Any Way to Adjust System Restore in Vista

[ATLien_0]

In Vista system restore by default uses 15% and you cant adjust it. System Restore is eating my hard drive right now its at about 7gb for system restore. Is there a way to adjust in? Registry?

[McDave]

I don't know if you can set a maximum size for your system restore. However disk cleanup has the ability to remove some of the old restore points under the "more options" tab. That should free up more disk space.

[Gesus718]

Gamestar, actually you can edit some system restore options in Vista. Fire up your registry editor and head on over to the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore

RPGlobalInterval controls when windows creates a restore point. The default is 24 hours (86400). Divide it by 2 to get two restore points every day. (43200). Multiply it by 3 to get 1 restore point every three days. (259200). And so forth and so on. I like 2 restore points every day so I went with 43200. When you right mouse click on it click modify and then click the modify decimal then enter the numbers.

To answer your question here is the registry location to increase or decrease the space used for restore purposes. Keep in mind this cannot be drive specific. It occurs for all drives!

HKLM_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore\Cfg

Click DiskPercent and change that number. To see how much space system restore is using type the following in a cmd prompt window:

Vssadmin list shadowstorage

Good luck, as always be sure to back up your registry and system before altering it.

[ATLien_0]

sweet thanks, why do you think they removed the option to adjust it?

[mattrobs]

Its 15% only. Vista will never rob you of drive space. Add more files and Vista'll remove some restore points. There's nothing to worry about.

[Kainz]

Does anyone know whereabouts these files are kept in the windows directory?

[Gesus718]

The files for windows restore are located at X:\System Volume Information where X is the drive letter. Each point has its own subfolder with a name that has a 32 character alphanumeric identifier called a GUID. You cannot change or access them even with an admin account.

The comment about 15% and windows deleting old restore points is correct. By default windows keeps restore points for no kidding... 136 years. You can change that to less time if you want to but as soon as the drive space reaches 15% it will automatically delete the oldest restore point. So its really whichever comes first. My opinion, leave it at 15% if youve got a massive hard drive. Or do the quick calculations and see if 15% of a drive is worthwhile.

Good luck.

[freak_power]

Windows PC backup is wonderful idea (works great), but it is lacking an option called incremental windows pc backup. Instead, Microsoft kept the crap called System Restore...and it ran crappy since it was introduced with Windows ME. I suggest you disable system restore, and it will free your hard drive. Get additional disk or create a new partition and do full PC backup there. It doesn't take long....

[Veedems Veteran]

I posted this here:

https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=536405

[notuptome2004]

Windows PC backup is wonderful idea (works great), but it is lacking an option called incremental windows pc backup. Instead, Microsoft kept the crap called System Restore...and it ran crappy since it was introduced with Windows ME. I suggest you disable system restore, and it will free your hard drive. Get additional disk or create a new partition and do full PC backup there. It doesn't take long....

Why don't you keep your comments of blaming Microsoft for everything to yourself Matter fact is really think you should leav this forum as all you do is Talk False Facts that you NEVER can backup with official reports, now grant you Windows Me was Crap but for you to tell the guy he should just disable system restore in vista is pure utter Bull. windows system restore when needed works damn well in vista and is far more i am mean 6 to 7 years more advanced then that of Windows Mes system restore and more advanced then that of XPs version.

now to the thread starter you can go to my computer properties and to system restore and ya can adjust it ther within windows itself without going to the registry i think it is still in the same place in vista as i haven't ran vista in a couple of weeks.