Missing restore points after h/w change

I wonder if you can help?
I have a fixed HD for my OS (Windows ME) and system files and I have a HD caddy fitted to my machine for data. I use one data HD for work and one for hobbies. If I swap the HD over all my system restore points disappear and I cannot go back to an earlier setting. This makes me very nervous of swapping the HD since I will not be able to restore if anything goes wrong. Is there a way round this or is there a way of storing my own restore points somewhere?

 

Fred
Welcome to TSG!
System restore creates Restore points and stores them in cab files for future use. These files are maintained separetly for each drive on your system and will not function if they are moved.
Here is part of an article from the MS KB that explains how and where restore points are kept.
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Restore points are created under the following conditions:

Automatic System CheckPoints are created for every 10 hours of computer up time but only after the computer has been idle for 2 minutes. If this criterion is not met, then a System CheckPoint will be created once every 24 hours after the system has been idle for 2 minutes.
Restore points are created by Installer packages that use the new Microsoft Software Installer (MSI) technology.
Restore points are created by Installer packages that use InstallShield 6.1 Pro and later.
Restore points are created when AutoUpdate (AU) installs an update package.
Restore points are created when you use System Restore to roll your system back to a different Restore Point. However, if this is done in Safe Mode, a Restore Point will not be created.
Restore points are created manually by using the System Restore interface.
The Restore Point and System CheckPoint files that are created under the above conditions are stored in compressed (.cab) format and are located in the _Restore folder (also known as the "Data Store") on the drive on which Windows Millennium is installed. The Data Store cannot be moved or modified. Each fixed disk on your computer will also contain a _Restore folder for indexing and monitoring purposes and each of these folders will contain a file called Srdiskid.dat.
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Moving or switching drives remove the ability to restore.
Hope that helps.
Dave

 

Many thanks for that prompt reply. I have also noticed that restore points disappear when other new hardware is changed. I installed a USB card yesterday and find that my earliest restore point is immediately after the installation, i.e. all previous restore points have gone! So know of a way of backing up restore points and restoring them?

 

Fred
Adding new hardware unfortunatly changes the configuration significanty to remove all previous restore points. I noticed that when I added a new audio card. This problem must be by design.
What I do is use the scanreg /restore function which gives you 5 days of backups for known good start. This feature allows me to bridge the gap until restore starts to build it stores.
Let me know if you do not know how to use scanreg /restore.
Dave

 

Dave
Many thanks for that. It was what I was looking for. I didn't know that scanreg worked with ME. Hopefully I won't need it but it gives me some reassurance when switching my data drives.
Fred

 

Fred
Scanreg /restore has to accessed using a WinMe bootdisk and selecting minimal boot. As you know WinME does not allow direct access to DOS. You can create a Boot disc or download like I did from WWW.bootdisk.com
Dave

 

I've recently noticed that system restore while enabled, doesn't actually work. It appears to go through the motions and then says that it was unsuccesful and no changes have been made.
I can't remember where I was looking at the time, but somewhere on the computer I found that 280MB was the maximum that coud be given over to SR (my hard drives are about 85 -90% full). It used to work and there used to be several points available, now it only provides one very recent restore point and that doesn't work.

Help!

Thanks.

 

Hi Steve,

You do need to have enough disk space available:

Using System Restore


But also do take a look at these MS articles:

Error Message: System Restore Was Unable to Create a Restore Point

And especially Checkpoints That You Create After September 8, 2001 Do Not Restore Your Computer (Q290700) (Rog came up with this one)

Good luck,