System Restore Alternatives?

It depends which files that you can retrieve (going back to the future). If that game keeps its stats, or records, or whatever, in a particular file or log, try to find out which one it is and see if GoBack allows you to retrieve it.

Acadia

 

OK Acadia....i thought i might be able to do that ...........just hoping for a bit more info............but, i guess everything would go back..........the GoBack i remember did a good job of missing nothing...........the Norton flavor was a lot of hassel when i first installed it some time ago......hoping the update fixed some of the problems .........we shall see
later...

 

But the last, I believe, two versions of GoBack, versions 3 and 4, are able to "go back to the future" and retrieve individual files even AFTER you have reverted your entire hard drive back to the past.

Acadia

 

Another point about GoBack and other roll back programs is that if you have a problem (malware or malfunction) and you haven't noticed it in several days, then your window of opportunity may have passed for restoring a clean, working system. This point, along with the point of your restore image resides on your hard drive with roll back programs, led me to uninstall GoBack and install an imaging program. So while GoBack served me well by saving my bacon several times, I realized it had a vulnerability that might bite me in the future.

So, Smokey, I would argue that imaging program certainly are alternatives to System Restore (referencing your Post #22).

I use BootIt which is a imaging program that does NOT run in Windows OS. It's also a partition manager and a boot manager (if you want to run multiple OSs on your PC, which I don't). And all for $35. Restoring BootIt images has also saved me many times.

 

Nice try!

Again: (pffffffffffh )

A Windows System Restore have nothing to do with an image.

The thread question remain the same: an alternative for Windows System Restore.

And such an alternative is for sure NOT taking a image.

An image and a disk snapshot are two complete different matters.

Both have cons and pros, but the thread was NOT starting with the title:
"Disk Snapshot or Image, what is better"?

And because the thread starter was asking for a System Restore Alternative, i don't change my advice: take Goback v4.
It's one of the best.
Period.

Because i'm in a good mood today, right now i have a hot cup of Douwe Egberts coffee and a camel filter, let's talk about practice.

It depends of what you want.
Better said: what's the best (means most secure solution?)
Such a question belong to a new thread, but my coffee taste very well, so here we go

The best solution is a combination of Disk Snapshot AND a full Disk Image.

My PC's are secured by taking 2 times a day an Disk Image.
So: no Disk Snapshots.

My laptop is secured by Disk Snapshots, and once a month a Disk Image.

Next question: what is the "best" Disk Snapshot and Disk Imaging program?

Can't be answered.

Take 100 people, and you have 100 different opinions.

Personally i use for Disk Snapshot Norton Goback, for Disk Image i use Symantec Livestate Recovery.

And now i leave this wonderfull thread.
I need very urgent another camel filter!

Pffffffffffffffffffh!!!!!!

 

With FirstDefense, that is not an issue. You can keep a Snapshot for years without losing it so you can actually take your pc "back in time" years if you so wanted to. And of course, with FirstDefense, if you changed your mind, you could come all the way back to where you were. Yes, FD offers that kind of incredible flexibility. You can go back in time, forward in time, sideways ...

Acadia

 

Acadia~ Nice flexibility, but very few of us have Terabyte drives!

Seriously though, can you create an FDISR snapshot of your C-drive on another physical HDD? ~pv

 

Understood Pete. But I gather that FDISR requires the snapshot to be first created on the C-drive, correct?

 

I keep all ten Snapshots on my 120gig hard drive and still am only, wait I'll check ... only am 42.4gig full... but I don't down load any music or video.

Acadia

 

Acadia or Pete~ I'd still appreciate an answer to my question... "I gather that FDISR requires the snapshot to be first created on the C-drive, correct?" ~pv

 

From the Tools drop down menu, choose Export Snapshot. Follow the wizard to choose where you want it to go...save, next, export..then it will start to create a snapshot to wherever you decided to have it archived. Takes just as long to export it as it does to create one to keep on C drive.

Under the Copy/Update Wizard, the choice of destination <New Archive> hasn't yet been determined what it's purpose is. The only thing I found you could do with it is delete it. I questioned that in a past post.

 

If you are talking about the bootable Snapshots, yes, you have no choice. Only the unbootable Archive Snapshots can be stored elsewhere. Your normal c:drive that you have always used up till now automatically becomes the first Snapshot, named Primary, although you can change that name to anything that you want. Very important to remember this, and many folks don't understand this: ALL Snapshots have equal weight and importance in FirstDefense; whatever Snapshot that you are in at the time IS YOUR c:drive. If something, I don't know what, hosed your pc and you got stuck in that Snapshot, that is now your permanent c:drive. Part of the magic of FD is to quickly, in a minute or two, boot you into another c:drive. Having FD on your computer is literally like have 10 c:drives, all equally legitimate, not a virtually reality drive program.

