Can't get rid of Restore Points

Hi All: In Disc Management, Properties, Disk Clean Up, there is an option to delete all but the last restore point. When I choose that option, and ok, the process runs, but does not delete all but the most recent restore points. They remain on the Restore Point Calendar.

Since I maintain two complete up to date disk images, and, System Restore has failed me many times in the past, I would like to have this option work.

I know I could turn off system restore and re-start it, but that's a lot more cumbersome. Running SFC /scannow does not help. Any ideas?

Any and all replies will be appreciated.

Take care,

Martin

 

I do not under stand that cumbersome part at all. Just two clicks.

But there are other questions that I think should be asked.

Do you have System Restore enable on more the one hard drive ?

Or enabled on more than one partition on the same drive ?

If so this may be the reason why Disk Cleanup does not remove it.

I had problems with SR when I first got XP UNTIL I shut SR off of all but the C: drive.

After you shut down SR and restart it and there does exist more than one partition it should give you the capability to shut if off of all but C:

BillyBob

 

Restart After Deleting Restore Points

...turning off System Restore only takes a second - and then you can turn it right back on if you want. --- Were the restore points still there after restarting your computer (right after you delete them)???!!! I want to know...

 

BillyBob: I have system restore on "C" and "D" two partitions on one drive.

If you are on the desktop, turning it off and back on takes 6 clicks. With multiple drives it takes mutiple clicks. When I turn it on, and I only want it to monitor two partions on one of 6 drives, each the other five have to be disabled with 2 clicks each.

Not only that, turn of system restore, you wipe out all restore points, then have to create new one.

Seems to me, two additional clicks to wipe "all but most recent" while doing a drive cleaning is much less time and effort.

Mr. Fixit: The restore points are still there after re-boot.

Thanks for the responses.

Take care,

Martin

 

You are correct about the several clicks. But overall it is worth it.

Just as a test I would suggest that you do shutdown SR. Restart it and shut off ALL BUT C:

Yes it sure does. But I still can not understand keeping RPs several days old anyway. Especially if you have made changes. You make changes today that are OK and you want to be permanent, yesterdays SR is already out of date. As a member of my Family found out the HARD bad language making way.

And it makes a new one when you turn it back on.

I also can not see SR on anything other than the C: drive. That is where this OS is. Any other partiton I do not need or want monitered anyway.

If I add or remove anything anywhere I always shut down SR and make a new one then the SR refelects the system AS IT IS. Not as it was. I removed two long time no use programs from the D: drive today. Once I got done SR was shut down and restarted. Because what a lot of users do not realize is the everything on the PC is usually referenced in the Regisrty somewhere. And leftovers from a cleanup can cause problems OR at least error messages.

Also if you do happen to have a Virus infection or Spyware it is a must the you shutdown and restart SR anyway. Other wise the cleaning job may be time wasted. Because most AV or Spyware programs do not remove anything from the SR.

That might work if only one drive and SR setup.

BillyBob

 

BillyBob: I agree with everything you say, but I do want to keep "D" on system restore as that is where most of my programs reside. After making changes on "D ", and have to restore prior to new restore point, "C" registry would not be synced with program changes on "D "

I'm ruling out the option of running System Restore on "C" only.

Basicly, that's why I'd like the "delete all but most recent restore points" to work in drive clean up.

I don't know that I'm not trying to prepare for a catastrophe that is very unlikely, but why not? I just think Windows should behave as advertised. The utility is there, I'd like to use it. If it says it will remove all except the most recent restore points, it should.

Take care,

Martin

 

That is exactly why I do not keep old restore points. No matter what dirve I make changes on C: > H:

That way the RPs are ALWASY syncronized.

Like I wrote earlier. I removed two programs. Cleaned up the Reg. AND MADE A new RP to match. If I had not maade a new RP all of the trash that I cleaned out of the reg WOULD BE PUT back. Regardless of whether I was monitoring the D: drive or not.

Again. Cleaning up the machine in anyway. AV, Spyware or just general cleanup requires NEW RPs. Otherwise your time is ( or can be ) WASTED.

BillyBob

 

If you make changes on D: and eveything is working correctly they are recorded somewhere in the registry which is on the C: drive.

And yes if you make changes on D: and restore only from C: you will be in trouble.

And even if you made changes today on D: with only a RP on C: and you restored yesterdays RP you could still be in a jam. Because of the REG changes.

BillyBob

 

Hey BB, I again agree. But, I just want to see if there is a fix for the "delete all but the most recent restore points "

I guess I could always reinstall Windows.

