[roscoeb]

I just discovered that one of my Windows XP Home systems is no longer creating system restore points although system restore is enabled on the drive in question (my C:\ drive). When I manually try to create a restore point, the program says that it was not able to do so ("system restore cannot create a restore point. please restart your computer and run system restore again") Starting again does not solve the problem.

I think there might be some Windows problem here. I tried to install Norton GoBack 4.0 (I have NSW 2005 installed on the computer and use WinDoctor, NAV & SpeedDisk regularly), but after a "successful"installation and a "successful" update to vversion 4.02 (using LiveUpdate), the computer refuses to boot into Windows. It goes into a loop, showing the pre-windows startup screen, the GoBack screen, and then starts over again. The only way out is to take the option of disabling GoBack.

I have removed GoBack. I have run a full scan with NAV and the most recent antivirus definitions. I have run a full AdAware scan with the latest definitions.

I am at a loss. I feel in jeopardy without either system restore or GoBack.

Any help would be appreciated.

Quentin

[Advertisements]

Have you turned system restore off, rebooted, turned system restore on to see if you can create restore points

[Retired Tech]

Have you turned system restore off, rebooted, turned system restore on to see if you can create restore points

[roscoeb]

Yes, Keith, I have -- several times. Each time I go through the process, the result has been the same: no restore points created on (re)booting and not able to create a new one manually. It's frustrating.

[Retired Tech]

Click start then run, type prefetch then press enter, click edit then select all, right click any file then click delete, confirm delete

Click start, all programmes, accessories, system tools to run disc clean up, click more options then clean up restore points, click confirm, click OK. Then from system tools, run disc defragmenter.

Click start then run, type sfc /scannow then press enter, you will need the XP CD

System File Check will display an onscreen blue progress bar, when the bar goes, reboot.

Click start then run, type chkdsk /f /r then press enter, type Y to confirm for next boot, press enter then reboot.

Windows will appear to load normally then either the monitor will show progress or the screen will go blank, do not disturb this. This will take an hour or so before it gets to the desktop.

When it gets to the desktop, the system files and the hard drive will be as they should and you can check for any improvement

This section is optional

Download and install Tune Up 2006 Trial

Run Tune Up Disc Clean Up

Run Tune Up Registry Clean Up

Click Optimize and Improve to run Reg Defrag, which will take a few minutes and need a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to optimize the computer, select computer with an internet connection from the drop down menu, this also requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to accelerate downloads, select the speed just above your actual connection speed, this requires a reboot

After the reboot, click optimize then system optimizer to run system advisor

If no change, the next thing to do would be a repair install, this will leave data and settings intact

XP Repair

If you are unable to run XP Repair

Alternate XP Repair

Use the last one, Windows Installation CD to repair the current installation, which uses a slightly different method

After running the repair it will be necessary to install all Windows Updates

Microsoft Update

[qcburrows]

Keith,

Thank you very much. This sounds like a plan. I will try it in the morning and post a progress report.

R

[qcburrows]

No joy! I followed the plan you outlined, Keith, but System Restore still will not create restore points, telling me to reboot and try again (I have!).

The remaining options are repairs to XP. I have a recollection of having done one shortly after XP came out and having to do a substantial job of replacing drivers, etc., not to mention downloading Service Pack 1 (at the time, that's all there was). I don't relish that and am considering living without the safety net of System Restore or GoBack. I am going to mull it over.

Thanks,

R

[Retired Tech]

wannabe1 sent me this

For the System Restore problem...try this (it actually works most of the time)

Start > Run > type services.msc > click "Ok".

Find System Restore Service > double click > Stop Service > exit

Open System Restore in System Tools...when asked if you want to enable the feature, choose "Yes". Try to set a restore point.

wannabe1

[qcburrows]

re: iwannabe's idea: when I stop the system restore service in services.msc, it doesn't stay stopped! Before I leave the services module, I confirm that the service's status is "stopped". I then close the services box and go to start/ programs / accessories / system tools / system restore. When I click on system restore, it does not ask me whether I want to enable it -- it is already enabled. Apparently, just clicking on the start menu item re-starts system restore (& of course it will then decline to create a restore point).

Wow!

[wannabe1]

WOW is right...hope you don't mind me butting in...

Would you look at a couple of registry settings for me?

Click Start, then Run, type regedit, and click "ok".

Expand (click +) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, then SOFTWARE, then Microsoft, then Windows NT, then CurrentVersion, and click on SystemRestore. In the right pane, what is the (value) listed under the Data column for "DisableSR"?

Expand (click +) HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, then SYSTEM, then CurrentControlSet, then Services, and click on sr. In the right pane, what is the (value) listed under the Data column for "Start"?

wannabe1

Edited by wannabe1, 01 March 2006 - 05:21 PM.

[qcburrows]

I'll do it tomorrow -- thanks!

[roscoeb]

A new day dawned and I decided to try to install Norton GoBack one more time. Success! Evidently, all of the cleaning up that you kind people suggested had some good effect. Even though I wasn't able to get Windows own System Restore to work, GoBack is just fine (assuming that it works as advertised!).

Thanks for all the help!

R

[Retired Tech]

Thanks for the update