Working with System Restore in Windows Vista
System Restore is a feature in Windows Vista that allows you to take periodic backups of your system files, registry files, and system configuration. So if your computer ever runs into trouble, it can rollback its settings to a time when your computer was operating properly. Although System Restore can be very convenient since it’s very quick, it cannot compare as an alternative to formatting your hard-drive. System Restore will only restore your system files and configurations to a previous state, and will not affect any of your other files (documents, videos, music, etc) in any way.
The change from XP is that System Restore also makes a backup of individual data files, allowing you to rollback and recover deleted files when needed. This feature is known as Shadow Copy and is covered in a different post. (http://vistarewired.com/2007/02/15/file-restore/#tohere)
Anyway, back to System Restore. Let’s first go through the steps in Creating a System Restore Point.
Click on the Start Pearl, and type System Restore into the Search box. Then select System Restore from the Search Results.
I have previously created a System Restore point so your screen might look different from mine. Just look for Open System Protection.
Once you click that option, you will be taken to this screen:
Select the hard-drive(s) you wish to have System Restore enabled on. System Restore will automatically reserve up to 15% of free space on your hard drive and use it whenever necessary.
The next step would be to click on Create to create your first System Restore point. You will then be prompted to name your Restore Point. My suggestion would be to name the major change made to your system at that time. There’s no need to enter the date or time, since that will be recorded and displayed automatically. Then all you have to do is click on Create and you are set.
Restoring from a Restore Point is just as easy. Just repeat the first steps:
1) Open the Start Pearl
2) Type System Restore in the Search Bar and select it from the Search Results
3) Choose the Recommended or Different Restore Point
4) Click Finish
April 28th, 2007 at 11:44 am
Hello, I was wondering about other drives and partitions, should System Restore be turned on for all? When I’m running Xp I only have that drive set up for restore, But I’m not sure how to set it up when I boot to Vista.
Thanks Kevin.
April 28th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
It is best to enable system restore on the hard drive or partition your Windows installation is on. It shouldn’t be necessary to enable it on other drives since I’m pretty sure your registry and profile settings are saved on the partition your OS on. In other words:
XP system restore - Enable on partition XP is on
Vista system restore - Enable on partition Vista is on
April 28th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
Thanks Albert. And I think pictures in the tutorials are very helpful.
May 14th, 2007 at 6:14 am
Yup, great feature, came in handy when a Firefox extension went haywire. Unfortunately, Vista failed to restore my system to any of the previous points — be they automatic or manual. Vista also failed to provide me with any information about why things failed so miserably and what I can do to prevent this from happening again. Still looking into that (that’s how I found this post). Any tips, anyone?
May 16th, 2007 at 5:26 am
I found that if you dual boot XP and Vista, XP will save your restore points just fine but the process of booting to XP deletes Vista’s restore points, Theres no fix yet. Here’s the article to explain it. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926185
Kevin
May 23rd, 2007 at 10:01 pm
Vista restore is quite good, I have found that the one feature of RESTORE for Vista from the BOOT to DVD has not be discussed in detail. A sample is 1. single boot Vista only. 2. a failure to boot 3. systoms-boot to screen then instant reboot, a simply cycle of NO BOOT allowed…
4. Solution: Insert DVD
5. boot to DVD
6. options
7. at cmd type “rstrui.exe /offline:c:\windows” (enter) and let the offline restore begin.
DOS is still in Vista, and this cmd is from XP days… yet I find NO COMPLETE INFOMATION FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND ” Do not turnoff your RESTORE” feature.
I’m sure lots of folks would appreciate a complete pictorial walk thru… and F6 if your HDD is not recognized so you can load the SCSI driver or SATA driver or RAID driver .. I find the DOS cmd easy to use and far better than
hoot to Boot to DVD and Format and clean reinstall.
June 13th, 2007 at 11:55 am
Hi, I keep getting this message and I can’t get on forne to help. (quickset.exe) quit working, also internet explorer won’t work….I can’t even get inyo things offline…. How do I fix quickset.exe or what to read to fix this…Thank You , Lily
June 22nd, 2007 at 4:47 pm
Up until recently SYSTEM RESTORE was working okay on my laptop with WINDOWS VISTA,
but now it will not function any more in normal mode - without leaving the following message: “the restore point could not be created for the following reason: the creation of a shadow copy has timed”
It then gives me a button to press entitled “Try again this option” which I have done several times but I end up getting the above message each time.
I have managed to do System Restore in SAFE MODE, but would like to do in NORMAL MODE
Any suggestions on how to sort out this problem ?
Any SAFE software I could download that could sort it out?
It seems a few others have had this problem, if you did, would be delighted to know how you got it sorted.
Thank you.
October 27th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
when i open system restore, it tells me to create a restore point, i want to restore it to a few days back but i didnt create any points to that day, is there a way i can still restore it?
March 17th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
[...] Working with System Restore in Windows Vista [...]
March 25th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
just tell about this problem to microsoft
April 13th, 2008 at 7:18 am
I have a proble in vista unable to get to system restore due to unwanted blinking taskbar on right side with continuing time capsule.
August 26th, 2008 at 7:40 am
Hi ,
I have Windows Vista Business, and recently created a System restore . When it created it, One of my Drive went missing ( I do not see that drive anymore ). I had three drives and now it shows only two drives. Please help me in Restoring it.
September 22nd, 2008 at 12:17 pm
when i try to do a system restore, it just keeps searching for the disk (or drive) to be restored. been on for hours and never finds my hard drive, and all options are greyed out.
October 4th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Bill,
I am having the exact same problem with my computer. I have not found a solution yet. Hopefully somebody can help us?