Restore Points and System Restore

[Scott Meyers]

As I understand it, when a restore point is created and I have system
protection enabled, both my system state (e.g., registry) is backed up
as well as non-systems files that have been changed since my last
restore point or backup. That is, a restore point backs up both system
state and data files if I have system protection enabled.

If I do a System Restore from a restore point, only my system state is
restored: data files are not restored. However, I can restore the
state of data files from a restore point via "Previous Versions" on a
per-file or per-folder basis.

Is this correct? I find it odd that making a restore point does two
things (back up system state as well as changed data files), but there
is no way to undo both of those things. Rather, you have to undo the
system changes via System Restore, and you have to undo the data file
changes by seeking out and applying previous versions. There is, as far
as I know, no way to find out which data files were backed up as part of
a restore point.

Thanks for any clarification you can offer on the relationship between
restore points, System Restore, and previous versions of data files.

FWIW, I'm basing my comments above primarily on:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/System-Restore-frequently-asked-questions
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Previous-versions-of-files-frequently-asked-questions
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/What-is-System-Restore

Scott

 

[Ed Cryer]

As I understand it, when a restore point is created and I have system
protection enabled, both my system state (e.g., registry) is backed up
as well as non-systems files that have been changed since my last
restore point or backup. That is, a restore point backs up both system
state and data files if I have system protection enabled.

If I do a System Restore from a restore point, only my system state is
restored: data files are not restored. However, I can restore the state
of data files from a restore point via "Previous Versions" on a per-file
or per-folder basis.

Is this correct? I find it odd that making a restore point does two
things (back up system state as well as changed data files), but there
is no way to undo both of those things. Rather, you have to undo the
system changes via System Restore, and you have to undo the data file
changes by seeking out and applying previous versions. There is, as far
as I know, no way to find out which data files were backed up as part of
a restore point.

Thanks for any clarification you can offer on the relationship between
restore points, System Restore, and previous versions of data files.

FWIW, I'm basing my comments above primarily on:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/System-Restore-frequently-asked-questions

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Previous-versions-of-files-frequently-asked-questions

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/What-is-System-Restore

Scott

I labour under the belief that S R only (repeat, only) handles system
files. No data files are included.
System files are those that alter Windows itself; DLLs, drivers etc.

Install a new program; it doesn't affect S R.
Write and save a new text files; ditto.
Play a game, save latest results; ditto.

What you're doing is confounding S R with Backup. They run quite
independently of each other.

Ed

 

[GlowingBlueMist]

As I understand it, when a restore point is created and I have system
protection enabled, both my system state (e.g., registry) is backed up
as well as non-systems files that have been changed since my last
restore point or backup. That is, a restore point backs up both system
state and data files if I have system protection enabled.

If I do a System Restore from a restore point, only my system state is
restored: data files are not restored. However, I can restore the state
of data files from a restore point via "Previous Versions" on a per-file
or per-folder basis.

Is this correct? I find it odd that making a restore point does two
things (back up system state as well as changed data files), but there
is no way to undo both of those things. Rather, you have to undo the
system changes via System Restore, and you have to undo the data file
changes by seeking out and applying previous versions. There is, as far
as I know, no way to find out which data files were backed up as part of
a restore point.

Thanks for any clarification you can offer on the relationship between
restore points, System Restore, and previous versions of data files.

FWIW, I'm basing my comments above primarily on:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/System-Restore-frequently-asked-questions

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Previous-versions-of-files-frequently-asked-questions

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/What-is-System-Restore

Scott

This is what Microsoft has to say at one of their multitude of web sites.

"What files are changed during a system restore?

System Restore affects Windows system files, programs, and registry
settings. It can also make changes to scripts, batch files, and other
types of executable files on your computer.
Note
Note

System Restore does not affect personal files, such as e-mail,
documents, or photos, so it cannot help you restore a deleted file. If
you have backups of your files, you can restore the files from a backup."

Windows System restore does NOT back up your data files, just system
related files and files it has been configured to watch over. If you
created a document, saved a document, or any other origional product
like pictures or web art it is up to you to restore it using an actual
backup copy of that document should that document later become
unavailable or corrupted. That is why most people backup their data to
a second storage device in case the primary storage device dies.
Windows system restore does not do that for data files that are not part
of the actual operating system.

 

[Scott Meyers]

I labour under the belief that S R only (repeat, only) handles system
files. No data files are included.

Right, but note that that's only for *restoration*. Before something
can be restored, it has to be stored, and that's the job of restore
point creation. My understanding is that when restore points are made,
data files are backed up *in addition to system state*. The only way to
see these backups is to view Previous Versions of the stored files.
This is consistent with the information at
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Previous-versions-of-files-frequently-asked-questions,
where one finds:

Previous versions are either copies of files and folders created by
Windows Backup or copies of files and folders that Windows
automatically saves as part of a restore point.

It's also consistent with what I see when I look at the previous
versions list of my files. I've placed an example at
http://www.box.net/shared/mpcntv16neykznarlo6r .

What you're doing is confounding S R with Backup. They run quite
independently of each other.

For the most part, the two seem to be independent, but my understanding
is that each backup causes a restore point to be made, and that causes
previous versions of data files to be updated. In the attached image,
note how the first two previous versions of the file have the same
timestamp, but one is listed as being part of a backup, the other as
coming from a restore point.

Scott

 

[Stan Brown]

This is what Microsoft has to say at one of their multitude of web sites.

"What files are changed during a system restore?

In addition to what you (quoting Microsoft) mention, it affects the
contents of the Desktop and the Start menu.

 

[Ed Cryer]

Right, but note that that's only for *restoration*. Before something can
be restored, it has to be stored, and that's the job of restore point
creation. My understanding is that when restore points are made, data
files are backed up *in addition to system state*. The only way to see
these backups is to view Previous Versions of the stored files. This is
consistent with the information at
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Previous-versions-of-files-frequently-asked-questions,
where one finds:

Previous versions are either copies of files and folders created by
Windows Backup or copies of files and folders that Windows
automatically saves as part of a restore point.

It's also consistent with what I see when I look at the previous
versions list of my files. I've placed an example at
http://www.box.net/shared/mpcntv16neykznarlo6r .


For the most part, the two seem to be independent, but my understanding
is that each backup causes a restore point to be made, and that causes
previous versions of data files to be updated. In the attached image,
note how the first two previous versions of the file have the same
timestamp, but one is listed as being part of a backup, the other as
coming from a restore point.

Scott

SR works by keeping a file of all system changes in a special file;
System Volume Information under XP, not sure about Win7.
Those are added to all the time, not just when a Restore Point is created.

No doubt files other than those to be actually restored are written to
the SVI; probably needed for when a Restore Point is created or when a
SR is actually done. Hence, you'll find things written in there that are
not part of the OS, but are needed for the job of restoring.

Ed