System Restore does not create restore points (Home SP-1)

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Is there a certain amount of time that the computer has to be idle before a System Restore point is created?

In help for System Restore it say (and I translate) “The computer must be idle for some minutes before System Restore will create a scheduled Restore point.”
I recently looked at System Restore and there is only a few RP this month. Have worked before, when I left it for some minutes/hours.

It is enabled for my system drive. I have not changed any settings regarding size or other. (Only, many months ago when installing I disabled System Restore monitoring for some drives where it is unnecessary.) Now, I find that there is a long time between restore points (then of course we can discuss whether it is necessary to have one every 24 hour, but that’s another question). Anyhow, the computer in question has been up and running at least some hours every day. I thought that when the maximum size is reached it will proceed with it as before, only deleting older restore points.

This month I have the following dates: 1, 3, 4, 11, 18, 20, and some added when installing a MS update patch or uninstalling a program. But other than that no. Before, there was every now an then a new restore point following the rules 24 hours or if not been on, next boot.

I have looked at: HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsNTCurrentVersionSystemRestore and “RPGlobalInterval” is 86400, thus once every 24 hours or next boot.

Well, I guess I could change the value to, lets say 43200, and then change back to see if it start to work.

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Argus,

I would check the diskspacesize available for SR. Restore points will follow the first in, first out rule. That is: oldest file will be replaced with the newest.
By default, the system will allocate 12% of the available disk space for SR, with a minimum of 200MB.

“If you run out of disk space, System Restore becomes inactive. When you have made sufficient disk space available, System Restore is automatically activated, but all previous restore points are lost” ( from SR help file )

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Bob,

Thanks for reply. Yep, I know that. Sorry that I did not give details about drive size etc. I thought that the post was already to long, and forgot. Well, size is no problem. Actually it was when looking at the size of different drives that I found that system drive “C” had grown a bit. In my case, beside OS, I have major programs on C. There is normally no way to keep them from not putting files on system drive anyhow. But other than when installing major programs the free space does not change radically; only when System Restore add restore points it grows by some MB.

Well, in my case SR is in for default 12 %. On C that is (and yes, one can discuss if such a large system drive is necessary or 12 % for SR) 2457 MB (C=20 GB). At this moment I have 15.46 GB free on C, thats 77%. The SR has already reached the limit and is replacing older restore points. But I have not seen any scheduled for many days.

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Bob,

Thanks for reply. Yep, I know that. Sorry that I did not give details about drive size etc. I thought that the post was already to long, and forgot. Well, size is no problem. Actually it was when looking at the size of different drives that I found that system drive “C” had grown a bit. In my case, beside OS, I have major programs on C. There is normally no way to keep them from not putting files on system drive anyhow. But other than when installing major programs the free space does not change radically; only when System Restore add restore points it grows by some MB.

Well, in my case SR is in for default 12 %. On C that is (and yes, one can discuss if such a large system drive is necessary or 12 % for SR) 2457 MB (C=20 GB). At this moment I have 15.46 GB free on C, thats 77%. The SR has already reached the limit and is replacing older restore points. But I have not seen any scheduled for many days.

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Argus,

I would check the diskspacesize available for SR. Restore points will follow the first in, first out rule. That is: oldest file will be replaced with the newest.
By default, the system will allocate 12% of the available disk space for SR, with a minimum of 200MB.

“If you run out of disk space, System Restore becomes inactive. When you have made sufficient disk space available, System Restore is automatically activated, but all previous restore points are lost” ( from SR help file )

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Neither have I. Well, most of the time you will get a restore point when installing a program, it depends on what kind of installer that is used. In some rare occasions I add a restore point before installing a major program that can go wrong, if I am not sure if the program will add a restore point.

Well, yesterday after being left idle for some minutes, I heard the hard drive working, and later I looked at System Restore. Now it has added a new restore point.

So then everything should be OK, well to me that still does not explain why only a few has been saved this month. Seems like it slowing down, not making a restore point as often as before. And size is no problem as mentioned before.

I will have a look at the SR the following days to see if it keeps saving restore points or not.

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Hi,
This is how it is supposed to work

– Automatic System CheckPoints are created for every 10 hours of computer up time but only after the computer has been idle for 2 minutes.
I`ve read this time is actually 15 mins and not 2 mins
If this criterion is not met, then a System CheckPoint will be created once every 24 hours after the system has been idle for 2 minutes.
– Restore points are created by Installer packages that use the new Microsoft Software Installer (MSI) technology.
– Restore points are created by Installer packages that use InstallShield 6.1 Pro and later.
– Restore points are created when AutoUpdate (AU) installs an update package.
– Restore points are created when you use System Restore to roll your system back to a different Restore Point. However, if this is done in Safe Mode, a Restore Point will not be created.
– Restore points are created manually by using the System Restore interface

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Elaine,
Thanks for the information. Yes, I have read somewhere which installer packages do create restore points, and I think there will also be a restore point created if you install an unsigned device driver.

Well, the problem is not major. I do get restore points if I add them, if I install a MS update etc. It is just the automatic restore points that were not created for a number of weeks. And now, as I mentioned, there is one new, total for April is 7. Yesterday there was another one created. It seems like it does not create them as frequently as before, but maybe it is my use of the computer that has changed. No time idle …

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Elaine,
Thanks for the information. Yes, I have read somewhere which installer packages do create restore points, and I think there will also be a restore point created if you install an unsigned device driver.

Well, the problem is not major. I do get restore points if I add them, if I install a MS update etc. It is just the automatic restore points that were not created for a number of weeks. And now, as I mentioned, there is one new, total for April is 7. Yesterday there was another one created. It seems like it does not create them as frequently as before, but maybe it is my use of the computer that has changed. No time idle …

Reply | Quote

Hi,
This is how it is supposed to work

– Automatic System CheckPoints are created for every 10 hours of computer up time but only after the computer has been idle for 2 minutes.
I`ve read this time is actually 15 mins and not 2 mins
If this criterion is not met, then a System CheckPoint will be created once every 24 hours after the system has been idle for 2 minutes.
– Restore points are created by Installer packages that use the new Microsoft Software Installer (MSI) technology.
– Restore points are created by Installer packages that use InstallShield 6.1 Pro and later.
– Restore points are created when AutoUpdate (AU) installs an update package.
– Restore points are created when you use System Restore to roll your system back to a different Restore Point. However, if this is done in Safe Mode, a Restore Point will not be created.
– Restore points are created manually by using the System Restore interface

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Neither have I. Well, most of the time you will get a restore point when installing a program, it depends on what kind of installer that is used. In some rare occasions I add a restore point before installing a major program that can go wrong, if I am not sure if the program will add a restore point.

Well, yesterday after being left idle for some minutes, I heard the hard drive working, and later I looked at System Restore. Now it has added a new restore point.

So then everything should be OK, well to me that still does not explain why only a few has been saved this month. Seems like it slowing down, not making a restore point as often as before. And size is no problem as mentioned before.

I will have a look at the SR the following days to see if it keeps saving restore points or not.

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