System Retore Off?

I keep hearing that lots of W10 users are finding that System Restore is set to OFF (By Microsoft) in their PCs.

For me that would be a disaster as I frequently have to backtrack to "when it was last OK" after some tweak or other.

We should all be creating a restore point if we run any of these pc scanning programs and allow them to "Fix" our PCs.

I suggest everyone on W10 goes to Control Panel/Recovery/configuration and make sure that you have it switched ON.

Some of the updates around, these days, leave something to be desired. If an update causes a problem you will be able to restart to a date before the update was downloaded - but only if it (Restore) is switched on! (not forgetting to turn off updates, temporarily, if one of them has killed your pc - otherwise it will just happen again.)

Re: System Retore Off?

Good tip, TedC.

Re: System Retore Off?

These days, I'm not all that likely to make mistakes that could necessitate going back to a previous Restore Point/date. All programs are installed via Revo Uninstaller Pro. This makes a tracked log of a program's installation that Revo can use to thoroughly uninstall it if needs be. Also, programs might be trialled inside a sandbox (Sandboxie) to avoid installing them on the system proper. All in all, the system isn't likely to get corrupted enough to need restoring to a previous date.

However, what can happen is that others use my computer (family or friends stay sometimes). I tend not to put restrictions on their usage of it and let them install a program or two if that's what they want to do.

This can be done knowing that if something happens to the system, it will be possible to overwrite everything with a previously made disk image. I'll then know that just everything is clean again.

It would be the same if I was unlucky enough to pick up a virus. I wouldn't be happy with using a System Restore point or running a system that hopefully had been cleaned of all vestiges of the infection. A twenty minute overwrite with a disk image is much more thorough I think.

Disk images could be thought of as a kind of ultimate System Restore I suppose. Easy enough to do and perhaps no need to have System Restore turned on as well.

Having said that, System Restore is good those who don't know about making and using disk images for putting a faulty/corrupted system to rights.

Re: System Retore Off?

Agree with most of what you say, mart.

Only point I'd argue about would be the use of a system image.

I make such images (using Control Panel/File History) from time to time as well.

These are very useful if you have plenty of hard drive space - on another Hard Drive.

I gave up using DVDs as the file is too big & runs to many DVDs.

The usefulness of the image files is (a) very good because you are put back to the point where you made it but (b) not so good if you don't have a regular routine of making new ones. Probably a good idea to keep one copy and delete old ones.

Thanks for the reminder, I'm making a new one as we speak.