System restore wont restore

[eli]

Hello:

As of last night ,I keep getting the following when I run System Restore:

"Restoration Incomplete. Your computer cannot be restored "

There seems to be no problem creating restore points. The restore operation
seems to run rather quickly. But then the system fails to do the restoration
to the desired point. And I get the red X with the message above

I'v'e tried flushing the restore points, to no avail.

My system restore has been running flawlessly for years.

How might I fix this?

Thanks

-eli

Windows XP Professional Edition SP 3
Zone Alarm security Suite 9.1.008.000
Firefox 3.6
IE 7.0

 

[smlunatick]

Hello:

As of last night ,I keep getting the following when I run System Restore:

"Restoration Incomplete. Your computer cannot be restored "

There seems to be no problem creating restore points. The restore operation
seems to run rather quickly. But then the system fails to do the restoration
to the desired point. And I get the red X with the message above

I'v'e tried flushing the restore points, to no avail.

My system restore has been running flawlessly for years.

How might I fix this?

Thanks

-eli

Windows XP Professional Edition SP 3
Zone Alarm security Suite 9.1.008.000
Firefox 3.6
IE 7.0

What type of Internet security software are you using? The problem
you are describing is an exact description cause by most Norton
"security" softwares (Norton AntiVirus, Internet Security and 360.)
Norton includes a module that protect their own software from
"tampering."

 

[SC Tom]

Hello:

As of last night ,I keep getting the following when I run System Restore:

"Restoration Incomplete. Your computer cannot be restored "

There seems to be no problem creating restore points. The restore
operation seems to run rather quickly. But then the system fails to do the
restoration to the desired point. And I get the red X with the message
above

I'v'e tried flushing the restore points, to no avail.

My system restore has been running flawlessly for years.

How might I fix this?

Thanks

-eli

Windows XP Professional Edition SP 3
Zone Alarm security Suite 9.1.008.000
Firefox 3.6
IE 7.0

Try Safe Mode w/ command prompt. Works well for me. It bypasses your
firewall, AV software, etc. and goes right to SR.

How to start the System Restore tool by using the safe mode option with the
Command prompt in Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304449

 

[eli]

Thanks:

Yes. I have verified that the Zone Alarm Security Suite 9.1.008.000 is
responsible for this SR malfunction. After completely removing it, SR worked
just fine. Same when I downgraded to an older version of Zone Alarm Security
Suite.

Yes. Even in the most recent version of Zone Alarm Security Suite , the
Version 9.1, SR did work in Safe Mode

Question:

Is this a problem with many security suites? Or is it limited to the few
mentioned in that earlier post? Such as Norton, and possibly Zone Alarm?

Is it worth switching to a different security system, or is this lieley to
continue to be an issue in most other security suites if it was a problem in
Zone Alarm? Zone Alarm Tech Support says they've only had a few reports of
this SR issue in their newest security system.

Thanks in advance:

-eli

==============================================================

 

[SC Tom]

Most 3rd party firewalls and AV/AS software will affect SR. I also run ZASS,
so if you do the restore from safe mode with command prompt, you don't have
to uninstall ZASS first. From first hand experience, any AV/AS software
should be shut down/disabled before running System Restore. Much easier just
to boot into SM w/CP and do it from there.
--
SC Tom

Thanks:

Yes. I have verified that the Zone Alarm Security Suite 9.1.008.000 is
responsible for this SR malfunction. After completely removing it, SR
worked just fine. Same when I downgraded to an older version of Zone Alarm
Security Suite.

Yes. Even in the most recent version of Zone Alarm Security Suite , the
Version 9.1, SR did work in Safe Mode

Question:

Is this a problem with many security suites? Or is it limited to the few
mentioned in that earlier post? Such as Norton, and possibly Zone Alarm?

Is it worth switching to a different security system, or is this lieley to
continue to be an issue in most other security suites if it was a problem
in Zone Alarm? Zone Alarm Tech Support says they've only had a few
reports of this SR issue in their newest security system.

Thanks in advance:

-eli

==============================================================

 

[Questor]

Tom: Could you please give an example of the command line entry? I'd
like to restore one of my computers but can't find the correct command.

Questor

--->

 

[SC Tom]

Tom: Could you please give an example of the command line entry? I'd
like to restore one of my computers but can't find the correct command.

Questor

--->

Here's the article:
How to start the System Restore tool by using the safe mode option with the
Command prompt in Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304449

but the short version is:
1) Boot to Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
2) Type in c:\windows\system32\restore\rstrui.exe and press enter. (In Win7,
it's c:\windows\system32\rstrui.exe)
3) Follow the prompts to whatever date you want to restore to, and complete
the operation.

Pretty simple, really

 

[Questor]

--->

Here's the article:
How to start the System Restore tool by using the safe mode option with the
Command prompt in Windows XP http://support.microsoft.com/kb/304449

but the short version is:
1) Boot to Safe Mode with Command Prompt.
2) Type in c:\windows\system32\restore\rstrui.exe and press enter. (In
Win7, it's c:\windows\system32\rstrui.exe)
3) Follow the prompts to whatever date you want to restore to, and
complete the operation.

Pretty simple, really

Excellent! Thanks much Tom

Q

 

[eli]

Sc Tom writes:

"From first hand experience, any AV/AS software
should be shut down/disabled before running System Restore"


Thanks Tom. The odd thing is that even when I had Zone Alarm Suite NOT to
load at startup and then rebooted, SR didnt work. I had to totally uninstal
it . Or revert to a much earlier vesrion of it. So it seems that componenets
of the ZASS continue interefering with SR even when disabled.

If what you say is true, it might not make much of a difference switching to
a different security product, since its hard to say beforehand waht that one
will do to SR. If simply disabling were enough, it wouldnt be an
incoveneience.

