Windows XP restore points

[RBH]

I must be overlooking something, but the "system restore" feature in XP SP1 seems to be doing something strange.

Each time I call for a new restore point to be established, the previous one gets wiped out. I have the available HD space for restore points set to maximum, which come out to over 7 GB. But after each restore point that I generate, the list of restore points shows only the last restore point I made.

I don't know how much storage space each point needs. But, since the point is generated quite quickly, it can't be that much.

I'm running XP Home SP1, on a high end system.

What am I doing wrong, or overlooking?

Ron Hirsch

 

[bcastner]

There are 3 kinds of restore points: manual, system and software related.

The second and third type are auto managed by Windows. The second type of restore point is the one that you are observing.

Do make relatively persistant restore points you need to set them manually. Use the Help and Assistance feature from the start menu to set manual restore points.

 

[linney]

Q301224 - System Restore "Restore Points" Are Missing or Deleted

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q301/2/24.asp

Q310405 - How to Turn On and Turn Off System Restore in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q310/4/05.asp

Q302796 - Troubleshooting System Restore in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q302/7/96.asp

Q300044 - How the System Restore Tool Handles Hard-Disk Space Usage

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q300/0/44.asp

Q299904 - The System Restore Utility May Be Suspended on a System Drive Even Though There Is Enough Disk Space

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q299/9/04.asp

Q250231 - System Restore Points May Not Be Created for Hardware Device Driver Installations

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q250/2/31.asp

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...y/en-us/dnwxp/html/windowsxpsystemrestore.asp

Run the System File Checker program from the Run Box by typing.....Sfc /Scannow in it and have your XP CD handy.

HOW TO: Verify Unsigned Device Drivers in Windows XP

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q308/5/14.asp

If they don't work you could try repairing windows itself by running it over itself. You will lose all your windows updates but your files will be untouched.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP (Q315341)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q315/3/41.asp

 

[RBH]

Thaks for all the KB references. I did some further close looking at the whole restore point bit in my system, and I discovered where I was being misled.

While I thought that I had only the latest restore point available to me, I was wrong. I had mistakenly assumed that the RP showing was the complete listing. But, I then realized that it was the only one showing for the day in question.

Browsing back through the calendar revealed that there are indeed many RP's, and the dates where they are available can be spotted by the BOLD date on the calendar.

Ron Hirsch