Permanent restore point

[Candace]

Is there a way to permanently save a particular Restore Point? I have
recently configured the software on a new computer. I would like to create a
Restore Point at this point in time and save it permanently so that I can
revert back to this original state at any time, whether a month from now or 2
years from now.

 

[Randem]

No the best you can do there is create a backup image of the HD at that
point to restore the computer to.

--
Randem Systems
Your Installation Specialist
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http://www.randem.com/innoscript.html
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http://www.randem.com/discus/messages/9402/9406.html?1236319938

 

[Malke]

Is there a way to permanently save a particular Restore Point? I have
recently configured the software on a new computer. I would like to create
a Restore Point at this point in time and save it permanently so that I
can revert back to this original state at any time, whether a month from
now or 2 years from now.

No. That is not what System Restore is for. What you want to do is get
imaging software and an external hard drive. You install the imaging
software and create an image of your perfect install and save the image on
the external hard drive. Then if you ever need to restore, you boot the
computer with either the bootable media made from within the imaging
program or, if you buy a retail copy, the imaging program's install CD.

I use Acronis True Image, which can also do incremental backups.

Malke

 

[Randall Flagg]

No. That is not what System Restore is for. What you want to do is get
imaging software and an external hard drive. You install the imaging
software and create an image of your perfect install and save the image on
the external hard drive. Then if you ever need to restore, you boot the
computer with either the bootable media made from within the imaging
program or, if you buy a retail copy, the imaging program's install CD.

I use Acronis True Image, which can also do incremental backups.

Malke

Actually, booting with a CD or DVD is only necessary if Windows is
completely trashed. In all other cases, the restore process can be
started from within Windows and Acronis True Image will take matters
from there and restart.

 

[Erwin Moller]

Randall Flagg schreef:

Actually, booting with a CD or DVD is only necessary if Windows is
completely trashed. In all other cases, the restore process can be
started from within Windows and Acronis True Image will take matters
from there and restart.

Actually, even is windows is completely trashed you can restore with
acronis without any CD or DVD to any image you like (preferably a
working version of windows).
I made a bootable CD with all required acronis software on it for that
purpose. It was extremely simple.
I can even restore my old Vista with it, and I 'downgraded' to XP SP3
after using Vista. ;-)

Regards,
Erwin Moller

--
"There are two ways of constructing a software design: One way is to
make it so simple that there are obviously no deficiencies, and the
other way is to make it so complicated that there are no obvious
deficiencies. The first method is far more difficult."
-- C.A.R. Hoare

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Is there a way to permanently save a particular Restore Point? I
have recently configured the software on a new computer. I would
like to create a Restore Point at this point in time and save it
permanently so that I can revert back to this original state at any
time, whether a month from now or 2 years from now.

No.

That is called a system state backup - you can create one of those with your
backup software of choice (given it is a worthwhile piece of software.)

To be honest - you would probably want an imaging software - use it to make
a complete image of the system *as is* and then utilize your normal backup
software for your files/folders daily (or at a schedule of your choosing)
and you'll actually have backups that will work for you.

 

[Randall Flagg]

First you say that no CD is needed:

Actually, even is windows is completely trashed you can restore with
acronis without any CD or DVD to any image you like (preferably a
working version of windows).

Then you go on to say that you made a CD and have used it:

I made a bootable CD with all required acronis software on it for that
purpose. It was extremely simple.
I can even restore my old Vista with it, and I 'downgraded' to XP SP3
after using Vista. ;-)

You don't need a CD but you made one because you needed it.

You really are confused, aren't you.

That CD you made is the one Malke referred to that comes with the
retail boxed version or that can be created from the ATI program, and
the same one I mentioned when I said that it wasn't needed if Windows
was still working.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Is there a way to permanently save a particular Restore Point? I have
recently configured the software on a new computer. I would like to create a
Restore Point at this point in time and save it permanently so that I can
revert back to this original state at any time, whether a month from now or 2
years from now.

No, you can't do that. It's not the purpose of System Restore. If
that's what you want to accomplish, you should create a clone of your
entire drive and put it on an *external* disk drive. Having the kind
of protection you are talking about on the same drive as what it is
protecting is the weakest form of security there is. If the drive
crashes, you lose both the original and the backup at once.

