Question about creation of XP automatic system restore/check points...

See Microsoft info;
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=295659

TimerInterval     recommends not to modify  , default  120  sec.
I think if Screen Saver is active & less than 3 min no Restore Point is created.

Some DWORD values in HKEY can be modified , see MS info.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore

Hi,
this is more of a suggestion to your issue
if you are particular about the time, I would disable automatic creation of restore points and schedule a task to run on a daily basis[or other frequency] to create a restore point.

the problem is the system may not always be idle at this time.

==rohini

Really appreciate the replys. What prompted my question is I recently (a little over two weeks ago) did an XP repair reinstall to restore default audio codec files (deleted per Dell support in resolving SB Audigy2 applet problems) and system restore has not created automatic system checkpoints since that time. Various program installations as well as Windows updates have been logged/noted, but, again, no system generated checkpoints. Initially my assumption was the repair reinstall may have corrupted the automatic system checkpoint creation. But yesterday while using my wife's laptop I checked and found that the last restore checkpoint occurred on March 8th and none since. Of note, there are system generated checkpoints going all the way back into December prior to one created on March 8th. Now I'm wondering if possibly a Windows update (I am current on both my desktop and my wife's laptop) or a Norton AV update may have disrupted/corrupted the automatic function. Just before posting this I turned off System Restore on both computers and then enabled it again, and checkpoints were established as is normal. The test will be if both computers do generate automatic checkpoints from here on. As an aside, I don't run screen savers on either computer. Strange......

Message Edited by VCraig on 04-23-2004 01:07 PM

VCraig,

The recommended fix for a failure of System Restore to create checkpoints is to disable the feature, reboot, then enable it again. You have done that, and I suspect the problem has been resolved.

Actually, I didn't reboot after disabling System Restore, rather, I disabled/turned off System Restore and clicked on "Apply". When I attempted to see if the restore points had been purged, I was presented with an alert notifying me System Restore was turned off and did I want to restart it (or words to that effect) which I did. Afterward I could access System Restore and saw that a system checkpoint had been established/generated. I wasn't aware/didn't occur to me that a reboot was required between turning it off and re-enabling System Restore. Just to be on the safe side - and with only the one system checkpoint registered to be concerned about - I'll repeat the process but reboot both computers before re-enabling System Restore. Thanks to all for the follow up.