Restore Does Not Work

[ka6uup]

I have a Windows 7 Computer on which system restore does not work.
At first I thought I was doing something wrong but after going to Safe Mode and trying it there and searching for information on the web I came to the conclusion
it has never worked. It creates restore points but no matter what I do it will not restore to those points.
I was advised to boot and go to the repair option and do a repair but I am wary. I have tried that before and things have not gone well.
Has anyone ever run into this issue and what is the solution if any?
Thanks,
Chuck

[Boggin]

I'm not sure if a performing a sfc /scannow would find anything - I assume as you have searched the web that you may have already tried this ?

I've come across where Win 7 didn't retain its restore points but if they have never worked then I would concur and go for a factory reset after backing up your personal stuff when using a branded machine.

What was your bad experience of a previous factory reset ?

[ka6uup]

Yes, I have done a sfc /scannow.
This computer has Intel Raid drivers and other things. In the past I tried doing a repair on aanother
computer which had non-Microsoft drivers etc. and lost a lot of stuff. I was able to recover it because I had a backup
of course but it was not a pleasant experience.
I have been depending on backups instead of Restore, but it would be nice to have it working
Chuck

[Boggin]

When you say repair - was that a repair install or a factory reset ?

While Windows Update should replace drivers, it's advocated that prior to performing a repair install to back up the drivers folders.

These can be found in C:\Windows\System32 and can be dropped back into System32 after the repair if needed.

There are three such folders in my Win 7.

[Boggin]

What sort of message are you getting when the restore point fails and have you checked Event Viewer immediately after to see if it has recorded anything for the failure ?

[ka6uup]

That was the repair which is found on the same boot page as the safe mode start.
I am not knowledgeable enough to do these things with out directions.
I didn't know about having to save the driver folders and putting them back in after the repair
Is there a source that takes you through this proceedure?
Chuck

[ka6uup]

It simply says that restore has failed. And no I didn't check event viewer

[ka6uup]

I went into safe mode, and ran System Restore when it finished it said there must be a antivirus running although it was disabled.
It then referenced an"unspecified error occurred during System Restore (0x80070005)
I then went to Eent Viewer but i am not familiar with  Windows 7s Event Viewer and didn't know what to look for.
Can you help,
Chuck

[ka6uup]

I went back to Event Viewer and after looking around found an error: System Restore Event ID 8210

[Willy2]

- There are indeed circumstances in which System Restore doesn't work. But I don't know the reasons why it sometimes works and why it in other cases it doesn't work.

[Boggin]

Which antivirus program are you using ?

In Safe Mode all 3rd party programs are isolated so your antivirus program shouldn't have been loaded.

For this you can either boot up with the install disk and click on Repair your computer on the Install screen or boot up into the advanced boot options and select Repair your computer which will take you to the Recovery Environment (RE) to select System Restore.

However, before selecting System Restore should anything else be pending which could be blocking the restore operation, select Command Prompt and enter these cmds -

bcdedit |find "osdevice"

For clarity that is a Pipe symbol before find and is the uppercase of \

Then using whichever partition letter, as it may not always be c: - enter this cmd using your partition letter where I have used C:

dism.exe /image:C:\ /cleanup-image /revertpendingactions

Note the space before each /

Ignore anything about the scratch directory, but it should report the operation was successful.

Enter exit to close the cmd window and restart to effect then go back into that mode to select System Restore.

If that still fails then I think the best bet would be to go for a repair install.

If it's successful then try your restore points in normal or Safe Mode to see if they still work.

To back up your drivers folders, go Start - click on Computer and insert an USB flash drive.

Double click on Windows C: - double click on Windows then scroll down to System32 and double click on that.

You may need to use the vertical scroll bar in the left pane to see the USB drive which could be E:

Right click on each of the drivers folders in turn and drag them down to the USB drive where you'll get Copy to removable drive E: then Copy here where you will then see it copying.

Previously I had three drivers folders but on checking since a factory reset, I find I now only have two but the DriverStore one will be the largest - mine is 1.82GB.

When done, close up Drive E: - right click on the USB drive and select Eject to safely remove.

You can then proceed with the repair install.

To put them back into System32, just reverse the drag & drop procedure.

