Cannot turn off System Restore

[Guest]

I'm trying to remove a secondary hard drive from my PC, but I cannot first
disable System Restore ... it won't let me!

System is running WinXP Pro, service pack 2 with current updates.
The C:-drive is 80GB, single NTFS partition, 50% free space. D:-drive is a
Sony DVD-ROM/CD+RW. E:-drive is 40GB, single NTFS partition, now empty
except for space used for System Restore.

Several months ago, the 40GB used to be the C:-drive but it was filling up,
so I installed a new 80GB disk, transferred contents to it and swapped
drives, keeping the 40GB disk for extra storage capacity. System ran over 6
months in this configuration with no problems. Life was good.

Found a terrific deal on a new, name-brand 200GB disk, which I am wanting to
install, so it is time to remove the 40GB disk and transfer/swap disks again.
In preparation, I have cleared off the now expendable 40GB disk. Except for
system stuff that I cannot access, the 40GB is now empty.

On the "System Restore" tab in the System Properties window, SysRest lists
my two disk drives; The E:-drive is listed first, then the C:-drive. When I
look at SysRest settings for the E:-drive, SysRest (mistakenly) believes it
(the 40GB disk) is the "system" drive. Therefore, in order to disable
SysRest on this drive I have to disable SysRest for ALL drives. I check the
checkbox to do this and click "Apply", confirm the action when prompted, but
then receive the following msg:

"System Restore encountered an error trying to enable/disable one or more
drives. Please restart your machine and start again."

Of course, the recommended action does not help. I tried to disable System
Restore while booted into Safe Mode - same results.

Why does SysRest believe my E:-drive is the "System" drive? It isn't.
Diskmgmt.msc shows the C:-drive is the system drive. %systemroot% is indeed
C:\Windows. Why won't SysRest disable? There are no pertinent entries in
the Event Log - I've looked. I've nosed around in the Registry to no avail.
I've not found this particular issue addressed via the web, either.

I have found out the hard way that de-installing & removing the E:-drive
from my system without first disabling SysRest causes problems - The SysRest
user interface application (rstrui.exe) then crashes before the SysRest
"home" window can open. Even the System Properties window crashes when I
click on the "System Restore" tab.

I've considered going into Diskmgmt.msc to delete then recreate the NTFS
partition on the E:-drive, but I'm hesitant as I don't want to run the risk
of hosing SysRest forever or be forced into re-installing Windows ... SysRest
has saved my hiney a time or two in the past and I need to be able to use it
in the future.

Any recommendations or suggestions???

 

[Bert Kinney]

Hi Johnnie,

There's a drive letter missing from the System Properties - Restore Tab,
what should I do?

This is often caused by, but not limited to the install of a new
physical drive to the system. There are two known solutions to this
problem.

The first solutions was discovered by MVP Ramesh Srinivasan. This is the
recommended, and least destructive method. Drive letter missing in
System Restore settings page?
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/srdrives.htm

The second is to Reinstall System Restore.
Warning, all restore points will be lost in this process.
How to reinstall System Restore:
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/tips.html#ReinstallSR

 

[Guest]

Ramesh Srinivasan's tip to locate and rename the drivetable.txt file in the
System Information Folder did the trick! System Restore now correctly shows
my C:-drive as the system drive.

Excellent advice! Thank you, Mr. Kinney!!!

 

[Bert Kinney]

That's great Johnnie!

You're welcome, and thanks for the feedback.