Author Topic: Deleting arbitrary system restore points?  (Read 2721 times)

Jari

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Deleting arbitrary system restore points?
« on: 2007-11-29 20:48:21 »
Just curious; is there really no way to delete a single a System Restore point of your choice in Windows XP? Or a set of points, for that matter.

It just seems somewhat silly that nobody thought of the possibility of malware contamination. Deleting either all points by turning off the Restore entirely, or all but most recent - which will very likely contain the offending malware in any case - with Disk Cleanup Tool, are both rather back asswards methods of fixing a problem.

Otokoshi

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Re: Deleting arbitrary system restore points?
« Reply #1 on: 2007-11-29 22:34:41 »
That certainly would be a helpful and obvious tool for Windows.  The fact System Restore dates back to WinME and Microsoft still hasn't implemented this doesn't surprise me.  Restore points are saved in under x:\system volume information\_restore{558C94FD-3C7F-4954-A02D-26679E6D849E}.  Each restore point's files are saved in a folder named RPXX where XX is a two digit number corresponding to the restore point.  Could one manually delete these files and keep older restore points?  I'm not sure, as I haven't used System Restore in such a long time.

Quote from: El Ammo Bandito
back asswards

Very nice, I've heard "country folk" use the term ack basswards as well.  :-D

Jari

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Re: Deleting arbitrary system restore points?
« Reply #2 on: 2007-11-29 23:35:13 »
Restore points are saved in under x:\system volume information\_restore{558C94FD-3C7F-4954-A02D-26679E6D849E}.  Each restore point's files are saved in a folder named RPXX where XX is a two digit number corresponding to the restore point.  Could one manually delete these files and keep older restore points?  I'm not sure, as I haven't used System Restore in such a long time.

Hmmm... I'll test that, as soon as I find a system that a) has System Restore on (mine doesn't) and b) isn't so mission critical that a possible... complication with this test would mean end of the world. :)

One would certainly assume that deleting the said folder would delete the Restore Point, but I'm somewhat suspicious that in the worst case scenario it might create a some kind of catch 22-situation, of either System Restore borking, or even the whole Windoze borking.

Anyway, thanks for the tip. :)