Can't create a System Restore backup

[Zer0_II]

I've been using Tuneup Utilities rescue center to create backups in case I need to restore. I haven't used it in a while, but when I tried to create a restore point today I got this error message.

The new restore point could not be created. The system recovery function may not be available on this system, may be disabled, or you may not have the necessary permissions.
Activate System Recovery in the tab with the same name under My Computer->Properties to create a restore point.

I am logged into the administrator account, so permissions shouldn't be a problem. I checked to see if system restore was enabled and it was. It is also enabled under services. Does anyone know what might be causing this?

 

[Zer0_II]

I don't normally double post or bump threads, but I still haven't found a solution to this problem. There are certain applications such as CCleaner and TuneUp Utilities that I would like to be able to run. However I've experienced problems in the past after using them and I had to restore. I don't want to mess anything up and not be able to restore my system to a previous point. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[djnes]

Wow, I didn't know anyone who actually left System Restore enabled. Anyhoo, I'd check to see if the TuneUp Utilities disable it, or somehow make it not function. Sounds logical, since both try to perform the same function, but I'm not familiar with the software.

 

[Zer0_II]

Wow, I didn't know anyone who actually left System Restore enabled. Anyhoo, I'd check to see if the TuneUp Utilities disable it, or somehow make it not function. Sounds logical, since both try to perform the same function, but I'm not familiar with the software.

Is there a better way to restore my system to a previous state than system restore? I'm not even sure how I would go about checking to see if TuneUp Utilities disabled it or not. I've checked the services and it is enabled. Are there any other services besides the obvious one that it depends on to run?

 

[djnes]

Is there a better way to restore my system to a previous state than system restore? I'm not even sure how I would go about checking to see if TuneUp Utilities disabled it or not. I've checked the services and it is enabled. Are there any other services besides the obvious one that it depends on to run?

You would have to read about what TuneUP Utilities does / doesn't disable. I personally use Ghost to restore my system. I've never seen System Restore actually work when a system had a problem....plus, your "good image" is still stored on the PC...meaning viruses can access it, and if your drive dies, there goes your back up too.

 

[Zer0_II]

You would have to read about what TuneUP Utilities does / doesn't disable. I personally use Ghost to restore my system. I've never seen System Restore actually work when a system had a problem....plus, your "good image" is still stored on the PC...meaning viruses can access it, and if your drive dies, there goes your back up too.

That makes sense. I never thought about viruses being able to infect restore points. I suppose that I'll check into ghost or another imaging program. Thanks for the info.

 

[S1nF1xx]

That makes sense. I never thought about viruses being able to infect restore points. I suppose that I'll check into ghost or another imaging program. Thanks for the info.

System restore is GREAT if you hose up a program and need to revert to how the system was before you updated/installed a new program. It's very useful for those situations. Otherwise it's a false sense of security.

As djnes pointed out, viruses love to nest in the restore folder. So if you get a virus you may have to blow away your restore points to remove it. Also, as djnes said it is NOT a backup utility. It is there to fix problems with the operating system, not restore the OS in event of a total system crash. If your OS partition dies, so do your restore points.

If you're going to update a critical program, it may be a good idea to turn on SR and make a restore point just in case. But in the end, as was said before, it should not be relied upon as a backup method.