System Restore: No auto-restore point creation, manual creation fails

I have found the System Restore feature in XP to be very helpful. However, I recently noticed that it was not creating auto system check point backups. So I tried to create a manul system check point, but when I selected create a restore point and click next the program stop responding. I tried a non-destructive system recovery provided with my HP system, but it didn't help. I also tried stopping and starting the System Restore feature with no success. Anyone have any suggestions.

Thanks,
Bob

 

Check in Control Panel>Administrative Tools>Services, scroll down to System Restore and see if it's set to "automatic." If not, double click on it and choose "automatic" from the drop-down list next to "Start up type." If the "Start" button isn't greyed out, click on it to start the service without having to reboot.

Then go back to System Restore and see if it will let you manually set a restore point.

If that didn't work, try this:

1. Insert your XP CD and when the install window opens, close it
2. Browse the CD to the "INF" folder, then to the "sr.inf" file
3. Right click on "sr.inf" and choose install
4. It may ask for certain files; if so, point it to the I386 folder on the harddrive (if it's there, if not, to the I386 folder on the CD).
4. Reboot

Restore points are kept in C:\System Volume Information so you might want to check that folder and see what's there. All restore points are kept in one file within that folder called "restore" followed by a string of numbers within brackets. It will continue to grow until it has reached the maximum size set in Control Panel>System>System Restore.