System Restore Broken(?)

[Guest]

Until the last week, System Restore worked fine. Now, it will not work. I
get no error messages, appears to work, but the screen that comes on when you
click 'Restore', the blue line, it does not crawl across, but flies across,
and then reboots and I get msg 'unable to restore computer, etc.' If I pick
another point, same thing. If I manually make a point and try to restore,
same thing. There are no errors. The computer, other than that, appears to
work fine...no problems. Have scanned for virus, spyware. Nothing. I can
use System Restore in Safe Mode. Works fine. But, will not work with
Windows loaded normally. I am running WinXP Media System, ver. 2. This has
happened within the last week, up to then, worked fine. I do not want to
reinstall OS just for that, since Windows seems to be running OK. Advice?
(It appears to work, reboots, but always get notice...'cannot restore
computer, etc.' )
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[Guest]

If System Restore works fine in Safe Mode, I think a third party application
or driver might be interfering with SR and causing the problem. Perform a
clean boot of XP and try again:

How to perform a clean boot in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353/en-us

It would not be a bad idea if you search Event Viewer (Eventvwr.msc) for
"Sr" or "Srservice" events and post them back here.

Additional troubleshooting steps:

Go to http://bertk.mvps.org/ and click "System Restore Fails".

 

[Guest]

-- Daniel, no, I had already done some of these things, but not all. Will
perform all functions on clean boot and see if I can find problem. By the
way, I did not say, but it works in Safe Mode, and "sometimes it does work".
I may have to try over and overt at different points, and, if I have the
time, it may at some point work. So, this is going to be difficult. But,
thanks, will try all these things. Yes, I went to the suggested link and
went over these things, but most do not apply, or I have tried before posting
a question....thanks...will try these other things.....

 

[Guest]

-- To Add, maybe help a little. Have researched a lot of suggestions.
Nothing seems to work. But, have found out one wierd thing! Using the
listed Web Link, I did make a folder 'Test'. Then set a Restore Point to
'Test'. Immediately use System Restore. And it worked find! However, this
AM, I again tried to restore to the same restore point, as before that
worked, and again received message 'your computer cannot be restored, etc.'
so tried other listed restore points, with same error message. So, set up
other tests points, and they also worked! But, when I try an hour or so
later, they do not work, get the error message. This is weird as heck. Some
have suggested reinstall OS. Seems drastic, since everything 'appears' to
work other than the System Restore. Does this info help anyone? I have used
'clean boot' and this does not work. But, Restore does work in System Safe.
Suggestions.

 

[Bert Kinney]

Hi,

This would indicate that there is an application or service running in
normal mode that is not running in safe mode that is interfering with
the restore process. There are some application listed on the following
pages that may cause this.

System Restore Failures to restore:
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/srfail.html

System Restore fails to create an automatic restore point:
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/srauto.html

Let's also take a look at Event Viewer for any System Restore logs that
may have been created recently that may help us diagnose the problem.
There should be an entry around time of that the last restore failed.

Go to Start - Run and type eventvwr.msc and press enter.
Click on System in the left pane.
Click the gray title "Source" at the top of the source name column in
the right pane to sort by source name, look for "sr" and "srservice".
Double click on each of these events, then click on the button below the
two arrows in the upper right corner. This will copy the event
information to the clipboard. Paste the information for each of the two
event here. There's no need to post duplicate Event ID's.

How do I use the Event Viewer to search for System Restore logs?
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/source.html

 

[Guest]

Bert, thanks...I really need this cleared up without resorting to
reinstalling OS, just for this thing. Other than this, unit works fine (I
guess). Anyway, previously I had searched event viewer and it did not help,
although there was an entry that System Restore did not work, but could get
no other information. Anyway, I am going to search the links you provided
for info. By the way, did you read my amplification regarding "I can set a
point manually, using method under suggested links, make a folder
'test'...set a RS Point, revert, and it works! If I manually set a point,
then immediately revert, it works! But if a little time goes by, or
overnight, or a couple of hours, then click on the SAME R/S point, I get
message "cannot be restored, etc". So, it make a restorable point, revert
works, but let the point set for awhile, then it will not work to the same
point, although it did an hour before! This is wierd! Something is
interferring with the Restore Point after it is made. I am going nuts. I
hate to restore OS just for this...but, thanks. Wanted to provide this
additional information...and, yes, it still restores in Safe Mode. Will
research your suggestions...pls continue with suggestions with this
additional information.....

 

[Guest]

Bert, one more thing, the Event Viewer listed the SR attempts, but without an
error...just an 'info', even tho, double clicking on them brought up memo, SR
attempt failed, or, in the case of aforementioned attempt, SR attempt
succeeded...thanks....
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