 

[Randall Flagg]

No, you can't do that. It's not the purpose of System Restore. If
that's what you want to accomplish, you should create a clone of your
entire drive and put it on an *external* disk drive. Having the kind
of protection you are talking about on the same drive as what it is
protecting is the weakest form of security there is. If the drive
crashes, you lose both the original and the backup at once.

It's a good thing you chimed in - I don't think Malke's or Shenan's
posts - both made in the early morning - were enough to convince her
<GRD>

 

[Terry R.]

The date and time was Wed Apr 22 2009 18:09:19 GMT-0700 (Pacific
Daylight Time), and on a whim, Randall Flagg pounded out on the keyboard:

It's a good thing you chimed in - I don't think Malke's or Shenan's
posts - both made in the early morning - were enough to convince her
<GRD>

Just meeting quota...


Terry R.

 

[Bob I]

It's a good thing you chimed in - I don't think Malke's or Shenan's
posts - both made in the early morning - were enough to convince her
<GRD>

^^^
Small quibble ;-)
should be <GDR>

 

[Randall Flagg]

The date and time was Wed Apr 22 2009 18:09:19 GMT-0700 (Pacific
Daylight Time), and on a whim, Randall Flagg pounded out on the keyboard:


Just meeting quota...


Terry R.

Never thought of that. Maybe that's why Bruce Chambers often chimes
in after a dozen or so others have already replied.

Ya think?

 

[Randall Flagg]

The date and time was Wed Apr 22 2009 18:09:19 GMT-0700 (Pacific
Daylight Time), and on a whim, Randall Flagg pounded out on the keyboard:


Just meeting quota...


Terry R.

Oh... and it makes getting the right answer a cinch, as well!

 

[Shenan Stanley]

There is actually a way to save the restore points somewhere else
in a safe place:

XP seems so save ALL of the Restore Points in a hidden system
directory that is on disk C: called "System Volume Information".
Inside that directory there is a sub-directory called
"_restore{blablablablabla}". That is the directory that contains
all System Restore Points. They are stored under sub-directories
named RPxx where RP stands for Restore Point and xx is the
sequential restore point number.

It seems that is you just copy the "System Volume Information" at
one time to some other disk, you have managed to permanently save
your System restore Points somewhere else!

In order to be able to do this, before you will need to right-click
on the "System Volume Information" directory go to the Properties
and Advanced tabs and change the user authorisations so that you
can copy the directory and its contents.

But you cannot restore from them or get the data out...

Or - if you know how you can - please follow up.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Is there a way to permanently save a particular Restore Point? I
have recently configured the software on a new computer. I would
like to create a Restore Point at this point in time and save it
permanently so that I can revert back to this original state at any
time, whether a month from now or 2 years from now.

There is actually a way to save the restore points somewhere else
in a safe place:

XP seems so save ALL of the Restore Points in a hidden system
directory that is on disk C: called "System Volume Information".
Inside that directory there is a sub-directory called
"_restore{blablablablabla}". That is the directory that contains
all System Restore Points. They are stored under sub-directories
named RPxx where RP stands for Restore Point and xx is the
sequential restore point number.

It seems that is you just copy the "System Volume Information" at
one time to some other disk, you have managed to permanently save
your System restore Points somewhere else!

In order to be able to do this, before you will need to right-click
on the "System Volume Information" directory go to the Properties
and Advanced tabs and change the user authorisations so that you
can copy the directory and its contents.

But you cannot restore from them or get the data out...

Or - if you know how you can - please follow up.

Well, you can copy your Restore Point to any external data unit you
want and then, if you want to try it, you should be able to replace
at any given point the contents of your "C:\System Volume
Information" with data copied to the external unit and, then, just
restore the system (with the XP GUI) to whatever point you just
copied to your "C:\System Volume Information". I have not tried it
but it should work. (try it at your own risk and then let us know!)

Doubt it would work - and I personally have no interest in doing such a
thing - since actual backups are still more reliable/useful.

;-)