Windows System Restore - Useless as always!

I've always disabled System Restore because whenever I did actually need it to do a restore, it never worked unlike many people who have had good luck with it.

since it never worked for me, and it causes a little delay before installing any app since Windows tried to create a system restoration point, it was a good idea to disable that piece of crap.

Now in my Windows 10 Bloatware Free Edition, I removed System Restore completely and some people complained why am I removing such vital system components that are not really bloat in the first place so I decided to leave it in my last version of the Windows 10 Bloatware Edition.

Mind you, as we are speaking, I am not even using that Bloatware Free Edition as I am testing a few things in the stock build so I am on the stock Windows 10, nothing but a few Windows Store apps removed.

Well, yesterday, after spending many hours installing all my apps, configuring them, etc, which are a LOT!

Before installing the Antivirus, I like to create an image using Macrium Reflect and called it "Before_AV" just in case I want to try different AVs, I can go back to a clean slate in a couple of minutes.

What happened was, I installed Primo RamDisk Professional Edition and created a RAM Disk

Everything was working fine until I rebooted then got this:



My system wouldn't even boot, no safe mode, nothing....... I really didn't want to spend another day installing everything.......

So I read a few guides online and turned off the machine a couple of times the moment Windows Starts to boot, that triggered the recovery mode of Windows to kick in so I can try the System Restore.

Well, I clicked on Advanced Repair Options > System Restore, and this is what I got :



Morale of the story, Windows System Restore is no different than how crappy it was on Windows 7, 8, and now 10. Don't use that piece of junk and cause unnecessary writes to your SSD

I then plugged in my Macrium Reflect Flash Disk and restored the image which I created just before installing the AV and Primo RAM Disk Professional Edition.

Using a good imaging system like Macrium Reflect is way better and safer and more reliable than Micro$haft's offering

@Mr. Fox @Papusan @Token CDN @hmscott

 

It's been years since I had any issues with System Restore. Not that I use it much, but at least a couple of times so far this year.

I know, you're not supposed to use it or like it, it is so 2001. I'll stop using it the day it stops working, but then again I don't mind reinstalling anyway.

About all those writes, that issue is solved by editing the entry in Task Scheduler, at least in W8.1 and older.
Edit: My bad! Was thinking about Defragmentation

As for your problem that's now solved I'd have tried starting recovery from an install or repair USB drive.

 

I get what @Phoenix is trying to say, and to warn others, that there are much better tools out there, some that are free, to do the things Microsoft does in a barely useful way - a placeholder kind of app if you don't take the time to find something truely useful.

Not including Defender and Restore and anything else that MS inflicts on people without really caring enough to do it right or efficiently is a good thing

If you want those things, even though there are better alternatives - more secure ones at that - then @Phoenix has the instructions and tools he uses to make the custom build available to generate your ideal build on your own.

Duplicating MS's default install isn't really helpful, as you can get that by using MS's installer

 

What do you mean?

 

Windows 10 Creators Update Bloatware Free Edition

 

Oh, I thought you were referring to something I said, possibly that part about the Task Scheduler.

 

Macrium Reflect Installation/Usage Guide

 

You would think that instead of book form they could have printed the instructions onto a Flotation Device

 

I use Macrium as well, but I don't have enough storage space for the C: backup on my laptop.

 

1) You can set a higher compression rate in Macrium rather than the default "Medium" Compression rate

2) You can backup your image to an external USB Device

If it wasn't for Macrium Reflect, I would've still been in the Matrix right now formatting and installing my 101 apps / licenses all over again

 

1 - I know, but it's still quite big.

2 - That's what I do.

 

@SL2

My base image with a medium compression rate is only 6.14GB. That's the latest Windows 10 with the latest updates integrated. No Drivers, no software, all libraries like docs, music, pics, moved to D:

 

I'm not talking about an empty OS, obviously.

 

oh then with all my apps installed like Office 2016, the entire Adobe CC 2017 suite, and many others, its 22GB

The Steam/Origin/Ubisoft folder is on D: so my backup consists of the programs not the actual game files

 

I edited my first post above, the entry in the Task Scheduler I was talking about is for the Defragmenter, nothing else.

Have anyone of you heard about the stock setting causing more disk activity? The undocumented (I think) "-$" switch is the one that some people say you should remove from C:\Windows\system32\defrag.exe -c -h -o -$

I might as well hijack the thread now that I got your attention.

 

I heard others complain about lots of disk activity with the auto defrag/optimize turned on although I haven't bothered to disable it.

SL2 =

 

System Restore works really good when it works. The trouble is, when I really need it to, the damned thing virtually NEVER works. There are no restore points and it has always been mysteriously turned off all by itself. So, it fails me when I need it most pretty much 100% of the time.

Macrium Reflect FTW!!!

 

Yeah, I just had to.

PS. BGA CPU's for life!!!

 

Death to BGA filth. Sockets and slots forever.

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822178781

Use the promo code.

 

Thanks for the tip Mr Fox, but that thing won't fit in my laptop. I do have an empty 2260 slot tho, if I EVER come across one for a decent price.

Honestly, it's not a problem, System Restore internally, and Macrium externally, I'm all set. Since I stopped chopping WIM's I rarely get into trouble.

 

I'll wait for episode 2 when you face a catastrophic problem with your taptop so you can show me how System Restore saved the day

 

Most unlikely since I use Macrium as well...

 

Funny how that same thing just happened to me yesterday. I was trying out the Zenscreen and plugged it in without drivers and got that same BSOD boot loop. No safe mode, no startup repair, nothing. I even tried system restore and it would fail. I ended up having to reset to factory and start over. Luckily it was a test machine or else I would've been screwed.

 

Wow! what a co-incidence! Say bye bye to the useless System Restore now and use Macrium Reflect to make images every now and then

 

Do you have a USB 3.0 port? Macrium Reflect backs up images to USB just fine. You can also store drivers and program installer files there. For $99 it's crazy to pass up. I have one of those. I cut open the housing and used a USB Type C SATA adapter and it run faster over Type C that my internal 2TB drives run on an internal SATA port, LOL.

 

Be brave... be like Mr. Fox an cut **** apart to squeeze more juice out of em

 

I don't know if a few minutes with a Dremmel is brave, but it's definitely worth it. The metal lid just snaps on and I removed the internal card and opened the USB hole in the plastic with the Dremmel tool so I could connect the adapter. I think the whole thing took about 15 minutes. The plastic housing is very soft, so you could probably use a razor blade or Xacto knife if you took it slow and easy if you don't have a Dremmel tool.

 

Sometimes, a video is worth a thousand words

Please make a video of this the next time you want to perform this operation doctor

 

Yes, I do back up to a USB drive, that's what I meant with externally.
I live on another continent so I won't be buying that drive, unfortunately. I have a plenty of unused storage space though.

 

What continent do you live in brah?

 

Europah

 

Why did you choose USB Type-C for the other end? Does the Phoenix 2.0 have a Type-C port?

Gesendet von meinem ONEPLUS A3003 mit Tapatalk

 

I wouldn't worry about what people complain about what you left out. They can make their own. Plenty of tutorials out there how to make their own. I would make it slimmed down and remove all unnecessary crap and stuff that doesn't work as much as possible.

 

• (2 x USB 3.1 Type-C)