[ka6uup]

I am using Norton Security which is provided by Xfinity as well as Malwarebytes Premium.
The procedure you describe is pretty intimidating but I will do a backup and try it this weekend and see what happens.
The only question I have is regarding selecting "whichever partition." How do I determine the partition?
And exactly what is this proceedure doing:

bcdedit |find "osdevice"

For clarity that is a Pipe symbol before find and is the uppercase of \

Then using whichever partition letter, as it may not always be c: - enter this cmd using your partition letter where I have used C:

dism.exe /image:C:\ /cleanup-image /revertpendingactions

Note the space before each /

Ignore anything about the scratch directory, but it should report the operation was successful.
Thanks,
Chuck

[Boggin]

The bcdedit |find "osdevice" cmd  will show you which partition letter.

As the cmd only works in the RE Command Prompt I can't copy & paste the cmd window output to show you, but what I've described is straight forward as you will see.

The /revertpendingactions cmd will stop anything that has gotten stuck which could prevent the restore point from succeeding.

[ka6uup]

I did as you said and received an ERROR: 87 The option that is specified points to a running Windows (program)
I am not sure about that last word it might have been service.
I downloaded the DISM .log file if that helps.
Chuck

[Boggin]

Were you in the Recovery Environment Command Prompt when you got that error and if so, how did you get there ?

Through the F8 advanced options/Repair your computer or by booting up with the install disk ?

[ka6uup]

no, I was in safe mode.

[ka6uup]

After rereadsing the instructions I see I should have been in repair.
Sorry. I didn't get that the first time around.
Let me do that and see what I get.
Chuck

[Willy2]

- I would try something else first.
- System Restore uses the VSS (Volume Shadow System) sub-system in Windows (e.g. Win 7). To test whether or not VSS is working try making a backup of the registry first.
1) Run - at least - the first 5 repairs of Tweaking's Windows Repair and then also run the repair "Repair Volume Shadow Copy Service" (Repair # 18). Or simply run them all. The purpose is to repair VSS but that requires that a bunch of other things need to work as well (e.g. WMI (repair #5))
2) Open Tweaking's Registry Backup (comes with WR) and make sure you untick "Always use Fallback Method" (in the "Advanced Settings" tab). Then try to let the program (Registry Backup) make a backup. If that succeeds then the VSS system is OK.

[ka6uup]

However I did backup my registry using Tweaking com just now without any errors.
I tried System Restore from the Recovery Environment and it failed.
In looking at the options on the page I only see the option to repair from an image.
I don't have an image or a disk for this installation which was done by the store from which I bought the computer .
The only disk I have is a Dell reinstall disk.
How is this computer going to fix this particular computer?
Chuck

[ka6uup]

I see my previous message last a few sentences. I use Macrium Reflect, which uses VSS, and backed up my computer last night without any problems.

[ka6uup]

All right, I did  the 18 repairs and did a registry backup
I won't be around for the next day or so.
Thanks for your help

[Boggin]

Have you performed that dism.exe cmd from the RE Command Prompt yet ?

If that hasn't resolved the restore point problem and the Tweaking.com repair program hasn't either, then I think you are looking at a factory reset after backing up your personal stuff.

Any non-MS drivers will be reinstalled when you reinstall your programs, so don't worry about those.

I'm not sure if the Dell disk you got will be for a 64bit system.

I got a 32bit install disk with my Win 7 x64bit Toshiba laptop, so you will need to determine what that Dell install disk is for.

The Tweaking.com repair program is a bit hitty missy when you use that to create a restore point as while it says it has created one, it doesn't always physically create one.

[Boggin]

From the following article, in the advanced boot options/Repair your computer you should have either Dell Factory Tools or Dell Factory Image Restore.

https://www.dell.com/support/article/uk/en/ukdhs1/sln291879/restore-factory-reset-or-reinstall-windows-7-on-your-dell-computer?lang=en

If you don't have either then you can download the Dell OS Recovery Tool from this article using a 16GB USB flash drive.

You will need to back up your personal stuff first before performing the factory reset.

https://www.dell.com/support/article/uk/en/ukdhs1/sln299044/how-to-download-and-use-the-dell-os-recovery-image-in-microsoft-windows?lang=en

[Willy2]

- Run the program SFCfix. That is amore powerful tool than SFC /scannow

https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/sfcfix.html

[Boggin]

SFCFix.exe requires a sfc /scannow to have found corruption it is unable to repair.