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For users dual booting Windows XP and Windows Vista click HERE
The following steps require the system to be free of virus and malware infection. If in doubt, click HERE.
The system should also be up to date with Windows Updates, including Service Pack 2
- By default, System Restore will automatically delete restore points that are older than 90 days.
- Restore points will also be deleted when the when the amount of disk space set to hold them become full. At this point all restore points will deleted on a FIFO (first in - first out) basis.
- Installing a large application suit such as a full install of MS Office can cause the creation of a very large restore point(s), which can result in the deletion of older restore points. The same can be true after installing a multiple updates via Windows Updates or Microsoft Update.
Common causes that result in missing restore points.
- The most common cause is having to little free disk space on ANY drive/partition that System Restore is set to monitor.
- To eliminate this possibility Stop monitoring all drives/partitions other than the one Windows is installed on for testing. This includes Recovery Partitions, that manufacturers such as HP, Compaq and Dell, place on the hard drive. How to Disable Monitored Drives.
- Check the partition Windows is installed on for free disk space.
- To do so, open My Computer and right click on the partition Windows is installed on and select Properties. If there is a chance this partition could fall below 50mb’s of free disk space, System Restore will switch into standby mode and stops creating restore points. All restore points are deleted at that time. System Restore reactivates and resumes creating restore points as soon as 200 MB of disk space is free on the system drive
- Insufficent Idle time
- Automatic restore points are only created during idle time; for example, when there is no mouse, keyboard, or disk i/o activity.
- If the system is in use the entire time it is turned on, then turned off, an automatic restore point will NOT be created.
- Some screen savers my cause little or no idle time, so temporally disable all screen savers while troubleshooting.
- If the system is part of a “Distributed Computing project” such as SETI, or United Devices or Folding@Home that uses up CPU Cycles, then this can also cause little of no idle time.
- Check for any applications running in the background (like setispy, or virus scanning software or other utilities) which may not be giving the machine any idle time. Process Explorer is a handy tool for the job.
- Troubleshooting by performing a Clean Boot using Q310353 or Q310560 is another technique that can be used to help pin point running process that may be causing lack of idle time.
Using the Event Viewer to investigate errors produced by System Restore.
Less common causes.
- The system date is incorrect. Hold the mouse curser over the clock on the right end of the task bar. Double click to adjust the date and time.
- System Restore was disabled on the drive Windows is installed on.
- The “System Restore Services” was disabled.
- Selective Startup was used to trouble the system. Unchecking “Load System Services” on the General tab in the System Configuration Utility (Msconfig) disables the “System Restore Service” and turns System Restore off. Deleting all existing restore points. To work around this, use the Services tab instead and don’t uncheck the System Restore Service.
- Scheduled Tasks is being used to run Disk Cleanup with the System Restore option selected.
- Deselect the System Restore option from Disk Cleanup.
- The amount of disk space used to hold restore points has been set to low.
- Restore Points are not saved in IBM Rapid Restore Ultra's backup. When restoring using Rapid Restore Ultra, System Restore will log an error message in the Windows Event Viewer and if you start System Restore, any prior System Restore Points are not available.
IBM Rescue and Recovery with Rapid Restore - Microsoft System Restore "Restore Points" are not preserved or System Restore errors are logged in Event Viewer.
- The system has been upgrade from one operating system to another or a reinstall of the operating system has been performed. The upgrade might be from Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition to Windows XP or from Windows XP to Windows XP.
- Kaspersky Antivirus version 5 has been proven to delete restore points.
- Zone Alarm version 6.5 has a bug that creates very large .rdb files within the system. These .rdb files are monitored by System Restore and thus end up in the restore points located in the System Volume Information folder, along with other locations on the system. The best advise is to revert to an earlier version of Zone Alarm. Then disable System Restore which will purge all existing restore points, then turn it back on. For more information on this subject please visit the Zone Labs User Forum.
- A possible solution may be found HERE.
- If not, install another antivirus application. Click HERE for suggestions.
- Any newly installed Norton applications should be suspect also.
- If Real Player is installed on the system click HERE and update to the latest version.
- If Cenatek RAMDisk is installed, disable system restore from monitoring the RAMDisk partition. How to Disable Monitored Drives.
- For WindowsXP Pro only. Un-install Internet Information Services (IIS)
- Open Control Panel and Double-click Add or Remove Programs.
- Click Add/Remove Windows Components.
- Click Internet Information Services (IIS) and then click Details.
- In Internet Information Services (IIS), select the check boxes for SMTP Service and World Wide Web Service, and then click OK.
- In Windows Component selection, un-check the Internet Information Services (IIS) check box. Then click OK.
- If IIS is being utilized on the system, reinstall it and check for missing restore points over a couple of days.
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