restore points gone

[Paula Allton]

Using XP Professional, 512 Ram

I needed to restore my computer a couple days ago so went to restore
calendar. It showed points for Dec 6,7,8,9,10. I wasn't sure when I
started getting the problem I had, so selected the 6th. Restore went fine.
Yesterday added a new printer (Lexmark). System was really fubared with
installation of software for printer, so decided to just restore sytem and
start over. BUT .......... there are no restore points. Not for December.
And I cannot go back to Nov, or Oct.

Where did these points go? Can I find them again? What are my options
here?????? Personally I think a dropkick in the lake is the answer. My
husband's syste has 3 months worth of restore points.

Additional - recently downloaded the new McAfee Security Center. I have
used McAfee for several years, so just renew each year. They have a new one
this year that has site advisor and virus scan. Would this steal my restore
points????

Thanx, Paula

 

[NewScience]

I'm not sure but since you went back to the earliest date, the others may
have been erased ... like they never existed. Which, if you think of it,
makes sense. You should have an option on the Main System Restore page, to
Undo last restore. This may put back the missing dates, since, the reverse
has now happened. It's like you never restored Dec 6, so everything else is
back as if you never did it.

Lexmark does not do an Automatic System Restore Point, so you cannot restore
back prior to installing the printer.

What happens when you just uninstall the printer software?

 

[Paula Allton]

Hmmmm...........
My husband's system still has the last two months plus December's points.
He restored his earlier this week for the same reason - issues with McAfee
download and install. My November and October is just gone.

The option to undo last restore is not on my restore page. Just the
options to select a restore point or create a restore point. I think that
option comes up right after the restore is done. Or I don't know. Anyway,
I don't have it.

I installed/uninstalled the printer software so many times I think I wore
out the disc. Oh, yeah, I forgot........my 2.0 usb hub got fried or
something along with the rest of this mess. My pci card has two 2.0 usb
ports and firewires, etc that I don't know what to do with. Anyway, hub
stopped working (4 port and I did plug something into all 4 ports). No
green lights. My system says there is a problem with this item (Yep, it's
right!), and that the driver is not installed. So I reinstalled the driver
for the hub. Still thinks it is missing. I did plug the printer into the
second usb port on the card and it is found and operates from there. But
the first port is pretty dead. Do I need new hub? PCI card? Both?

 

[Bert Kinney]

Hi Paula,

The majority of the time missing restore points are do to low disk space on
any drive/partition System Restore is monitoring. Once restore points are
gone, there no getting them back. You will find other possibilities in the
following article.

Troubleshooting missing restore points:
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/missingrps.html

It is not a good practice to use System Restore to uninstall applications.
The problem application should first be reinstalled via add/remove programs.

For more information take a look at the following FAQ's.

Tips Fixes & FAQs
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/tips.html


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

 

[Bert Kinney]

Hi,

I'm not sure but since you went back to the earliest date, the others may
have been erased ... like they never existed. Which, if you think of it,
makes sense. You should have an option on the Main System Restore page, to
Undo last restore. This may put back the missing dates, since, the reverse
has now happened. It's like you never restored Dec 6, so everything else is
back as if you never did it.

System Restore does not work that way. When a restore is performed an undo
restore point is created. The only time restore point(s) will be deleted in
the restore process is if the maximum assigned disk space is reached. And in
this case the oldest restore point(s) will be removed to make space for the
undo restore point.

Lexmark does not do an Automatic System Restore Point, so you cannot restore
back prior to installing the printer.

Not all application and driver installations create a prier restore point.
This is why it is suggested that one be made manually prier to the installation.

What happens when you just uninstall the printer software?

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

 

[Paula Allton]

Hi, Bert,

That was my understanding of how 'restore' worked, also. BUT...........
all restore points are gone, vanished, zippo, somewhere out there in
cyberspace. Can I retrieve them??????????? Are they just hiding out until
Xmas Eve and are going to reappear in my Xmas stocking?????
I'm beginning to think I am facing a redo of my hard drive.

Thanx,
Paula

 

[Paula Allton]

Sorry, read the other email first.

I don't have low disk space - have 54% of drive available. I don't run
games or other memory hogging programs.

The only things I have done recently are:

installed new McAfee program Security Center

Restored system on the 10th to the 6th date. (At that time, the only
points showing were 6,7,8,9,10)

Installed some Microsoft updates

Installed new printer software.

I think the Grinch is after me.

DRAT!!!! Just clicked on and read your link below. There's the answer -
installed large number of updates thru

Microsoft updates. Why doesn't Microsoft tell the user there could be a
problem doing this. Makes me almost want

to go back to the Mac.

Thanx for your help. At least I know why they went.

Merry Christmas!

Paula