System Restore alternative

I am looking for suggestions for an alternative to System Restore. I want to use it in addition to System Restore as an alternative for the times when System Restore fails.

I am looking for something which basically replicates the functionality of System Restore - i.e. I don't want my personal files and data changed when I do a restore.

 

Roger,

You might not want to hear this. Forget System Restore completely and use an image/restore app.

Have your data outside the OS partition. In another partition.

 

You are right - that's no I wanted to hear.

I prefer to have a single partition, but I do realise the benefits in keeping data separate, as it takes time to do an image of my nearly full 500GB hard drive.

 

Backup is personal.

It takes 3 minutes to do a full image my Win8 partition and 2 minutes to do a backup of 500 GB of data in another partition. (Changed data backup).

 

In the scheme of things if Windows 8 happens to be the platform, a user experiencing issues would be better off having a recent image to restore to or apply the Windows 8 REFRESH feature that uninstalls ALL non default files and programs but in a new twist for MS, backs up and saves ALL your installed programs completely intact as well as preserves any desktop apps you added since windows first install.

System Restore even on Windows 8 is a destructive program IMO when it comes to a user's desktop files. It effectively and efficienctly wiped out many of my good executables completely from the desktop surface. A lesson learned not to be repeated again. System Restore = Disabled on mine. lol

 

That's reason for concern. I haven't used Windows 8 much yet, and have not used its System Restore, but probably will be using Windows 8 a lot more soon.

 

I haven't had time to research it more in-depth yet, but unless my eyes were playing tricks on me, windows 8 system restore works somewhat differently then it did on previous models in the series. I never viewed it much before being very useful anyway when there's great imaging apps far safer and infinitely more efficient.

Windows 8 REFRESH on the other hand is useful and an automated way to do what i always was accustomed to doing on XP all along but with the disk.

 

There are some apps based on System Restore
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/selectively-delete-system-restore-points-with-qrm-plus-manager
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/create-a-system-restore-point-in-1-click-with-quick-restore-maker
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/system-restore-manager-for-windows-released
http://nicbedford.co.uk/software/systemrestoreexplorer/
http://www.z-dbackup.com/vss-shadow-copy-open-file-backup.html

 

I'm using Toolwiz Time Machine that does well the work. Since I use my data in another partition (My Documents was moved to D:\), personal files never changed when using TTM (the Brian K'advice is well informed and recommended). Like EASTER I have "System Restore = Disabled".

I use it also to revert System to initial state, after e.g. trying an app. that needs reboot [TTM has buit-in a Time Freeze feature too].

 

Yes, always good to have another backup (or two). If you are using WinXP then yes, I can't blame you for looking for something else. If you are using Win7, System Restore was much improved and has NEVER failed me, BUT, I always use it in Safe Mode. (Still, it is always good to have alternative backups even for the best programs).

Acadia

 

System Restore sometimes does not work for me. I don't use System Restore much as when I have problems with my computers I prefer to actually diagnose and fix the problem then do a restore. But the are very rare occasions when I can't fix a problem and need to do a restore. When Windows is messed up enough that I can't fix it, then there is a reasonable chance System Restore won't work.

Sure restoring a clean image is best, but I hate doing that as I learn nothing that way. If I work out how to fix any problems I have, I learn something.

 

I wish I always had the time and energy to dig deep, diagnose and fix, but often I don't. It is much easier to spend 15mins to restore an image and be back at work then waste an hour or two with no real work done.

 

If you are looking for something to backup the registry and you have XP, then erunt does a good job. It also lets you restore the registry with a Live CD if your computer will not boot due to registry corruption. I have successfully used this to fix a messed up registry without going through a full system restore.Registry Backup from Tweaking.com also works on Vista,Windows 7, and 8 (32 and 64 bit). It will also restore a registry from a live CD. This of course does not replace a good image backup as @Brian K has said.

 

Perfect choices, both of these for the different windows, and super reliable. I found that 90% or better, problem issues in windows preventing booting to GUI or other matters are easily corrected by restoring saved registry backups. Otherwise images serve the purpose well.