System restore isn't working

[Videot]

Since I had been having several problems lately & because I know it can't be
because of a virus or sypware,(there updated ever day) I receded to try
'System Restore'. I choose a time which I considered to be from before the
troubles began but once the system rebooted I got the message that the
system can't be restored to that checkpoint. I choose 3 more dates & all
gave the same results, that I can't restore the chosen date.

What's going on? What's the point of this tool unless it works? Where does
one go from here?

Could I try reinstalling XP over my existing installation? If I did this is
the reinstall smart enough to know that it shouldn't update using older
files if I already have a newer one in place?

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

One or more of the System Restore files could have been corrupted - try
turning SR off/on - but I'm afraid that you will lose any existing
checkpoints:

Right click My Computer, select Properties and then the System Restore tab.
Enable 'Turn off System Restore on all drives' and reboot your PC. After
that 1st reboot go back into SR and disable 'Turn off System Restore on all
drives' and reboot your PC again. After that 2nd reboot you should have one
new SR checkpoint.

 

[The Old Fart]

As what about the reinstall over existing versions of XP questions?

Thanks in adavance

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

Either way the checkpoints are going to lost. Turning SR off/on is a lot
quicker than a 'Repair' install.

 

[Bert Kinney]

Hi Videot,

Here are some troubleshooting tips for System Restore in Windows XP.

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. This will help us in diagnosing the problem.
System Restore Failures to restore:
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/srfail.html

 

[Edward W. Thompson]

Since I had been having several problems lately & because I know it can't
be because of a virus or sypware,(there updated ever day) I receded to try
'System Restore'. I choose a time which I considered to be from before
the troubles began but once the system rebooted I got the message that the
system can't be restored to that checkpoint. I choose 3 more dates & all
gave the same results, that I can't restore the chosen date.

What's going on? What's the point of this tool unless it works? Where
does one go from here?

Could I try reinstalling XP over my existing installation? If I did this
is the reinstall smart enough to know that it shouldn't update using older
files if I already have a newer one in place?

If you are lucky, you can repair/restore System Restore (SR) but it really
isn't worth it as SR is simply unreliable. As seems to be the natural law,
it doesn't 'work' when you most need it. Fortunately there is an
alternative that appears to be rock solid, namely ERUNT. ERUNT will create
a restore point is configurable and is freeware. ERUNT can be downloaded
from here www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/

 

[Bert Kinney]

This is incorrect. ERUNT does not create a restore point in the way
System Restore does. It only backs up the registry. Nothing else. Big
difference.

 

[Edward W. Thompson]

This is incorrect. ERUNT does not create a restore point in the way System
Restore does. It only backs up the registry. Nothing else. Big difference.

Aren't you nit-picking Bert. Effectively ERUNT will provide a file or files
from which the Registry can be restored if required. In what way is this
functionaly different from SR? I certainly have restored the Registry from
ERUNT as well as SR (in the past that is when it worked) and the end product
was the same. Where's the 'big difference'?

If the 'big difference' is in the case of ERUNT each 'registry backup' is
standalone, it would seem to me to be a very big plus and is superior in all
respects to SR. From a functional point of view both are the same. I
venture to suggest that most users are concerned with function not process.

 

[Bert Kinney]

Aren't you nit-picking Bert.

No, I am simply pointing out inaccurate information so that reader
will not think Erunt is a substitute for System Restore.

Effectively ERUNT will
provide a file or files from which the Registry can be
restored if required. In what way is this functionaly
different from SR?

I am surprised at this question considering the amount of information
you have been supplied with concerning System Restore. Here's the
difference.

System Restore:
What's Restored
Registry (note: some current values will persist)
Profiles (local only—roaming user profiles not impacted by
restore)
COM+ DB
WFP.dll cache
WMI DB
IIS Metabase
Files with extensions listed in the Monitored File
Extensions list
Here is a list of files and folders System Restore monitors.
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/filesfolders.html
What's Not Restored
DRM settings
SAM hives (does not restore passwords)
WPA settings (Windows authentication information is not
restored)
Contents of the My Documents folder(s)
Specific directories/files listed in the Monitored File
Extensions list
Any file with an extension not listed in the Monitored File
Extensions list
Items listed in both Filesnottobackup and KeysnottoRestore
(hklm->system->controlset001->control->backuprestore->filesnottobackup
and keysnottorestore)
User-created data stored in the user profile
Contents of redirected folders

Erunt:
Backs up and restores the registry, nothing else.

