System Restore Shadow Copy Problem

rmeacham · External Since: Aug 08, 2007 Posts: 3

I have a folder under C:\Users\username\Documents\Visual Studio 2005\Projects
that contains C# code and a compiled dll that is used in a few different
applications. When I perform a system restore, the entire c# folder is
restored back to the same point as the system restore point. I was able to
use the shadow copy feature to recover changes I made. However, performing a
system restore should not affect user data (in this case my c# code). Is
there a way to tell Vista that this is a user directory and not a system
directory.

Rick Rogers · External Since: Aug 19, 2006 Posts: 3018

Hi,

As you can read here:
http://www.microsoft.com/middleeast/windowsvista/features/foreveryone/...kup.msp
the shadow copies of user data are now part of the system restore process.
To my knowledge, there is no way to single out folders and exempt them from
this process. I would consider moving the data, or even the entire user
accounts documents folder, to a different volume and ensuring that drive is
not monitored (System Protection tab of the advanced system properties).

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"rmeacham" <rmeacham.RemoveThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:390AFCE1-7C11-41F2-A860-B8B0410766F5@microsoft.com...
>I have a folder under C:\Users\username\Documents\Visual Studio
>2005\Projects
> that contains C# code and a compiled dll that is used in a few different
> applications. When I perform a system restore, the entire c# folder is
> restored back to the same point as the system restore point. I was able
> to
> use the shadow copy feature to recover changes I made. However,
> performing a
> system restore should not affect user data (in this case my c# code). Is
> there a way to tell Vista that this is a user directory and not a system
> directory.

rmeacham · External Since: Aug 08, 2007 Posts: 3

I would still think this is a bug. System restore should not replace user
data files.
"Rick Rogers" wrote:

> Hi,
>
> As you can read here:
> http://www.microsoft.com/middleeast/windowsvista/features/foreveryone/...kup.msp
> the shadow copies of user data are now part of the system restore process.
> To my knowledge, there is no way to single out folders and exempt them from
> this process. I would consider moving the data, or even the entire user
> accounts documents folder, to a different volume and ensuring that drive is
> not monitored (System Protection tab of the advanced system properties).
>
> --
> Best of Luck,
>
> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
> My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
>
> "rmeacham" <rmeacham DeleteThis @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:390AFCE1-7C11-41F2-A860-B8B0410766F5@microsoft.com...
> >I have a folder under C:\Users\username\Documents\Visual Studio
> >2005\Projects
> > that contains C# code and a compiled dll that is used in a few different
> > applications. When I perform a system restore, the entire c# folder is
> > restored back to the same point as the system restore point. I was able
> > to
> > use the shadow copy feature to recover changes I made. However,
> > performing a
> > system restore should not affect user data (in this case my c# code). Is
> > there a way to tell Vista that this is a user directory and not a system
> > directory.
>
>

Rick Rogers · External Since: Aug 19, 2006 Posts: 3018

A bug by design. It's supposed to behave this way to replace any user files
with known good copies in the event of system corruption. Something that was
actually a common complaint in XP, that System Restore did not protect user
data. My thought is that more configurability would be a nice thing to
offer.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"rmeacham" <rmeacham DeleteThis @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:F9906709-7B38-4BBA-82A7-035CBD35AED5@microsoft.com...
>I would still think this is a bug. System restore should not replace user
> data files.
> "Rick Rogers" wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> As you can read here:
>> http://www.microsoft.com/middleeast/windowsvista/features/foreveryone/...kup.msp
>> the shadow copies of user data are now part of the system restore
>> process.
>> To my knowledge, there is no way to single out folders and exempt them
>> from
>> this process. I would consider moving the data, or even the entire user
>> accounts documents folder, to a different volume and ensuring that drive
>> is
>> not monitored (System Protection tab of the advanced system properties).
>>
>> --
>> Best of Luck,
>>
>> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>> My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
>>
>> "rmeacham" <rmeacham DeleteThis @discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:390AFCE1-7C11-41F2-A860-B8B0410766F5@microsoft.com...
>> >I have a folder under C:\Users\username\Documents\Visual Studio
>> >2005\Projects
>> > that contains C# code and a compiled dll that is used in a few
>> > different
>> > applications. When I perform a system restore, the entire c# folder is
>> > restored back to the same point as the system restore point. I was
>> > able
>> > to
>> > use the shadow copy feature to recover changes I made. However,
>> > performing a
>> > system restore should not affect user data (in this case my c# code).
>> > Is
>> > there a way to tell Vista that this is a user directory and not a
>> > system
>> > directory.
>>
>>

rmeacham · External Since: Aug 08, 2007 Posts: 3

I have a different folder at the same level that contains java code. The
system restore did not reset the java code folder. In fact as far as I can
tell no other user files on my machine were reverted back to the restore
point. Only this one folder. Do you know how, if this is by design, the
system restore decides what to restore and what to ignore?

