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XP System Restore not Working


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#1
sns9

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I am trying to create a system restore point from which I can recover from future crashes.

When I try to enter the System Restore menu from the Help menu tasks, an error box pops up with System Restore Application in the menu bar. The message says "System Restore Application has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience." I then have the option of sending our friends at Microsoft an error report.

From reading other forum postings, I tried the System Restore tab under My Computer | Properties. I received the error "Run a DLL as an App has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconveninece." At that point the My Computer | Properties dialog is frozen with an hour glass cursor. Although I can access other applications, I cannot close the dialog unless pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete.

I tried Start | Run | Compmgmt.msc. From the Services tab, I chose System Restore. There was a link to start the system restore service. When I clicked the link, I received the following error: "Could not start the System Restore Service service on Local Computer. Error 21: The device is not ready. (Note the message lists Service twice.)

I then booted into safe mode and tried the above with the same errors.
Then I booted into safe mode with a command prompt and entered:
%systemroot%\system32\restore\rstrui.exe.
I received a popup dialog that said "System Restore is not able to protect your computer. Please restart your computer and run System Restore again."
This happens also when I manually change to the system restore sub directory and try to run the executable from there.

A list of services from the command prompt does not show system restore running.

I've checked the Microsoft web site for the various articles that discuss system restore. None help.

I really don't want to run an XP repair from CD because my CD is SR1 with a gazillion outdated drivers. Within a week I'll have a third hard drive for storing Ghost images. This will help some of my concerns, but for now, I want to get system restore going.

Any suggestions or ideas?

Thank you,
Steve
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#2
austin_o

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Hi SNS9, welcome to Geeks to Go. You could try going to start, run and type
sfc /scannow Make sure you have your windows install cd in the drive so windows can get any missing files it needs.
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#3
sns9

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Thanks Austin.
I tried running sfc /scannow. It asked me for the XP CD, and I had to tell it to retry several times, but it did go through and check the system files. Note again that I've installed SR2 on my system, but my original CD is SR1. I don't know if that will cause any problems or not.

The system restore still doesn't work. I'll try rebooting and running system restore again.

Any other suggestions?
Thanks,
Steve
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#4
austin_o

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Steve,
If you tried the solutions M$ suggests in their knowledge base, and you tried my suggestion and it still won't work, I don't know what else you can do but try a repair install. Here is a link to a guide for doing a repair
http://www.geekstogo...ws_XP-t138.html

If you are concerned about your windows cd being sp1 and needing sp2, you can splitstream sp2 with xp into a new cd.
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#5
sns9

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Thanks Austin.

I see the XP repair is inevitable.

Can you tell me how to splitstream SP2 and XP?

Steve
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#6
Les1451

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How to slipstream XP and SP2
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