System Restore Does Not Make A Reliable Backup

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Today I am going to talk about one of the most unreliable ways to maintain your computer. The option is present in almost every version of Windows that has been released and is relied upon way too much by most Windows users. I am talking about a little program within Windows called System Restore.

System Restore is essentially a very weak form of a system backup. It allows users to be able to revert their settings back to a given state of time when the system worked properly. The application can revert things such as settings, the registry, system files, installed applications and some saved files. The system was first introduced in Windows ME and has been included in every other OS since.

In the initial form, the system was based as a file filter that watched for changes in certain files and then recorded the changes before the file was overwritten. In the newer versions of Windows starting with Vista, Microsoft started using a volume shadow copy service to save the restore points. This option also allowed the operating system to use the service even if Windows would not boot.

With System Restore, users can either let the machine create random restore points or the user can create their own restore points manually. This is often useful when you are making big changes such as a program update or adding a new virus scanner. Restore points can be stored for several weeks or even months but the farther back you go, the better chance the restore point will fail.

If you have a hard disk that is getting low on space, sometimes disabling System Restore will help to regain some of the space back. If you store a lot of restore points, you could be using several Gigs of drive space on your C Drive. In fact, if your space gets too low, Windows will automatically disable it for you to save space.

System Restore can be a useful tool (when it works) for backing out of a virus, reverting changes made to a program, or in some cases getting a lost file back on your desktop. The problem is that for many folks, it is a false sense of security and if you do not have a regular backup you could be looking for a disaster to happen.

I have seen in many cases where System Restore will fix a no boot issue but will sometimes break other programs that will then have to be reinstalled in order to work correctly again. In addition because of the limitations of System Restore, most virus infections are not completely removed by a restore operation. It can often get your computer working again but the rest of the virus will still have to be removed.

In Windows XP, it is more likely to have a program not work properly after doing a restore operation. This is due to the incomplete way System Restore monitors your files in this operating system. In Windows Vista and above, you are less likely to have an issue with programs after running a restore operation. I have, however, seen an equal number of failed restores in almost every version of Windows.

The bottom line, do not depend on System Restore to be your primary means of recovery. It is great for some fast changes or rollbacks but not as a means of backup. Be sure you have a full system backup or clone in addition to your Restore points.

Article by,  Joe Z  Posted by Ross Deprey