Restore points

pokeefe0001 · 25 Apr 2016

A bit over a month ago I activated creation of system restore points on Windows 10. However, I just looked at the list restore point and am confused. There was one created when I (unsuccessfully) tried to take an image backup, 4 for when I was installing drivers and/or uninstalling programs, and one (count it - one) automatic restore point taken 2 days ago. There are none related to Windows updates even though Windows maintenance has been applied.

This prompts some questions:

What prompted the "automatic" creation of a Restore Point, and how to I configure it to happen more often?
Does Windows 10 maintenance create some other kind of backup image when maintenance is applied? If so, does that other thing have something similar the the System Restore's "Scan for effected programs" function?

Behind these questions is a deeper one: If I uninstall a Cumulative Update fix, is all the maintenance for the current build removed, or does Windows uninstall just the new maintenance that was installed when the fix was applied? If all maintenance is uninstalled then I really need to start creating more Restore Points.

dalchina · 25 Apr 2016

Hi, you've discovered Win 10's policy with system restore is significantly different. Restore points aren't created when Win updates occur.

I use disk imaging- and note that experienced people here comment that sometimes restore points don't work, and disk imaging is repeatedly strongly recommended. Some use it and don't use restore points. E.g. Macrium Reflect (free) + its boot medium + external storage.

That said, I use a scheduled task i have created which launches a script I've downloaded to create a daily restore point.

You may find this helpful:
System Restore Point shortcut - Create in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

Please feel free to browse and search the extensive Tutorial section.

I guess with the cumulative update you may be thinking of the gpedit.msc bug introduced by the last cumulative update.

I've chosen to uninstall it, but actually I can't answer your question definitively.
Of interest:
Why you should worry about Windows 10 cumulative updates | InfoWorld

joeandmarg0 · 25 Apr 2016

Give the "Belt and Braces" method a try.I use Macrium reflect Free to clone the disk every few days and System Restore when downloading and trying a new programme.So far so good.

whs · 25 Apr 2016

Free Macrium is indeed the best solution for your problem - and yes you can schedule it, very easy.

http://www.macrium.com/webtutorial/S...our_images.asp

pokeefe0001 · 25 Apr 2016

I understand the value of backups. I have, and use, Acronis True Image. But I would still rather use restore points than have to do a whole image recovery. And I still don't understand one of my restore points - one that claims to be an automatic restore point created 2 days ago. What in Windows 10 automatically creates a restore point?

whs · 25 Apr 2016

You have to know what happened 2 days ago that could have triggerd that restore point. And if you want to rely on the restore points, you will have to accept the impomderable elements of that path.

pokeefe0001 · 25 Apr 2016

whs said:

You have to know what happened 2 days ago that could have triggerd that restore point.

That is the (or at least a) puzzling point. All the other restore points are labeled with some description rather than "Automatic".

I did install Office 2013 maintenance on that day. The only way to manually control maintenance to Office 2013 is to switch between "No updates" and "Automatic updates", and "Automatic updates" does contain the word "automatic". If Office maintenance triggers creation of a restore point, the Restore Point could have been labeled "automatic" rather than, say, "Office 2013", I suppose.

Here is the list of my restore points. Most of them have somewhat reasonable names.

whs said:

And if you want to rely on the restore points, you will have to accept the impomderable elements of that path.

<sigh> There was so much less to ponder in Win7.

CountMike · 26 Apr 2016

Some programs' installation and uninstallation trigger creation of System restore points too and not necessarily label them with their name. Revo Uninstaller automatically makes a new restore point before uninstalls any program for instance.
Space taken by restore points can be adjusted to suit needs. I leave enough space for 2 - 3 points only because in that time I can always find what could have made particular problem. It works in FIFO mode so last one gets deleted when there is no more space allocated and new point is created.

Datapod · 27 Apr 2016

FWIW I use this https://www.toms-world.org/blog/restore_point_creator

I get a nice fresh restore point at noon every day. (schedule I chose)

That's in addition to regular system images. Personally I have found that a simple System Restore in the event something breaks can, at times, be preferable, faster, easier than having to restore an image.

Just my opinion. YMMV

D

whs · 27 Apr 2016

That is true if the restore point works. Half of the time they don't.