POLL: Do you use system restore?

[BFG10K]

I leave it off but I do create a restore point before I install a new version of DirectX or Windows Media Player, in case something doesn't work out.

 

[beggerking]

its a pretty good utility..

 

[Raduque]

I used to turn it off, but I forgot to do so on my laptop, and I had a bad installer bork the system. Rolled back to the restore point that was auto-generated earlier that day, and all was well. I didn't reinstall that program. I leave it on now, and manually clear out old restore points and create new ones. I also usually create an restore point when I install something that has potential to change the system.

Those of you who use imaging tools, do you make a completely new image (maybe) spanning several DVDs whenever you install something that can change the system, or do you just reload the image and spend hours re-installing everything not in the image?

 

[Navid]

Originally posted by: Raduque
Those of you who use imaging tools, do you make a completely new image (maybe) spanning several DVDs whenever you install something that can change the system, or do you just reload the image and spend hours re-installing everything not in the image?

I have XP on my C drive. I install all my programs on D. The "My Documents" folder is also on D. So, the size of my C partition is only 4.7GB. It contains 2.5GB of used space right now. The image is only 1.3GB, which I store on my second physical hard drive.

Creating a new image takes 5 minutes. Restoring an image takes 3 minutes.

 

[ForumMaster]

i don't use it on my system, but me friends brought a laptop from his mom's work. i put a restore point, and then after we finished with it, voom right back to where it was before. i don't use it often, but it's a great tool.

 

[MichaelD]

Originally posted by: corkyg
I use it frequently. It is great for testing betas and stuff. Set a restore point before trying anything new - then if it doesn't work, do a System Restore to that point, delete the files and it doesn't exist.

It's a great tool - and there's no rational reason not to use it.

I use it for the exact same reasons. Before loading up any new game or app, I always set a new Restore Point. It has saved my butt in the past. While it's true that any spyware that infects the system would be restored along with everything else, if you have spyware on your system in the first place, you obviously need some more training in the basics before you go messing with something advanced like System Restore.

 

[n7]

I usually try not to, but it has fixed things for me a couple times.

 

[eplebnista]

No

 

[dBTelos]

No, not usually nor frequently.

 

[JustAnAverageGuy]

I have it on on all my systems.

I don't use it on my main system, but it comes in handy on the rest of my computers that I don't have under lock and key (Read: Other users)

 

[bruceb]

No ... it was on initially on my Dell, but after about 6 months or so, it Could Not Restore
to a point just prior ... system was & is clean of trouble .. so now I use Norton Ghost
from System Works Pro 2003 and do an Image every 3 or 4 months or when a Major
Change has been made ... much better

 

[savvy]

Yes.

 

[Smilin]

as is typical with such topics the people who are against system restore are rattling off a bunch of crap that either doesn't apply, or illustrates their ignorance of system restore.

It is a feature useful far beyond it's basic functionality. During my days of fixing 'dead' servers I found it most useful when the machine could only be booted to recovery console.

The only good reason for not using it:
You planned your disk allocation poorly and do not have the space for even one restore point.

bad reasons for not using it:

It will 'restore' viruses or spyware... 1) don't let them get on your machine to begin with. 2) Simply allow AV to scan your system volume information folder.

It takes up too much space... 1) tweak the space it's allowed to use, 2) Use disk cleanup to take out all but the most recent point. 3) Get out of 1991 and buy a drive bigger than 4GB already or stop such ludicrous partitioning practices

It uses resources ... Only when taking or retrieving a snapshot. If you look at your list of snapshots you're going to find most of them ran and you didn't even notice!

It doesn't work or "I use backups"... If it doesn't work you are no worse off than before. System restore is just one of many recovery options that you should be using together. Using ASR? Using system state backups? Is recovery console installed? Do you have your mass storage drivers (f6 diskette) available? When System Restore works it's beautiful and will save you hours of time spent on other recovery methods (that may accomplish the same thing).