"Rick Rogers" wrote:

> A bug by design. It's supposed to behave this way to replace any user files
> with known good copies in the event of system corruption. Something that was
> actually a common complaint in XP, that System Restore did not protect user
> data. My thought is that more configurability would be a nice thing to
> offer.
>
> --
> Best of Luck,
>
> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
> My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
>
> "rmeacham" <rmeacham.DeleteThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:F9906709-7B38-4BBA-82A7-035CBD35AED5@microsoft.com...
> >I would still think this is a bug. System restore should not replace user
> > data files.
> > "Rick Rogers" wrote:
> >
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> As you can read here:
> >> http://www.microsoft.com/middleeast/windowsvista/features/foreveryone/...kup.msp
> >> the shadow copies of user data are now part of the system restore
> >> process.
> >> To my knowledge, there is no way to single out folders and exempt them
> >> from
> >> this process. I would consider moving the data, or even the entire user
> >> accounts documents folder, to a different volume and ensuring that drive
> >> is
> >> not monitored (System Protection tab of the advanced system properties).
> >>
> >> --
> >> Best of Luck,
> >>
> >> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
> >> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
> >> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
> >> My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
> >>
> >> "rmeacham" <rmeacham.DeleteThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> >> news:390AFCE1-7C11-41F2-A860-B8B0410766F5@microsoft.com...
> >> >I have a folder under C:\Users\username\Documents\Visual Studio
> >> >2005\Projects
> >> > that contains C# code and a compiled dll that is used in a few
> >> > different
> >> > applications. When I perform a system restore, the entire c# folder is
> >> > restored back to the same point as the system restore point. I was
> >> > able
> >> > to
> >> > use the shadow copy feature to recover changes I made. However,
> >> > performing a
> >> > system restore should not affect user data (in this case my c# code).
> >> > Is
> >> > there a way to tell Vista that this is a user directory and not a
> >> > system
> >> > directory.
> >>
> >>
>
>

Rick Rogers · External Since: Aug 19, 2006 Posts: 3018

Hi,

To my knowledge, it doesn't "decide" anything other than to grab the shadow
copies when a system restore is invoked. Like I said, probably the simplest
solution would be to move the user account's document folder to another,
unmonitored volume.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"rmeacham" <rmeacham.DeleteThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:DA617ED7-D042-4206-8FB6-65A9E104D316@microsoft.com...
>I have a different folder at the same level that contains java code. The
> system restore did not reset the java code folder. In fact as far as I
> can
> tell no other user files on my machine were reverted back to the restore
> point. Only this one folder. Do you know how, if this is by design, the
> system restore decides what to restore and what to ignore?
>
> "Rick Rogers" wrote:
>
>> A bug by design. It's supposed to behave this way to replace any user
>> files
>> with known good copies in the event of system corruption. Something that
>> was
>> actually a common complaint in XP, that System Restore did not protect
>> user
>> data. My thought is that more configurability would be a nice thing to
>> offer.
>>
>> --
>> Best of Luck,
>>
>> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
>> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>> My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
>>
>> "rmeacham" <rmeacham.DeleteThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:F9906709-7B38-4BBA-82A7-035CBD35AED5@microsoft.com...
>> >I would still think this is a bug. System restore should not replace
>> >user
>> > data files.
>> > "Rick Rogers" wrote:
>> >
>> >> Hi,
>> >>
>> >> As you can read here:
>> >> http://www.microsoft.com/middleeast/windowsvista/features/foreveryone/...kup.msp
>> >> the shadow copies of user data are now part of the system restore
>> >> process.
>> >> To my knowledge, there is no way to single out folders and exempt them
>> >> from
>> >> this process. I would consider moving the data, or even the entire
>> >> user
>> >> accounts documents folder, to a different volume and ensuring that
>> >> drive
>> >> is
>> >> not monitored (System Protection tab of the advanced system
>> >> properties).
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Best of Luck,
>> >>
>> >> Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
>> >> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>> >> Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
>> >> My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com
>> >>
>> >> "rmeacham" <rmeacham.DeleteThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> >> news:390AFCE1-7C11-41F2-A860-B8B0410766F5@microsoft.com...
>> >> >I have a folder under C:\Users\username\Documents\Visual Studio
>> >> >2005\Projects
>> >> > that contains C# code and a compiled dll that is used in a few
>> >> > different
>> >> > applications. When I perform a system restore, the entire c# folder
>> >> > is
>> >> > restored back to the same point as the system restore point. I was
>> >> > able
>> >> > to
>> >> > use the shadow copy feature to recover changes I made. However,
>> >> > performing a
>> >> > system restore should not affect user data (in this case my c#
>> >> > code).
>> >> > Is
>> >> > there a way to tell Vista that this is a user directory and not a
>> >> > system
>> >> > directory.
>> >>
>> >>
>>
>>