Windows

Disable The System Restore In Windows Vista

Posted by on Oct 10, 2006 | 10 Comments

The System Restore feature was introduced in Windows XP and it is also included in Windows Vista. If you have never used this feature, you may want to disable it. However, keep in mind that if you do, you will not be able to use it to recover your system.

To disable the System Restore feature:

  1. Click on the Start button.
  2. Hover over the Computer option, right click on it and then click Properties.
  3. On the left hand side, click Advanced Settings.
  4. If asked to permit the action, click on Allow.
  5. Click on the System Protection tab.
  6. Uncheck any checkboxes listed for your hard drives.
  7. Press OK.
  • http://gus.oldnewbie.info/ AsparaGus

    Point of fact – if I’m not mistaken, System Restore was introduced in ME which was my first introduction to the Windows family. I remember having sfc.exe envy because the system file checker was removed. Not even available from the CD or downloadable. I coveted 98SE and I approached XP with a degree of caution. The correction from SP1 to SP2 brought my Notebook to its knees with 512MBs so when I bought a new custom locally built system I insisted on 1GB.

    I don’t pretend to b an expert, just an old newbie with a memory. That’s how I remember it.

  • sam

    hi I wanna know why on Vista there arent system restore service on services.msc please write me if it exist whih which name maybe it has been changed of name

  • trismegistus

    ya does anyone know how to check to make sure system restore service is starting automatically instead of manually (Vista)??? Supporting a customer, and getting a “system restore service critical” error when the pc starts, and you can check to make sure the service is enabled in system properties or msconfig, but they’ve apparently renamed the restore service in Vista cuz its not “System Restore Service” anymore…

  • Immanuel Gangte

    Yes ,AsparaGus , system restore was first introduce wirh winodws ME
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_Restore

  • matt

    Personally, whenever I’ve tried to use the Restore feature, it hasn’t help any. My policy for XP is to disable it but for Vista I though I’d give it another chance. So I left it enabled only on the c:(system). Now occasionally when I noticed unsolicited HD activity, according to Resource Monitor, there is activity in the System Volume Information folder of my other drives.

  • http://codylogan.net Cody

    System restore is only useful if you don’t keep regular backups. If you backup often, it’s a bit redundant and just a waste of space on your hard drive. Good tutorial, though.

  • Bill

    My Vista Business has both Vista System Restore and Lenovo’s Rescue and Recovery. Do I need both; do they both serve the same function?

  • Restorer

    System Restore is useful even when you do make regular backups. I don’t think you’re backing up twice a day, which is the default configuration for System Restore. Note also that System Restore isn’t just for restoring the whole PC when you screw up configuration changes –you can use the Previous Versions feature to roll back individual files.

    There have been times when I just totally screwed up a file in the afternoon. Then I realized that I could just go back to the morning version by using Previous Versions. Of course, we’re told to save copies before doing something drastic, and whatever. But there are times when you forget, or when you just screw things up and don’t ralize it until after saving the file. Being able to rollback to the last 14 versions (1 week x 2 snapshots a day) is really powerful.

    No, Microsoft did not invent snapshotting. No, Apple did not invent snapshotting. This is a 20-year-old OS concept that is only recently becoming available again.

    Unfortunately, Previous Versions is not available in Basic or Home Premium. Really bad decision on Microsoft’s part.

  • colin

    In Vista the service is now called Volume Shadow copy Service, the file vssadmin.exe can be used to check it’s status from command mode, type vssadmin /? for a list of commands (the command window must be running as admin so go to start-run and type in CMD press enter)

  • Larry Miller

    System Restore was first introduced with Windows ME. It is a valuable service and most users should leave it enabled. You may never need it, but you will be very glad you have it if you do. It can make the difference between a quick fix and a lengthy and difficult troubleshooting session, or a reinstall. If disk space is an issue then this can be adjusted. This is to be preferred over disabling it.

    The performance impact of leaving it enabled is virtually nill.

    Bottom line: Unless you have a very good reason to disable it, and you fully understand the implications, leave it enabled.

    Larry Miller
    Microsoft MCSA