Fix Missing System Restore Points in Windows Vista and 7

There are a few reasons for this problem

If you have no restore points on your Windows Vista or 7 computer, then Windows may not be creating the restore points automatically. There are a number of different problems that can cause this.

One cause is a lack of sufficient free space on your hard drive to save the System Restore files. To remedy this problem, make sure you have at least 300 MB of free space on your hard drive (50 MB if your hard drive is smaller than 300 MB and you’re running Windows 7).

Another cause of missing restore points is a problem with the task scheduler. Before you start troubleshooting this issue, click theStartbutton, then typeServices.mscin theStart Search box. Check to make sure thatVolume Shadow Servicesis running.

RunTask Scheduler. Click theStartbutton, then typeTask Schedulerand pressEnter. Expand theTask Scheduler Library, then selectMicrosoft,WindowsandSystemRestore. In the top pane click the entry namedSR. In the bottom pane, click theHistorytab to see any System Restore tasks, warnings and errors that have been recorded.

Right click theSRfile, selectPropertiesand then click theTriggerstab. Click a trigger, then clickEdit. Change the trigger so that it creates a restore point automatically when you want it to be created. For example, you could edit the trigger set for 12:00 am daily to another time of day when the computer will be running.

Click theConditionstab. Uncheck the check box besideStart the task only if the computer is idle for. Also uncheck the box besideStart the task only if the computer is on AC power.

Another way to fix problems with missing System Restore Points is by using the System File Checker. Click theStartbutton, then typecmdin the start search box. Right-clickcmd.exeand clickRun as Administrator. Typesfc/scannowat the command prompt. Allow the System File Checker to complete the scan and repair process.

You may receive a message that Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them. If this occurs, typefindstr /c:”[SR]” %windir%logscbscbs.log >sfcdetails.txtat the command prompt and pressEnter.

Navigate to your windows/system32 folder and opensfcdetails.txtin Notepad. ClickEditandFind, then typecannot repair member fileto see the problems that the System File Checker was unable to repair.

You can also fix this problem by turning System Restore off, then turning it back on again. Learn how to disable and enable System Restore in Windows Vista andin Windows 7. Enjoy!

Founder of Help Desk Geek and managing editor. He began blogging in 2007 and quit his job in 2010 to blog full-time. He has over 15 years of industry experience in IT and holds several technical certifications.Read Aseem’s Full Bio

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Fix Missing System Restore Points in Windows Vista and 7#

Fix Missing System Restore Points in Windows Vista and 7