Running SR in Safe Mode has the drawback that the option to Undo Restore
doesnt happen when you do it that way.

Thank again:

-eli

========================================

 

[SC Tom]

--->

Excellent! Thanks much Tom

Q

You're welcome!

 

[SC Tom]

** replies in-line.

Sc Tom writes:

"From first hand experience, any AV/AS software
should be shut down/disabled before running System Restore"


Thanks Tom. The odd thing is that even when I had Zone Alarm Suite NOT to
load at startup and then rebooted, SR didnt work. I had to totally
uninstal it . Or revert to a much earlier vesrion of it. So it seems that
componenets of the ZASS continue interefering with SR even when disabled.

** That's one of the reasons I like the command prompt method. Plus I don't
have worry about a connection to the net, or climb around behind everything
to pull a cable.

If what you say is true, it might not make much of a difference switching
to a different security product, since its hard to say beforehand waht
that one will do to SR. If simply disabling were enough, it wouldnt be an
incoveneience.

Running SR in Safe Mode has the drawback that the option to Undo Restore
doesnt happen when you do it that way.

** This is true, but if I've gotten to the point that I feel the need to use
SR, but not to the point of having to restore from an image, that's a very
minor drawback, IMO.

Thank again:

-eli

You're entirely welcome!

 

[eli]

Hello again:

I now find that when I do a system restore in Safe Mode, the PCwont reboot.
WhenII force it to by manually shutting it and restarting it, it'll go back
into SafeMode. The only way I can somehow get it to go back into Normal
Mode is to do ANOTHER system restore in Safe Mode to yet an earleir
time..say a day ago. This SR operation takes much longer than usual. But,
it'll then reboot into normal mode.

I can run a system restore in Normal Mode [Now that I've downgraded my ZASS
to an earlier version], but I get stuck But if try SR in Safe Mode, the PC
wont reboot normally.

What might be causing this?

Thanks in advance:

-Eli

Windows XP Professional Edition SP3
Zone Alarm Security Suite 7.0..483.000

========================================================


An

 

[SC Tom]

I've never run into that problem. Have you checked for malware residing on
your PC? That situation certainly doesn't sound like a common or normal
occurrence. You might want to consider downloading and MalwareBytes and
SuperAntiSpyware.
--
SC Tom

Hello again:

I now find that when I do a system restore in Safe Mode, the PCwont
reboot. WhenII force it to by manually shutting it and restarting it,
it'll go back into SafeMode. The only way I can somehow get it to go back
into Normal Mode is to do ANOTHER system restore in Safe Mode to yet an
earleir time..say a day ago. This SR operation takes much longer than
usual. But, it'll then reboot into normal mode.

I can run a system restore in Normal Mode [Now that I've downgraded my
ZASS to an earlier version], but I get stuck But if try SR in Safe Mode,
the PC wont reboot normally.

What might be causing this?

Thanks in advance:

-Eli

Windows XP Professional Edition SP3
Zone Alarm Security Suite 7.0..483.000

========================================================


An

 

[eli]

Hi again:

Scanned with both SuperAntiSpyware and MalwareBytes. Nothing found. Ran a
complete AVscan as well yesterday. Nothing found either.

-Eli

==================================

I've never run into that problem. Have you checked for malware residing on
your PC? That situation certainly doesn't sound like a common or normal
occurrence. You might want to consider downloading and MalwareBytes and
SuperAntiSpyware.
--
SC Tom

Hello again:

I now find that when I do a system restore in Safe Mode, the PCwont
reboot. WhenII force it to by manually shutting it and restarting it,
it'll go back into SafeMode. The only way I can somehow get it to go
back into Normal Mode is to do ANOTHER system restore in Safe Mode to yet
an earleir time..say a day ago. This SR operation takes much longer than
usual. But, it'll then reboot into normal mode.

I can run a system restore in Normal Mode [Now that I've downgraded my
ZASS to an earlier version], but I get stuck But if try SR in Safe Mode,
the PC wont reboot normally.

What might be causing this?

Thanks in advance:

-Eli

Windows XP Professional Edition SP3
Zone Alarm Security Suite 7.0..483.000

========================================================


An

** replies in-line.

Sc Tom writes:

"From first hand experience, any AV/AS software
should be shut down/disabled before running System Restore"


Thanks Tom. The odd thing is that even when I had Zone Alarm Suite NOT
to load at startup and then rebooted, SR didnt work. I had to totally
uninstal it . Or revert to a much earlier vesrion of it. So it seems
that componenets of the ZASS continue interefering with SR even when
disabled.

** That's one of the reasons I like the command prompt method. Plus I
don't have worry about a connection to the net, or climb around behind
everything to pull a cable.


If what you say is true, it might not make much of a difference
switching to a different security product, since its hard to say
beforehand waht that one will do to SR. If simply disabling were
enough, it wouldnt be an incoveneience.

Running SR in Safe Mode has the drawback that the option to Undo
Restore doesnt happen when you do it that way.

** This is true, but if I've gotten to the point that I feel the need to
use SR, but not to the point of having to restore from an image, that's
a very minor drawback, IMO.


Thank again:

-eli

You're entirely welcome!
--
SC Tom




========================================
Tom: Could you please give an example of the command line entry? I'd
like to restore one of my computers but can't find the correct
command.

Questor

--->
Most 3rd party firewalls and AV/AS software will affect SR. I also
run
ZASS, so if you do the restore from safe mode with command prompt,
you
don't have to uninstall ZASS first. From first hand experience, any
AV/AS software should be shut down/disabled before running System
Restore. Much easier just to boot into SM w/CP and do it from there.