Problem with system restore

[Zephryn]

Hi,
I have noticed that when I try to restore it shows there are no points. I noticed this before a few months ago and I quickly created one and it seemed to be fine, I am thinking now that it wasn't
.
I have just noticed that once again all the restore points seem to have disappeared again and it shows none at all. I tried to create one and it comes up saying there is 'insufficient storage'?
I have the restore settings set to allow 1.5 GB on my main drive and 1.3 GB on my partition of that drive and there is more than 1GB space available in each (though I did think that the free space available doesn't come into it as it keeps the restore space aside just for that??)

SO right now I have no restore points as they have all disappeared and it will not let me create any restore points

I am running windows 7 professional 32 bit

I hope that you can help me with this ASAP.

Many thanks in advance
Eon

 

[phil22]

Windows also reserves space for the "virtual memory" which it needs. By default this is equal to the amount of RAM that's installed. So, taking that in to account, your free space may well be below the threshold required to support System Restore.

Windows can't function without sufficient virtual memory, but it can function without Restore Points, so it has ditched the latter to make room for the former.

You need to think seriously about upgrading the hard drive to one with a higher capacity, or move your data files to a pair of external hard drives (one for backup), and/or uninstall applications you don't use.

 

[Zephryn]

How much space should I leave untouched on my OS hard drive so that I don't have this problem?
Do I need more 'virtual memory now because I have just upgraded from 1gb RAM to 4gb RAM?
It was never an issue when I ran XP.

 

[photonboy]

I don't understand your partition setup.

You said
"I have the restore settings set to allow 1.5 GB on my main drive and 1.3 GB on my partition of that drive and there is more than 1GB space available in each"

Is this a 3TB drive split into TWO partitions?

3TB drives as a main drive can cause issues. If so there may be properly with the amount of space not being recognized properly. There are also "Advanced Format" drives that need to be setup properly.

Please verify:
a) the motherboard manual
b) you are running XP 32-bit
c) your HARD DRIVE model

 

[Zephryn]

My main drive is a standard 80GB drive with 2 partitions.
The OS partition is 30GB and still has 1.1GB of free space left on it.
The other partition is 45GB and has 1 GB of free space left.
Don't know the model....came standard with my HP Compaq dx7300

I am running windows 7 32 bit NOT XP
(I had XP on it before and the system restore was working fine...maybe thats where you got confused)

I'm not sure what you mean by the motherboard manual?

I have another pc that is almost identical although has less RAM and no video card.....and the main drive is not partitioned. The system restore works fine on that one.

 

[photonboy]

Ah...
I was thinking TB (Terabytes) not GB.

80GB is too small. It's also an older drive that is slow and due to its age may even fail soon. Most of the defective hard drives I replaced where 80GB drives.

If appears you have at least one SATA connection on the motherboard.

My advice is:
1) get a SATA, 7200RPM 3.5" Hard Drive (NCIX, Newegg etc. any drive is a massive improvement so maybe a 1TB drive).

2) CLONE from the old drive to the new (if you have issues figuring this out, you can do the following:
a) Install the new hard drive and Partition it with free partition software (i.e. 150GB for Windows and remainder for second partition)

b) Run Windows 7 backup (or Acronis True Image backup)

c) RESTORE to the first partition of the new drive

d) Shut down and unhook the old drive, the boot the new drive

 

[Zephryn]

Nope not possible.....I'm a uni student so I rely on getting second hand machines and refurbishing whatever is there.

All fixed now though, was easy...i just didn't have the minimum space of 500MB on my secondary drive and so it wouldn't make restore points for any drive.

Thanks for all your help

 

[photonboy]

Nope not possible.....I'm a uni student so I rely on getting second hand machines and refurbishing whatever is there.

All fixed now though, was easy...i just didn't have the minimum space of 500MB on my secondary drive and so it wouldn't make restore points for any drive.

Thanks for all your help

Run "DISK CLEANUP" if you haven't done so.