Warning: Disk Deframenters can "ruin" System Restore

Maybe using the built defragmenter would also solve the problem

msgale, I'm with you on this one.

I dumped Auslogics because it installed malware (not just PUPs) on my system. It was probably my bad for not paying more attention during the installation.

Nonetheless, I have zero tolerance for 3rd party programs that stoop to bundling malware such as Conduit, and browser hijacks.

I have had good results using Win 7's native defragmenter. I can't think of a single reason not to use it.

Here's a reference to at least one (two?) individuals who --- if correct in their analysis/assessment --- are having Restore Points disappear even when using Win7's native defragmenter:   http://www.answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-performance/windows-7-defrag-is-deleting-restore-points/7c402ac1-a4a0-4434-a890-a60a5d51f4bb

And how's this for another "goody":  Windows 7 deletes all System Restore Points upon reboot http://www.support.microsoft.com/kb/2533911

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Whether one uses Win7's native defragger... and all the more so, one of the many 3rd-party defragmenters... the point of this post is to alert users that the loss of System Restore points is a real possibility.   This is something that should NOT be happening.

Under System Protection, it shows that System Restore is ON/enabled for my C: (System) drive.   The restore configuration setting is to be able to "restore system settings and previous versions of files".   Current Usage is 0 bytes (as all restore points have been deleted).   I used to keep Max Usage at only 1% (= 4.51 GB) --- which should be sufficiently large to hold "a handful" of restore points --- but recently increased it to 2% (= 9.01 GB).

The problem is not the creation of Restore Points.   They are successfully created during the Windows Update process... and I can also MANUALLY create a restore point whenever I wish.   The problem is that something is causing a Volsnap error, after which all restore points vanish.

By the way, while I thought it was the defragger causing the problem, I just noticed that the most recent Volsnap error occurred two days AFTER my last defrag.   And as best as I can tell, it was at bootup.   Meaning the VSS/defragger may not be the problem after all.   (I have not looked into the page file fragmentation possibility).

Here's a reference to at least one (two?) individuals who --- if correct in their analysis/assessment --- are having Restore Points disappear even when using Win7's native defragmenter:  ... And how's this for another "goody":  Windows 7 deletes all System Restore Points upon reboot

Interesting links, ky.

In Win 7 Home Premium/64 bit/sp1 I have not seen this problem with the native Defrag.

I have at least about 20 restore points going back to July, and System Protection is enabled. They were created during Windows Updates, or prior to a system imaging using the Win 7 native imaging program.Throughout this time I have rebooted several times . I have Windows native defrag set to run once a week, and invariably an analysis shows 0% defrag on my C drive. I do not have Windows  Automatic Updates enabled.

All that said, I must admit I've seldom felt the need to use System Restore with Win 7, if at all. I tend to trust my weekly system image backups. But after my fiasco with Auslogics back in January,  I now always create a restore point prior to installing a new program/version, in case I need a "quick fix" for a bad installation. It's much quicker to recover from a bad installation using a Restore Point than using a System Image from an external HD (or MBAM or AdWCleaner scans, for that matter).

Thanks for bringing this defrag/System Restore conflict to the forum's attention. I will watch closely what happens to my restore points after tomorrow's "Patch Tuesday".

Joe,

I'm glad to bring this issue to the forum's attention.   Hopefully, it's rare, and no one (else) is impacted by it.   Regardless, by "publicizing" this, [more] people will be aware of it, should they ever experience it in the future.

I find it fascinating that a commonly accepted tool --- a disk defragmenter --- can have widespread distribution knowing that it can possibly wipe-out one's System Restore points.   It would be a simple enough matter for a program (such as Auslogic's) to determine the O/S on which it's being installed, and then, either to default to VSS-copy-mode if it's a Vista/Win7/8 system... or at least, prompt the user about the option/recommendation to do so.

Having used Auslogic's for years, I don't know that I looked into potential differences between its behavior on Win7 vs. XP.   In fact, the last I checked, there is no VSS-copy-mode option listed in the XP version (since VSS is not a part of XP).   If anything, one would have assumed Win7 to be a better/"smarter" system.   Go figure.  

The fact that this allegedly can happen even with the native defragmenter is unconscionable.

The fact that a page-file, under Windows control (which is recommended and the default) can become so fragmented over time that restore points can be deleted upon reboot, is mind boggling as well.

Like you, I rarely (if ever) have found the need to actually use System Restore.   In fact, one of the reasons why I intentionally set a very small percentage quota on System Restore is that I don't believe in using "ancient" restore points:  going back a day or two --- perhaps a week at most --- is one thing... but a month?  Or a year??   No way!

But even though I haven't actually used System Restore, I had always taken some comfort knowing the feature was available (just in case).   To find that it's not reliable [on my system, at least] is not a good feeling.

I agree with all you say.

"VSS is supported on Microsoft Windows XP and later. For information about run-time requirements for a particular programming element, see the Requirements section of the documentation for that element."

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb968832%28v=vs.85%29.aspx