That would make Johanna happy!

Take care,

Martin

 

...just turn System Restore "off ".

 

Hey Fixit, that would be too easy!

Take care,

Martin

 

There ABSOLUTLEY no way to know that a reinstall would make the offending program behave. Plus you would be making yourself one heck of a lot of UN-NECCESSARY work.

Plus I think your next thing to do would be to shut down SR and let it make a new one. Any changes you have made on the D: drive will be in the reg in the neccessary places.

By any chance is there a place there to select which drives ?

BillyBob

 

Hey BB: I try to do it in drive clean up, right clicking drive in Disk Management, so you got to do one drive at a time, the option is presented in each drive. Which is probably the root of the problem. Have it running on 2 separate drives as far as Windows is concerened, request the RPs to be deleted on each. The RPs don't go away.

Take Care,

Martin

 

Actually, turning off system restore doesn't take as many clicks as you may think. When you check the box to turn off system restore you are turning it off on all drives. Then, there should be no need to restart the system. I usually tell people to reboot (just because) but I've found it's not necessary. On mine, all I need to do is turn off system restore and the points are deleted. Then without even closing the window I restart it and a new one is automatically created. This has never failed on my computer. Just turn it off and then turn it right back on.

 

Hi Zander: Thanks for chiming in on this. Yes, you are right, turn it off, turn it on, new RP. But, on this machine, turns on for 6 drives plus partitions, to turn off on all but "C" and "D ", my desired configuration, takes 24 clicks on top of the 8 clicks it takes to turn it off and turn it back on. That's 32, (I did the routine and counted the clicks) a few more than "Just two clicks "

If "delete all but recent" worked here, we are talking about three extra clicks without opening a plethora of windows to accomplish what I would like. That is, one restore point for OS and Programs. (Saved in the off chance it would actually work.)

I'm not just being lazy, if the manual method was the only way to do it, I would'nt complain, but a feature that does'nt work is annoying to me.

Now, if anybody could tell me how to fix it...................

Take Care,

Martin

 

OK heres goes one last attempt at making sense before I go get my Morning Coffee.

martinr121

I do not know now many RPs you have stored. But if you have any that are more than a few days they could do SERIOUS damage if used. As the RP for C: DOES CONTAIN items Relevant to what you have done on other drives. And if you just replace C: then you may well lose some control of what is on other drives. Even to some extent whether something is evne installed or not.

And unless you write on paper, Name the RPs as to what you did that day. Or have a **** good memory. You may be palying with FIRE is you use one of them.

Also you may have RPs that were may automaticly when you installed some program. If the progam is OK then the RP is DANGEROUS.

Now a question.

You want to use Disk Cleaner ( what ever that is ) . Right now it seems not to work. But lets say it did work. WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO KEEP YESTERDAYS Restore points ?

If you did happen to get Disk cleaner to work as it is and used yesterdays Restore Point. You will have WASTED you time running Disk Cleaner

Or even if you had to clean out a Virus or Spyware. You need to shutdown and restart System Restore to cut down the possibility of putting the TRASH back in the Kitchen.

Coffee time
BillyBob

 

I am asking/wondering now.

If I have SR activated on C: and D:

I Do make changes on the D: drive.

Now the question.

Should I or should I not make new RPs for both C: and D: so that they do coincide ?

And as I have said before. If I replace a RP for D: it is going to leave A LOT of errors in the Registry. Is it not ?

OOPPPSS !! How about this.

If I install a program on D: and its does make a RP before installing. Does it make a RP for BOTH C: and D: or just D: ?

BillyBob

 

1. Disk Cleaner is a utility of Windows XP. (Right click My Computer, click manage, click drive management, right click drive, select properties, select disk cleanup.)

2. Exactly the reason I would like to be able to delete all but the last restore point. Without turning it off and back on.

Enjoy your coffee, I'm on my second cup.

Take Care,

Martin

 

Hey BB: your last post came in while I was typing. I use system restore on C and D for the very question you asked. Changes to programs on D will change registry entries on C. I do not use it on other drives as they contain mostly Data that is independant of the registry.

That is, I can remove those drives from the machine, plug into different machine and their data is available, that is the Windows install on the other machine will recognize the drive, like a compact flash card or any USB device. Data changes on one of those drives only changes its own directory.

Martin

 

Justr so you do not think I am ignoring you.

OK I need to make this quick right now and I have no idea when I will get back. I have to take my Wife to the Doctor.

She is on Cuminin and has signs of internal bleeding.

But I will be back.

Gotta go NOW !!

BillyBob