How to keep XP from creating restore-points?

[Talal Itani]

Every time I install in a new device in my PC, XP creates a new
restore-point, and saves old files. Is there a way to keep XP from creating
these restore points? I need this because I frequently install new yet
similar devices. Thanks.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

If you turn off System Restore you will lose all restore points already
saved.

The VSS driver that takes the snapshots for new restore points does not run
in Safe Mode so if you can install in Safe Mode the installer cannot have
System Restore make a new restore point.

 

[GreenieLeBrun]

Every time I install in a new device in my PC, XP creates a new
restore-point, and saves old files. Is there a way to keep XP from
creating these restore points? I need this because I frequently
install new yet similar devices. Thanks.

You can turn off system restore from "My Computer", "Properties", "System
Restore".

Of course if you do turn it off it is OFF and you will have NO retore points
at all.

 

[kookieman]

While enabled, you cannot choose System Restore's behavior.

 

[Bill in Co.]

You can turn off system restore from "My Computer", "Properties", "System
Restore".

Of course if you do turn it off it is OFF and you will have NO retore
points
at all.

Which is a pretty bad idea to do.

 

[GreenieLeBrun]

Which is a pretty bad idea to do.

I agree

 

[Canadian 420]

I agree- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Hi, I am running WinXP Pro 64 bit, IE7, Microsoft Office 2003 and am
wondering what is the "best percentage" of disk space to use for
System Restore? I am currently set to 5%, is that enough, or too much?
Any input on this is appreciated. TIA
Joanne in British Columbia, Canada

 

[GreenieLeBrun]

Hi, I am running WinXP Pro 64 bit, IE7, Microsoft Office 2003 and am
wondering what is the "best percentage" of disk space to use for
System Restore? I am currently set to 5%, is that enough, or too much?
Any input on this is appreciated. TIA
Joanne in British Columbia, Canada

No experience with XP64 bit but I think the default for 32bit XP is 12%, I
use 10% on a 120Gb drive so it probably depends on how much space you are
prepared to give to the System restore function.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Depends on the capacity of the hard drive. 5% of a 20GB isn't much but 5%
of 750GB sure is.

I agree- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Hi, I am running WinXP Pro 64 bit, IE7, Microsoft Office 2003 and am
wondering what is the "best percentage" of disk space to use for
System Restore? I am currently set to 5%, is that enough, or too much?
Any input on this is appreciated. TIA
Joanne in British Columbia, Canada

 

[Xandros]

You can simply disable it. Right click the My Computer icon and select
Properties->System Restore Tab. Check the box to turn it off and click
Apply.
However you should have some form of system state backup. XP's backup
program is a POS so don't even think it will help you out. There are several
decent imaging programs that work a treat. I use Acronis TrueImage. It can
be set to automatically create incremental backups of the entire drive
partition or individual files, folders or even just your e-mail. Or you can
run it manually when you need to. I think Ghost can also do this but I'm not
certain on that.

 

[MAP]

Hi, I am running WinXP Pro 64 bit, IE7, Microsoft Office 2003 and am
wondering what is the "best percentage" of disk space to use for
System Restore? I am currently set to 5%, is that enough, or too much?
Any input on this is appreciated. TIA
Joanne in British Columbia, Canada

Each restore point takes about 200mb of space to create, give or take, so
for each gig you have about 5 checkpionts how many do you believe you need?

 

[Bill in Co.]

Mike - is that documented somewhere, or is that what you've actually seen
over time (that approx 200 MB per restoration point)?
(sounds fairly reasonable (although a bit more than I expected), but I was
just wondering where you got the estimate from)

 

[PD]

Mike - is that documented somewhere, or is that what you've actually seen
over time (that approx 200 MB per restoration point)?
(sounds fairly reasonable (although a bit more than I expected), but I was
just wondering where you got the estimate from)

Actually, that is high. On my system it's running about 130mb (divide
allotted space by number of restore points).

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

There might be that difference between XP Pro x86 and XP Pro x64 (he is
using the latter).

Mike - is that documented somewhere, or is that what you've actually seen
over time (that approx 200 MB per restoration point)?
(sounds fairly reasonable (although a bit more than I expected), but I was
just wondering where you got the estimate from)

Actually, that is high. On my system it's running about 130mb (divide
allotted space by number of restore points).

 

[Uncle Grumpy]

There might be that difference between XP Pro x86 and XP Pro x64 (he is
using the latter).

OK... then use the method I used to compute: divide the allotted space
by the number of restore points.

Only works when you know you're at the max number. Mine has less than
two weeks of restore points (some days have multiple points) and I
only use 3% of the disk space.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Hi, I am running WinXP Pro 64 bit, IE7, Microsoft Office 2003 and am
wondering what is the "best percentage" of disk space to use for
System Restore? I am currently set to 5%, is that enough, or too much?
Any input on this is appreciated. TIA

It shouldn't be on a percentage basis. The default 12% of the drive
that it takes is way too much for most people. If you try to use
System Restore to go back more than a week or two, you are likely to
end up getting all sorts of things out of synch with the restored
operating system files, and typically create more problems than you
solve.

I would lower it to whatever gives to 10-12 days of restore
points--somewhere around 2GB.

 

[MAP]

Hi Bill,
I seem to have the ability to remember useless stuff like this, I wish that
I could remember more important things but I'll take what I can get.
To answer your ? I remember a couple of MVP's talking about it a few years
ago and it stuck in my head.
As for me I have my restore setup for only 1% which is about 1500 mb,I
figure that if I install something that disagrees with my system I'll know it
fairly soon.Plus I keep three complete True Image backups on a separate HD.

 

[Bill in Co.]

Well, I guess the (somewhat limited) "consensus" here so far is that it
typically takes between 100 - 200 MB per restore point, which at least is
something to go on.

I've got my restore HD capacity set to 10% of the HD, because 1) I've got
plenty of room, and 2) I'm doing plenty of experiments.

And I have been occasionally (and hopefully, judiciously) using System
Restore and/or ERUNT, as prudent - at least on some "select" occasions.


PS - I know what you mean about the memory thing. It gets worse as we get
older, too.

Thanks.

 

[Bert Kinney]

Why in the world would you want to do that?

As long as a new restore is created prier to a device being installed, there
should not be a problem. Just don't install new devices before fully
testing the previous device installed.

Regards,
Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
http://bertk.mvps.org
Member: http://dts-l.net

 

[Bert Kinney]

Disabling System Restore is a bad idea. It should be your first step in
restoring the system after an application or device is installed.

Restoring using an image should be the next step.

Regards,
Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
http://bertk.mvps.org
Member: http://dts-l.net