Windows system restore failing

[SME]

In my Windows XP Prof SP2 machine, I am not able to restore the system to a
previous point. It says "System cannot restore to previous .... point. No
changes have been done.".

Actually I was restoring when I found that "My Documents" directory is
empty. I was doing a OEM System Restore. The sequence operations that I did
were:

1. Copied all my documents from the backup disk.
2. Installed Network Magic - the original that I got.
3. Updated the Network Magic to the new version.
4. Installed Word 97 from Office 97 - SB edition.
5. Installed Excell 97
6. Installed Outlook 98 (Oh! legal ones I have that old).
7. Rebooted
8. And found "My Documents" directory is EMPTY!!!
9. Tried to restore to step - 3 which had saved a restore point before
installation.

Windows complained can't restore. I have seen this earlier on the same
machine before. But I thought I have messed up installing and uninstalling
IE7 several times. But this is a clean OEM restore.

My observations are:
1. I have first observed this problem on Jan 3rd. (see my post on "IE7
Installation woes" on microsoft.public.internetexplorer.general. I think
some windows updates were applied that day also.
2. Network Magic and Office 97 were there for a long time. They have been
working fine on other machines.
3. This time I started installing my custom apps only after all latest
updates have been applied after the OEM restore.
4. I have unchecked IE7 from the update list. IE6 is the one that is running
now.
5. After some of the recent updates, when I shutdown / restart windows, an
app ccSvcHst.exe is displaying an error message many times.

So,
1. How can I get back My Documents folder contents.
2. How can I repair Windows System Restore function.

ThanQ...

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

Your "OEM System Restore" probably included a removal and recreation of the
partition, destroying all data previously saved.

 

[SME]

Yes, it does. But my pt. 1 asserts that I have copied the files from my
backup. I also verified that the copy was error free. So this has happened
after that.

ThanQ...

 

[Mark L. Ferguson]

Not sure how a copy can be 'error free' and not copy the files, but my
response was addressed to the subject of the post. System Restore is not
going to work after a repartition.

 

[SME]

Mark,

When I said 'error free', I meant that it copied all the files. I don't
think I meant anywhere that the files were not copied. After copying the
files from the backup, I have installed some apps and then I found that the
files in My Documents folder were missing.

Secondly, when running OEM restore CD, it did ask only to format the disk
and not for repartitioning. I have two original partitions and I have not
done any repartition. I only did format the active partition. After OEM
restore, no data was lost on drive on the non-active partition.

Windows System Restore is an OS function. And any OEM restore CD will have
mirror of original partition. If an OEM restore can't restore the machine to
original state as manufactured, then it will be useless.

Thirdly, if you repartition any drive, all data on that will be lost. If
repartition the active partition then your OS will be lost.

So with all original state restored, now I lost the function of Windows
System Restore. How can I get it back?

I got back My Documents. Now I have to get back the System Restore
functionality.

ThanQ...

 

[SME]

I have got back My Documents folder. How, read on:

I noticed that C:\Documents and Settings\username\My Documents contained all
the files. But when I click on "My Documents" link anywhere, it was
displaying C:\My Documents. I don't know how this "My Documents" folder come
into the root directory.

I had the "My Documents" icon on the desktop. I displayed its Properties and
clicked on "Restore Default". That restored the "C:\Documents and
Settings\username\My Documents" path and now I get all my files without
loss.

Still the "System Restore" functionality is yet to be restored. Any ideas?

ThanQ...