Acadia

 

Getting back to the main subject posed by CogitoErgoSum, I am completely bewildered as to why System Restore is so maligned.

I use a laptop for all of my important medical studies plus other critical files/data and while I can afford to even lose my laptop, I can't afford losing my files/data! Therefore, I diligently image my hard drive (onto an external USB drive) every day.

Up to now, thankfully, I haven't had to recover a lost/crashed system, but I have experienced a great many instances where I've had to restore my system due to an installation gone bad, a malware infection, etc., and in those cases System Restore has ALWAYS done the job! So I simply can't understand why such a valuable tool as System Restore is so maligned.

 

There is nothing wrong with System Restore as long as you understand its limitations. It only restores the Registry and certain files; these instant recovery programs restore your entire hard drive, EVERYTHING.

Acadia

 

Acadia, I just can't appreciate the meaning of "certain files". Specifically, which files will it not restore

Whenever I've used System Restore, and that has been quite often, as far as I can tell it has always restored everything as of the selected Restore Point's date and time!

LG

 

Somewhere on microsoft.com or just do some googling, and you will find a list of what SR will restore and what it will not.

Acadia

 

From this website: http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_restore.htm

What is restored on my machine when I use System Restore and what is not?

The following are restored when you use System Restore to restore your system to a previous time using a restore point:
Registry
Profiles (local only—roaming user profiles not impacted by restore)
COM+ DB
WFP.dll cache
WMI DB
IIS Metabase
Files type which are monitored by System Restore as specified in the SDK available from http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/sr/sr/monitored_file_extensions.asp.

The following are not restored by System Restore:
DRM settings
Passwords in the SAM hive.
WPA settings (Windows authentication information is not restored)
Specific directories/files listed in the Monitored File Extensions list in the System Restore section of the Platform SDK e.g. 'My Documents' folder.
Any file types not monitored by System Restore like personal data files e.g. .doc, .jpg, .txt etc.
Items listed in both Filesnottobackup and KeysnottoRestore (hklm->system->controlset001->control->backuprestore->filesnottobackup and keysnottorestore) in the registry.
User-created data stored in the user profile
Contents of redirected folders

Acadia

 

I realize Acadia answered you in post #9 but I wanted to add my own response, not intending to take away from what Acadia said but, hopefully, supplement it:

From what I read as the precise context of Pete's and your discussion, I would have answered your question as "Not at the time you produce the Archive, because any time you "make" an Archive of a snapshot, you are actually copying a snapshot that already exists on your system drive to another drive in compressed format, whether that source be a secondary or independent snapshot on the system drive or whether it is the currently operating system drive, i.e., the PRIMARY snapshot."

There's my two cents and I hope that helped.

 

Pete & Acadia, thank you for helping me understand the limitations of System Restore (SR).

From my experience with bad installations, I know that SR does not actually remove an installed but unwanted program; rather it completely disables it. In those instances, I have had to remove the actual program using Control Panel's Add/Remove Programs. But that's really no big deal, and I can't relate to how any of the other mentioned limitations have affected my system restores.

Anyhow, I for one (and I well may be the only one), find SR to be an easy-to-use and effective tool for it's intended purpose!

At the very least, this has been educational... LG

 

Laptop Gal, System Restore has saved tons of folks lots of blood, sweat and tears. SR was one very positive addition that Microsoft added to the Windows OS.

Acadia

 

Definitely has for me. although I now intend to explore some of other approaches mentioned here. My biggest need is for getting out of problems created by experimenting with various programs - primarily security-related.

Rob

 

I don't know why people are hitting on system restore. It's excellent. Just ime people with over a dozen system restore points complain.
I use system restore. But I realize it's limits. At least how it responds for me. Example on preparing to install a new program. I get everything cleared away using various diagnostic tools. Then I set a SRP (system restore point). Call it like Before Program X. Then I delete all other SRP's. SR works best for me when I have only 1 SRP. Then I install the new program. Play with a couple hours or days. If the new program messes up my system I choose SRP Before Program X. Rinse & repeat. Never fails unless one trys to uninstall the program 1st. That screws it up.