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Why can't I rely on System Restore for backups?

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Summary: There's much confusion about what System Restore actually is and is not. In a nutshell, it's safest not to rely on it to restore your system.

This is actually a synthesized question that reflects an extremely common line of thinking I see in questions and comments I receive.

I can kind of understand the thinking; it might make sense to rely on something called "System Restore" to restore your system.

Unfortunately, that's not even close to what it does. Add a couple of additional pitfalls, and relying on System Restore without completely understanding what it is - and more importantly what it is not - could lead you down a very dangerous path.

Let me be clear about something right away: System Restore is not a substitute for backing up.

So, why is that?

Because it doesn't back most things up. In fact, System Restore actually operates only on a very few system files and settings.

I'm going to oversimplify, but in a nutshell: System Restore backs up your registry. It actually backs up some more things, I'm sure, but for purposes of this discussion we'll think of it as just backing up the registry. In fact, it's a very good registry backup - when we say "back up your registry" these days that often means "set a system restore point".

"System Restore is not a substitute for backing up."

What's more important is what System Restore does not do:

  • System Restore does not backup your data. If you delete or damage a file, System Restore will not recover it.

  • System Restore does not really "uninstall" software. If you set a restore point, install software, and then revert to that restore point, the software will appear uninstalled (it will no longer appear on menus and the Add/Remove list), but files and folders created by that software installation may still remain.

  • System Restore does not keep old copies of your files or settings. If you're looking for an "old version" of a file or program that you used to have on your machine, System Restore will not have it.

  • System Restore will not restore your system. By that I mean that if your system crashes and Windows needs to be repaired or reinstalled, System Restore will not aid in this process.

The Intent of System Restore

System restore is intended for recovery from recent changes to your system. For example, if you do install a new driver or software package that somehow causes your system to misbehave, you can use System restore to "undo" most of the changes and return to a prior state. That's actually why most setup programs now cause a restore point to be taken prior to starting: so that in the case of failure or some other unexpected event, you'll always have that restore point to go back to.

I want to emphasize the recent nature of restore points. The intent is that they be used to recover from something that happened recently - as in within a day or two. Yes, restore points are often kept for longer periods of time, but the problem is that so much is constantly changing on your system that rolling back to a significantly older restore point can also have unexpected side effects as more changes are undone that you might expect.

Restore Points Disappear Over Time

Windows only keeps a limited number of restore points based on the amount of disk space you have available for it. Once that space fills up, each time a new restore point is taken, older restore points are deleted to make room.

I need to say that again: older restore points are deleted to make room.

A very common variation on the System Restore question is "why are there no restore points where I want to go back to?" The answer is that they were probably deleted to make room for newer ones. Restore points are taken at various times, so older restore points are constantly being swapped out to make room for new. As I keep saying, they're not meant to be a long term restoration strategy.

Is System Restore Even On?

System Restore may or may not be turned on. If not, you'll free up some disk space, but you'll have no restore points to go back to ... ever. This is, in fact how I run my machines. Because System Restore only backs up a limited set of what I actually care about, I turn it off completely and rely instead on a nightly full backup. That way I know that everything - files, settings, applications, whatever - are all backed up and accessible on a momen's notice, and I can keep those backups for as long as I might choose to.

Related:

Article 12623 | Posted August 21, 2008

Recent Comments

A related question if someone can answer. Restoring from full image backup would restore even the user data and files to that previous date. Or is there a way to restore ONLY the programs and settings?

More specifically, is there a way to somehow backup the windows updates (and even the MS Office updates) so that when we reinstall it from the recovery DVD (factory fresh image) we do not have to download the hefty updates again?

If yes, does the method involve downloading all the updates again or the already downloaded updates can be used?

The short answer is: not really. A backup is just a backup of files on you disk. It doesn't "know" while files are system files, which files are parts of updates, and which files are your data - it's all just files. So a restore is either complete (all files) or partial (you choose which files and folders to restore). Updates are also frequently invasive, meaning that they touch things you wouldn't expect to be touched. There's simply no way to keep it all straight.

The solution many people take is when building out a new machine is to first install everything. Get it all up to date, and then take a full backup snapshot of the machine at that point in time. That way they have a known good image that they can revert to, and would have to take only updates released since that point if they need to revert to it.

-Leo

Posted by: novice at August 21, 2008 10:56 AM

The ONE thing that I don't really like about Vista is the inability to decide how many restore points/memory is used (as I could in XP). Every week, I run maintenance, and when I run disk cleanup, there are at least 5 gb of restore points saved. Waste of disk space.

Posted by: Carl R. Goodwin at August 27, 2008 06:55 PM

Leo, Does Restore (XP) roll back Windows updates? I have a problem with a program that suddenly developed unusual behaviour after a packet of Windows updates was installed. I want to Restore to a date prior to the Windows update to test program behaviour. And if the problem goes away, I will re-install each of the updates testing for the "baddie". Will this work?

I believe it will.

-Leo

Posted by: Bevin at August 28, 2008 02:07 AM

You can uninstall MS updates from the Add/Remove programs area. You probably will have to put a check in a box at the top to display them.

The best registry backups are made by the free ERUNT progam. Works with Vista and XP. I put this on every customer's computer. Do some googling. Packrat1947

Posted by: Ron N. at August 28, 2008 05:22 AM

Thanks RonH. Yes, I was looking to use Add/Remove programs but I could not identify the kbxxx updates that were loaded at the time the problem began. When I selected Update History from Windows Update, the only thing listed was Microsoft Update download (!!!!) and looking in C:\Windows listed about 10 kb's. I decided to first test my theory of the problem being caused by an update, by Restoring to an earlier date (which I assumed would roll back those updates). The time it would take to uninstall each likely kb, then reinstall the program, would be wasted if an update was not my problem.
So I would still like to know if Restore does roll back Windows updates. Leo???
Thanks, Bevin.

Posted by: Bevin at August 29, 2008 12:14 AM

Dear Leo,

This is do with back-ups. I have some difficulty with finding my current active files which must be miniscule compared with your gargantuan back-up base. Can you please give some tips on your 'filing' system as regards finding specific files in the mass of those that must accrue from your nightly back-up ?

Thank you

Robert George Douglas

Actually has very little to do with the backups, per se. The backups are simply images of my hard drive, so they're organized the same way things are laid out on my harddrive.

As for how I lay things out on my hard drive ... well, that's been a long evolution over many years as my needs have changed, and likely wouldn't apply to you. Best advice I can offer it to plan a hard drive organization that makes sense to you, and then the backups shoudl follow.

-Leo


Posted by: Robert George Douglas at September 7, 2008 12:50 AM

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