System restore utility

[Guest]

Windows XP
I recently installed Windows Defender Beta 2. For some reason, "Windows
Defender" is filling up my System Restore utility with Windows Defender
Checkpoints. I used to be able to restore back at least two months, now I can
only go back 6 or 7 days. It puts in 9 to 14 checkpoints per day. I
uninstalled it and reinstalled it, but that didn't help. Is this normal?
Thanks, Charley

 

[Guest]

Is this normal, yes. Is it disireable NO.

The following fix has been given to us: by Steve Dodson and Bill Sanderson:

It involves editing the registry and should not be used if you don't feel
comfortable in doing that. I would suggest doing a search of this group for:

"DisableRestorePoint" w/o the quotes, and reading the threads before
trying it.

It has worked for me. Message is after my sig.
?
Tim
Geek w/o Portfolio

Dell 280 Optiplex
3.2Ghz Pent 4, 1 GB Ram
Windows XP SP2 fully patched
WD Real Time Protection Enabled
WD CheckPoint in SysRest "Disabled"
WD Updates thru Windows Update (prompted)
No AutoScanning, Manual Quick Scan Every 2 Days
=====================================

=====from Bill Sanderson=========
It is possible to eliminate these checkpoints, I believe, based on a post
from Steve Dodson, of Microsoft. I don't see them on systems I've worked
with, but here's the method:
------------------------------------
Steve Dodson has posted a registry edit to change this behavior, which isn't
seen on all machines--let me find it:
----------
In the registry editor,

Create a "REG_DWORD" Key named "DisableRestorePoint" and set it to TRUE
under the following location in the registry.

HKLM/Software/Microsoft/Windows Defender/Scan/
--------------------------------------
This needs a little interpretation:

1) find the location named above.
2) Highlight the Scan object, and right click it, choose permissions, and
give your user FULL.
3) create a value as instructed above, and set it to "1."
4) reverse your action in 2)--uncheck Full for your user.

 

[Guest]

Charley,
Here is a more Step by Step version of the fix by Bill Sanderson:

=====Bill Sanderson Said=====

I know of no change to this issue. However, we do have a set of registry
editing instructions to create a new key which will modify this behavior--so
if doing that is acceptable to you I'll post that ...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Dodson has posted a workaround to eliminate the behavior, and I
have taken the liberty of expanding on his somewhat terse treatment:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is possible to stop this activity, but it takes some care and registry
editing.

Important: This message contains information about how to modify the
registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make
sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For
more
information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, click
the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base:
256986 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/256986/) Description of the
Microsoft Windows registry .

Start, run, Regedit <enter>

Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Scan

Right click that folder in the left tree view, and choose "Permissions"
With your username highlighted, click Full Control in the Allow column,
and "Apply"

With the Scan folder highlighted choose:

Edit, New, DWORD value, and type in "DisableRestorePoint"
and hit enter.

Double-click DisableRestorePoint in the right column, and set the Value
to 1, hexadecimal.

Right-click Scan in the left tree view, and choose "Permissions"
With your username highlighted, Uncheck "Full Control" in the Allow
column, and "Apply"

Close the registry editor by hitting the X in the upper right corner, or
File, Exit.

=====End of Bill Sanderson's Message=====

 

[robinb]

maybe in the final version of WD- MS can fix this so it doesn't keep
creating check points. Maybe there should also be a line in options that
might say "check this if you want to creat check points in System Restore"
robin

 

[Guest]

I changed the registry yesterday, per the instructions given and it has fixed
the problem. I checked this morning and there were no new Windows Defender
checkpoints set. I wonder how many people are even aware that this is
happened to their System Restore Utility? The old anti spyware that M/S had
didn't do this, so I wonder why they added it to W/D's? Thanks for the
response. Charley

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

This issue is not seen on every machine. I don't know the underlying cause,
but it isn't something I'm seeing on the machines I work with. I suspect
that the subset of customers that see this issue now will continue to see
it--and will need to use a workaround resembling the one you are now using.

--

 

[robinb]

maybe MS should figure out the underlining cause.
btw why does it make more than one checkpoint every day anyway?
I am seeing about 3 per day on each computer.
robin

 

[Bill Sanderson MVP]

That question gets back to the underlying cause. I said that I didn't know
it--I'm pretty sure Microsoft does, hence the provision of a registry
mechanism to change the behavior.
I'll try to look into this at some point, but I'm going to be very pressed
for time at least until mid July.

 

[robinb]

at least try to before it comes out of beta
robin

 

[Guest]

The underlying cause is by design. The newest release, which came over due
to my upgrading it, now creates Restore points at EVERY boot. This means
that if you restart your system three times a day, you get three restore
points a day. I hope Microsoft will add a setting to turn it off - having to
edit the registry to 'fix' it is going to add trouble.

 

[robin]

we are all waiting for ms to fix this issue
robin

The underlying cause is by design. The newest release, which came over
due
to my upgrading it, now creates Restore points at EVERY boot. This means
that if you restart your system three times a day, you get three restore
points a day. I hope Microsoft will add a setting to turn it off - having
to
edit the registry to 'fix' it is going to add trouble.