I would like to report on previous suggestion about checkpoints...
checkpoints are great but they don't save completely everything, ex. software installed, services state and files created, but some exotic things aren't saved like 3rd party software settings, removal of PS modules or user settings.
However there is a solution that saves 100% everything, which is exporting the VM and them importing it back, so if anyone seeks 100% clean environment that's the best you can do!
Are you talking about System Restore checkpoints or VM snapshots? Snapshots capture everything because it's a complete machine save (in-memory & on-disk). Software testers use this ALL the time. When you snap, all subsequent changes are written to a specific change log. Rolling back to the snapshot throws away all system activity since that capture.
System Restore checkpoints try to save critical changes, but it's not a full system capture. There's a big difference.
Perhaps I'm missing the point but I do not understand why don't just make then restore system images.
Denis
This are my settings now:
My test was performed with "standard checkpoints" which failed to restore my PS environment and uninstalled modules, but I haven't yet tested with the settings from screenshot.
I've exported the VM to external disk just in case it won't work.
making a system image take more time and space I think and I don't know how could I use it to restore guest OS?
And also I had bad XP with Windows backup many times in the past.
OK. I'm using the VMware term "snapshot", which Hyper-V calls "checkpoint". And you're manually creating the checkpoint, it's visible and applying it to roll back? Either it works or it doesn't -- there is no partial data left out.
OK, I'm back with sufficient testing and can confirm that "production checkpoints" preserve system state to the full extent!
This is so cool since until now I was reinstalling VM like crazy just to get clean environment, now all that it takes is to right click and apply to previous point, awesome!
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