Desktop driver files and System Restore

[DSG]

Just in case anyone wants to know:
I just added 6 new drivers on my desktop (inside a folder) so that after
system restore, I would have them handy to install them. Someone on this
newsgroup said he was "pretty sure" the saved downloads would not be
bothered.

Well, every one of them except one in a Zip file was gone. No big deal,
unless you have dialup which takes so long to download. I don't know if
they would have been gone if they had been saved down in my directory or
not.
dsg

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

Dependent on the extension of the files, SR doesn't monitor some files. You
can check which files SR does/doesn't monitor in the this file:

%systemroot%\system32\restore\filelist.xml

SR doesn't monitor .ZIP files, but does include .SYS & >DRV files.

 

[bxf]

Aha! I was saying (in another post) that I had lost non-system files
after doing a RESTORE, but I couldn't recall what I'd lost, until I saw
your post.

My solution was to put some files on a separate partition and to tell
SR that this partition is not to be monitored.

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

SR will only monitor the hard disk/partition that the Windows (%systemroot%)
folder is on, by default. So any files placed on another partition won't be
monitored by SR anyway.

 

[DSG]

As an aside, Microsoft Help and Support says XP, by default, monitors all
HDs until we turn them off. I have turned off D,E,F and H. All of them as
well as C: were being monitored when I installed XP.

Under "To change System Restore settings"
"System Restore is enabled on all drives when you first start your new
computer or when the operating system is installed, unless you have less
than 200 MB of available space on the hard disk (or the partition that
contains your operating system folder)."
dsg
..................................................

 

[Bert Kinney]

Hi,

If you want to keep files/folder from being monitored by System Restore, place them in the
My Documents Folder. Or even better, copy them to removable media.

List of Files and Folders System Restore Monitors
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/filesfolders.html

 

[DSG]

Thanks, Bert. I have since downloaded them again and really put them away.
I just thought I was being smart to have them on hand as soon as restore was
done.
dsg
....................................

 

[Bert Kinney]

You're welcome DSG. That's a good move.

 

[bxf]

As an aside, Microsoft Help and Support says XP, by default, monitors all
HDs until we turn them off.

My experience is consistent with this. It was a rude shock to suddenly
see my DOWNLOADS folder (on partition D) disappear (or lose some of its
contents).