How do I restore the Restore function"

[KenV]

Suddenly, I've lost the System Restore function in XP Pro SP2. I get the
message, "System Restore is not able to protect your computer. Please
restart your computer, and then run System Restore again."

I have tried everything including removing one of the later MS security
updates that was supposd to affect Restore. I ran a registry fix i found on
a Google search for this problem. I have run rstrui.exe. and also the sfc
/scannow using my XP disk. Nothing works.

The restore tab is missing in System Properties as well.

Any ideas as to what this is? A virus? How do I fix it?

Thanks.

Ken

 

[R. McCarty]

I would check the Service, System Restore Service and make sure
it's Start Mode is set to Automatic and the current Service Status is
Started.
You might also want to check the System Event Log for any Red
icons that denote errors.
I would also investigate the fragmentation level of the drive. System
Restore requires quite a bit of disk space.
Services:
Start, Run (Type) Services.Msc [Enter]
Event Log Viewer:
Start, Run (Type) EventVwr.Msc [Enter]

 

[Jone Doe]

Suddenly, I've lost the System Restore function in XP Pro SP2. I get the
message, "System Restore is not able to protect your computer. Please
restart your computer, and then run System Restore again."

I have tried everything including removing one of the later MS security
updates that was supposd to affect Restore. I ran a registry fix i found
on a Google search for this problem. I have run rstrui.exe. and also the
sfc /scannow using my XP disk. Nothing works.

The restore tab is missing in System Properties as well.

Any ideas as to what this is? A virus? How do I fix it?

Thanks.

Ken

I don't know, but you might start here.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q302796/ as a jumping off point.

 

[Jim]

This article "How to Disable the System Restore Configuration User
Interface" might help. It also shows how to restore the function using three
methods.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283073/

Jim

 

[=?iso-8859-1?Q?Daniel_Mart=EDn_=5BMVP_Windows=5D?=]

Hi, Ken:

Try to reinstall System Restore:

How to reinstall System Resore in Windows XP?
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/repairsr.htm

 

[KenV]

I don't know, but you might start here.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q302796/ as a jumping off point.

I have gone through all the KB articles--no help.

I would check the Service, System Restore Service and make sure
it's Start Mode is set to Automatic and the current Service Status is
Started.

That is apparently part of the problem.. The System Restore Service will not
start--"access is denied" and it is set on "automatic". I've even tried to
start this service as admoinstator in Safe Mode

I went into the registry and reset permissions to "allow" for just about
everything, but I still get that message.

Becaus eof this and other problems, including a dial-up problem I posted
here a while ago and can't get solved, I'm wondering about doing a repair
install of XP. But will this fix problems in the registry? Do I have to do a
clean re-install and reinstall all my programs?

Ken

 

[R. McCarty]

Repair install is designed to preserve 3rd-Party applications and all
other data. I would take an image first or backup my personal data.
Sometimes a Repair install fixes these issues, but not always. Are
you sure your system is clean of "Baddies -Viruses,Trojans and the
Malware infectors" ? You might want to completely purge/delete the
contents of your System Volume Information folder. (Requires a
ACL/Privileges change for your account)

 

[=?iso-8859-1?Q?Daniel_Mart=EDn_=5BMVP_Windows=5D?=]

Take a look at this article: http://www.jsifaq.com/SUBQ/TIP8100/rh8136.htm.

 

[KenV]

Repair install is designed to preserve 3rd-Party applications and all
other data. I would take an image first or backup my personal data.
Sometimes a Repair install fixes these issues, but not always. Are
you sure your system is clean of "Baddies -Viruses,Trojans and the
Malware infectors" ? You might want to completely purge/delete the
contents of your System Volume Information folder. (Requires a
ACL/Privileges change for your account)

Take a look at this article:
http://www.jsifaq.com/SUBQ/TIP8100/rh8136.htm.

I hope you guys are still online.

I followed these instructions, renamed all the System Volume Information
folders as directed by the article, rebooted, and it worked--I have System
Restore back!

But now there's a new problem, probably related to my having messed with the
registry permissions before I did the System Volume changes. When I start
Windows, the ATI display program says I don't have permission to change its
settings, my Ghost Program won't run, and when I go into Explorer, it takes
forever to expand the local C drive trees.

When I changed the permissions in the registry earlier, it was always to
/allow/ more users to change the registry, so I don't understan why it now
seems more restrictive. Is there a way to get the old, default permissions
back in the Registry?

Thanks again.

Ken

 

[=?iso-8859-1?Q?Daniel_Mart=EDn_=5BMVP_Windows=5D?=]

I followed these instructions, renamed all the System Volume Information

folders as directed by the article, rebooted, and it worked--I have System
Restore back!

Glad it worked, Ken!

If you messed with registry permissions you could restore them back to
defaults following these instructions from Ramesh Srinivasan's blog
(courtesy of Ken Zhao, MS employee):
http://winonline.blogspot.com/2005/11/reset-entire-registry-permissions-to.html.

--
Regards,
Daniel Martín
Microsoft MVP Windows - Shell/User

 

[KenV]

Glad it worked, Ken!

If you messed with registry permissions you could restore them back to
defaults following these instructions from Ramesh Srinivasan's blog
(courtesy of Ken Zhao, MS employee):
http://winonline.blogspot.com/2005/11/reset-entire-registry-permissions-to.html.

Daniel,

I ran the programs (subinacl and reset.cmd) recommended by Ken Zhao, and the
reset.cmd seemed to reset the permissions in the registry, although it
reported 4 "failures".

Even after rebooting, computer is still running like molasses, especially in
Explorer (not IExplorer which seems to be fine) or when I try to run certain
programs, particularly anything that looks for a drive tree, such as Live
OneCare. I am currently running it, though, to check for viruses and
malware.

Any further suggestions?

Ken