System Restore Problems

  • Thread starter Thread starter fripper
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fripper

I am having a devil of a time using System Restore on my XP system. I seem
to be able to create a system restore point ... at least I don't get any
error messages when I do but whenever I try to use the restore point (or any
restore point the system has created) the process looks like it's working,
the system shuts down and restarts but when it comes back up there's an
unhelpful message that simply says, "Your computer cannot be restored to
(date of restore point) (name of restore point). No changes have been made
to your computer". Now, this scares me because, while I have not depended
on using system restore yet, the day will come when I probably will ... and
it looks to me like it doesn't work! Can someone help me understand what
may be going on here?

Thanks very much.
 
It's possible the SR file store is corrupted. This can be corrected as
follows, go to Control Panel, open System, go to the System Restore tab,
select, "Turn off System Restore on all drives and click apply and ok.
NOTE: this will wipe out all restore points.

Reboot the system as directed, return to the System Restore tab as outlined
above, remove the check from "Turn off System Restore on all drives," click
apply and ok and reboot. Then try System Restore again.

If that fails to resolve it, try the following link:
Troubleshooting System Restore in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;q302796
 
Oh wow ... after following your instructions System Restore worked for a
restore point that I created manually. As time goes on and I accumulate
more restore points I want to verify again that System Restore works ... but
at this point it seems that you have solved my problem.

Thanks very much.
 
You're welcome. You can periodically check to be sure it is still working
but performing the same procedure, making a manual restore point and then
restoring to it.
 
fripper said:
I am having a devil of a time using System Restore on my XP system. I seem
to be able to create a system restore point ... at least I don't get any
error messages when I do but whenever I try to use the restore point (or
any restore point the system has created) the process looks like it's working,
the system shuts down and restarts but when it comes back up there's an
unhelpful message that simply says, "Your computer cannot be restored to
Click to expand...

Michael Solomon said:
It's possible the SR file store is corrupted. This can be corrected as
follows, go to Control Panel, open System, go to the System Restore tab,
select, "Turn off System Restore on all drives and click apply and ok.
NOTE: this will wipe out all restore points.

Reboot the system as directed, return to the System Restore tab as outlined
above, remove the check from "Turn off System Restore on all drives," click
apply and ok and reboot. Then try System Restore again.
Click to expand...

I had exactly the same problem with a then one month old computer.
The tech I called told me to re-install everything. So much for
techs... I ignored her suggestion (I was on dial-up at the time -
updates=hours), and it wasn't critical that I restore. I stumbled
across your solution a little later by just looking at the darned
window, and tried it.

However, unlike you, fripper, I have yet to try it. I'll find out
someday if it works.. I also have Norton Ghost and imaged my hard
drive onto DVDs. What I'd really like to do is find an older
OK-if-slow USB external hard drive (if they exist) and image my HD
that way every so often.

Big Mac
 
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