suppress "install" System Restore Points

[ChrisGreaves]

I know I have a bee in my bonnet (Windows 7 Updates - DISABLE?), but I like bees; they make honey. {Optional segue into registry hives}

I’m meticulously re-installing Win7, Office2003, and a slew of utilities, and at major steps (After initial installation of Win7/Office; after customising Win7/office; after installing utilities) I make a System Restore Point.
Then I notice that the installation of “Dataram RamDisk” has created its own System Restore Point. (Please see purple-noted items in the screen snapshot)

SystemRestorePoints.png

During installation of RamDisk there was no visible switch along the lines of “Do not create a System Restore Point”.

My options seem to be:-
Option (1) Accept the fact that some applications will use up some of my precious System Restore Point Space, creating a useless island in my sea of useful System Restore Points
Option (2) Switch to alternative utilities and away from those that clutter up my System Restore Point space.
Option (3) keep a record of those offending utilities and delete the System Restore Points immediately after installing the application. This assumes that the utility is making the System Restore Point before the utility’s installation)

Is there any other reasonable regular option available to me to suppress "install" System restore Points?

I already know/believe that I can’t go back and delete intermediate restore points. This was explained to me in This Thread.
I know too that I ought to get back into making rescue disks and images on (?) DVD-R disks, but I’m still coming down off my high of resolving WiFi (A WiFiHi ?)
I note too that right now I like the “manual” System Restore Points and detest the “install” System Restore Points. I see nothing in the (Control panel) System Restore Point dialogues that provide any kind of suppression by type of install.
(signed) “calm again, but still trembling” of Toronto

[JoeP]

See How to Enable or Disable Automatic System Restore Point Creation in Windows.

Joe

[ChrisGreaves]

See How to Enable or Disable Automatic System Restore Point Creation in Windows. Joe

Thanks for the link, Joe.
I've already disabled scheduled restore points, but there seems to be no way to inhibit "install" restore points, right?

As a control freak, strictly speaking, I'd like to make only manual restore points.

[viking33]

Here are a few methods to disable auto SR.
http://www.sevenforums.com/backup-resto ... ation.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[JoeP]

I believe the only way you can disable the "install" restore points is to disable system protection completely. But then, you can't manually create restore points.

Joe

[viking33]

I believe the only way you can disable the "install" restore points is to disable system protection completely. But then, you can't manually create restore points.

Joe

I haven't tried this myself but the OP in the link says it does give him manual SR but not auto SR?

[JoeP]

The OP says he has disabled the automatic timed restore points. Those are controlled by a scheduled task. The restore points created when you install software or updates are controlled in a different manner. The only way I know to disable this type is to completely disable system protection.

Joe

[StuartR]

My advice would be to make your own full image backups using some tool other than system restore, and allow system restore to do the job it was designed for.

That way you can recover to your own backups, made at known times and fully under your control. You can also undo any unexpected issues caused by system events that are not under your control.

[PaulB]

I fully concur with you, Stuart. I have never relied on MS backup/recovery tools for the simple reason that I cannot determine (and have no control of) what data is or is not backed up and recovered. I rely on full image backups where I can recover anything from a single file to the complete system.

[ChrisGreaves]

My advice would be to make your own full image backups using some tool other than system restore, and allow system restore to do the job it was designed for.

Thanks Stuart.
I'm heading that way.
I feel that "Known benchmark/platforms" is the only way to go.
This business of pushing things off the end of the shelf with no warning is not at all secure, IMHO.

[viking33]

My advice would be to make your own full image backups using some tool other than system restore, and allow system restore to do the job it was designed for.

That way you can recover to your own backups, made at known times and fully under your control. You can also undo any unexpected issues caused by system events that are not under your control.

Agree 100%, Full disk imaging with a 3rd party program, is the best, safest way to go.