I certainly have restored the
Registry from ERUNT as well as SR (in the past that is
when it worked) and the end product was the same. Where's the 'big
difference'?

Obviously the problem you were experiencing at the time laid in the
registry! Not one of the files or folder System Restore monitors.

If the 'big difference' is in the case of ERUNT each
'registry backup' is standalone, it would seem to me to
be a very big plus and is superior in all respects to SR.
From a functional point of view both are the same. I
venture to suggest that most users are concerned with
function not process.

As you can see above they are NOT the same.

Erunt is an excellent application for what it does. I personally
recommend it. But please don't make it out to be something it is not.

I am aware of the issues you are having with System Restore on your
system. I share in your frustration. It's not perfect, and it is the
target of virus and malware hacker.

For the majority of users System Restore works as designed.

 

[Edward W. Thompson]

No, I am simply pointing out inaccurate information so that reader
will not think Erunt is a substitute for System Restore.


I am surprised at this question considering the amount of information
you have been supplied with concerning System Restore. Here's the
difference.

System Restore:
What's Restored
Registry (note: some current values will persist)
Profiles (local only—roaming user profiles not impacted by
restore)
COM+ DB
WFP.dll cache
WMI DB
IIS Metabase
Files with extensions listed in the Monitored File
Extensions list
Here is a list of files and folders System Restore monitors.
http://bertk.mvps.org/html/filesfolders.html
What's Not Restored
DRM settings
SAM hives (does not restore passwords)
WPA settings (Windows authentication information is not
restored)
Contents of the My Documents folder(s)
Specific directories/files listed in the Monitored File
Extensions list
Any file with an extension not listed in the Monitored File
Extensions list
Items listed in both Filesnottobackup and KeysnottoRestore
(hklm->system->controlset001->control->backuprestore->filesnottobackup
and keysnottorestore)
User-created data stored in the user profile
Contents of redirected folders

Erunt:
Backs up and restores the registry, nothing else.


Obviously the problem you were experiencing at the time laid in the
registry! Not one of the files or folder System Restore monitors.


As you can see above they are NOT the same.

Erunt is an excellent application for what it does. I personally
recommend it. But please don't make it out to be something it is not.

I am aware of the issues you are having with System Restore on your
system. I share in your frustration. It's not perfect, and it is the
target of virus and malware hacker.

For the majority of users System Restore works as designed.

Thanks for the explanation but I think that the reason for SR is to
provide a means to restore the Registry as I suspect that in the vast
majority of cases that is what is required when problems occur. If
what I think is valid then ERUNT does exactly that without the
uncertainty of SR. That uncertainty is principally brought about by
all SR points being interdependent whereas each ERUNT event is
standalone.

While SR may function without problems for the majority of users there
is no way of knowing the percentage of users that have and are
experiencing SR problems. From the NGs it does appear that problems
with SR are not uncommon but whether the NGs are a snapshot of all
users I couldn't guess.

Returning to the subject, SR is unreliable and an alternative is
required. At present the only viable alternative I know is ERUNT.
The additional features that appear to be offered by SR appear to me
to be of less significance when compared to the need to be able to
restore the Registry.

 

[Zilbandy]

Returning to the subject, SR is unreliable and an alternative is
required. At present the only viable alternative I know is ERUNT.
The additional features that appear to be offered by SR appear to me
to be of less significance when compared to the need to be able to
restore the Registry.

I'm in total agreement. I have used both. SR has failed me before,
while ERUNT has never failed me.

 

[Bert Kinney]

All I suggest is that when Erunt is recommended, in place of System
Restore, it be made clear what it's function is, and nothing more. It
is not fair to mislead the reader into thinking it is a replacement of
System Restore.