needed them on only a few occasions, they have never worked for me when I needed them. I think that when they don't work the system reboots, then I get a message that the system could not be restored from the last restore point. I can't recall exactly.

 

I've done just a little testing on this, and it was about a year or so ago. I believe I found that I could get restore points to work if there was only one restore point, and I did the restore almost immediately... before doing anything else. I don't count on them at all to help me out of a jam if I screw up, or some piece of software dumps on my setup.

 

So, what's your experience?

 

TIA!

 

CT

[detailer]

System Restore

 

Tim- It seems to work fine if your PC is running in top form.It's been my experience that when things aren't running quite right,SR seems to be a fifty fifty at best. Bad news,because this is when you need it the most.I've gotten in the habit of creating my own restore point at the beginning of each day,and run the restore system at 2%. It does seem the farther "back in time" you go,the less chance you have of a successful restore.I suggest that if you're about to install some new,or uninstall some old software,create a restore point right then,before you proceed.Sometimes system restore is more effective if launched in safe mode.I also try to apply it from the same user account that any trouble showed up on.I don't know if this makes a difference,but I do it anyway.Keep all of your junk and temporary files cleaned up and your hard drive defragged-the less SR has to "re-create"-the better chance it has.

[CrazyTim]

Does Windows' System Restore really work for you?

 

Hi detailer,

 

I originally put this thread in the ASC section of these forums because Windows System Restore seems to be very closely and importantly associated with reversing the actions of the ASC "Care" button, but someone decided it shouldn't be there, I guess, and moved it here to the Lounge.

 

Yes. I made the mistake of clicking that "Care" button first after installing the ASC trial, to see what was underneath it, and before reading much about ASC. I expected some sort of scan results first, with anything I might click on the main window. (Note to self: You should never be up too long and very tired and sleepy when you install new software or try it out the first time.) Anyway, that woke me up quickly when I saw that ASC had made ALL those changes -- "Total Problems Fixed: 7,320." Holy crap, Batman! I immediately (I emphasize, immediately), looked at and did the ASC Restore. At the end of the ASC restore, the software either automatically started the Windows System Restore, or asked me if I wanted to do it. If it asked, I chose yes. However, after the reboot I got the message about System Restore not being able to use the last restore point -- which had just been made by the ASC software, I think. This is what kinda' prompted my poll about this.

 

I'm rather surprised that I've not noticed any problems (yet) from the ASC restore... without the System Restore having worked. I'm pretty sure that everything on my PC is working as it previously had been. (CrazyTim crosses fingers... which makes it much harder now to type. heehee) I'm impressed with that. In fact, I purchased ASC this morning.

 

It seems to work fine if your PC is running in top form.

 

I think it has been working in pretty good form, but I don't know about "top form," as you said. I've not had any real problems and it's fairly fast. (XP Pro @ 3Ghz, full RAM, 500Gb SATA RAID HDD, 10Mb/s connection, nVidia 8600.)

 

I've gotten in the habit of creating my own restore point at the beginning of each day,and run the restore system at 2%.

 

Hmmm... I leave it at 12% (~57Mb), which is my system's default, Max percentage; perhaps everyone's. I have lots of free HD space. Why do you change it to 2%, detailer? Just curious.

 

I do remove all old restore points before doing anything that I think is too risky... but I didn't see the ASC fixed problems thing coming. I wasn't planning on changing anything when I started the ASC software to take a look at it. DOH! I usually get rid of old restore points by turning the Windows System Restore checkbox off, and then back on. Do you happen to know if that is an accepted practice?

 

It does seem the farther "back in time" you go,the less chance you have of a successful restore.

 

I've noticed the same.

 

I also try to apply it from the same user account that any trouble showed up on.

 

I only have one user account, well, plus admin, but I only long in as me, and I give myself all privileges admin has. I'm usually the only one on this computer. We run a three computer network in my home.

 

Keep all of your junk and temporary files cleaned up and your hard drive defragged-the less SR has to "re-create"-the better chance it has.

 

I run Windows Disk Cleanup often enough, and also do a Start | Run| of %temp% every now and then to keep that directory fairly empty most of the time.

 

Ya' know, I found it amazing that ASC is indicating as many problems as it is. I've been using Uniblue's Registry Booster 2 and Advanced System Optimizer's Registry Cleaner and Fixer to keep the registry cleaned of junk. Of course, they don't optimize it, but ASC certainly found a lot more entries that are just simply worthless. I manually, carefully and painstakingly verified ALL of 418 problems ASC found in the Registry Fix area. Every one of them pointed to something that was no longer there, or were bad entries. EVERY ONE of them. It almost makes me wonder what these other pieces of software have been doing. For the record, I use both of those companies' registry defraggers, too.

 

I had been using just the Windows Defrag for the HD until last week when I happened to run across IObit's Smart Defrag somewhere. I was impressed with it, also, which is another reason I decided to go ahead and purchase ASC.

 

Well, me thinks this is going to be an interesting poll.

 

I wish they would have left this thread in the ASC section, since that is the part of their software that utilizes Windows System Restore.

 

(CrazyTim goes to his corner and pouts. http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/animated/anim_03.gif )

 

Thx for your thoughts and suggestions, detailer!

 

CT

[sunny staines]

I always turn off security software first before restore.

[usefullll]

So far i only use System restore for Registry changes or accidentally

deleted something. And System restore aren't effective for reverting

to previous point after being infected.

[CrazyTim]

I always turn off security software first before restore.

 

Hmmm... I'll have to try that next time and see if it works then. Tx!

 

CT

[JustDave]

I can rely on System Restore. I've used it to correct install or configuration issues...never used it to try to get rid of malware.

 

Most recently I noticed the computer acting a little wonky during boot. My daughter told me a couple of days later that she'd installed a math program from school. I restored back to the point before she installed the trashware and all was well.

[samr]

Hi crazytim,

I have had it fail to restore a few times, but as a whole it has saved my butt more times than I can count! It isn't perfect, but can be a lifesaver.

samr.

[Ted]

Hi there, CrazyTim,

 

Yes, SR has saved me a few times too, although I did have a big problem with it a couple of years ago when it wouldn't create any Restore Points. Never did find out the exact cause, though.

I've been reading a bit about this SR alternative: http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt Has anyone here tried it at all?

[detailer]

Tim-Wow-Someone who can ramble on beyond me,and with a sense of humor! http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Respect/king-041.gif I keep SR at 2% because I don't need crap I'm not going to use,and don't need my security scanners wasting time on the same aforementioned crap.Like I said-The farther back you go....I think the disable/enable SR is fine for losing old restore points-I don't employ this practice(2% remember?)When using Disk Clean-up utility,if you click on the "More Options" tab,you will see the means to delete all but your last restore point.Use that since you're there anyway.-Hey Ted-didn't see your post.I have made a full Reg back-up courtesy of Erunt.but haven't tried using it yet.The first part (back-up) went smoothly-don't know how "part two" will work out yet.

[CrazyTim]

http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/sign/sign0101.gif

 

 

Tim-Wow-Someone who can ramble on beyond me,and with a sense of humor! http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Respect/king-041.gif...

 

You really need to get yourself a proper crown, detailer.

 

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2262/2044081395_caea39ef00_m.jpg

 

heehee

[samr]

Hi guys,

I've used erunt & ntregopt for quite some time for XP & Win 2000. Seems to work pretty well. I usually make reg. backup before doing something big. Or I will do one every so often & dump the last one. Reg opt seems to work well also.

samr.