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Re: System Restore Points Disappear

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VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote in news:a9b9lzkh59zn$.dlg@v.nguard.lh:

> Boris <nospam@invalid.com> wrote:
> 
>> Windows 11, 25H2 
>> 
>> I'm having a problem with System Restore, but this is nothing new.  I
>> just thougt I'd finally ask here.  Restore points seem to disappear
>> every once in a while.  Here's the latest. 
>> 
>> I've got plenty of disk space allocated for System Restore points. 
>> 
>> The last time I looked, April 26, I had four restore points.  The
>> latest was April 26. 
>> 
>> Today, May 2, I did an update to Firefox, but I did not like the
>> update...it erased many of my Firefox settings and bookmarks, so I
>> decided to do a System Restore to April 6, but the only Restore point
>> was yesterday, May 1, which I assume was made automatically by
>> Windows, because I didn't create this Restore point.  I restored to
>> that point, May 1, and all was well.  Firefox was back with all my
>> settings and bookmarks. 
>> 
>> Why did this happen?  Why did all my previous bookmarks disappear?  I
>> don't see a way to prevent this. 
>> 
>> Coincidentally, KBs 5083769 and 5086096 were installed on April 30. 
>> Could those KBs have wiped out my prior updates?
> 
> You allocate a fixed size reserve space for restore points.  If the
> reserve space gets used up (the next restore point won't fit), the
> oldest restore point(s) are deleted to make room.  

I had plenty of space reserved, enough that all of my restore points were 
saved, with more room for additional restore points.

> 
> Run sysdm.cpl. Select the "System Protection" tab.  Click on Configure.
> Set the Max Usage slider to how much reserve space you want.  You will
> see the current usage, and the max available per your setting.

Done this many times over the years.

> 
> Reserve points expire.  As I recall, Microsoft lowered the expiration to
> 60 days.  Even if there is plenty of reserve space left for more restore
> points, the too-old ones get auto-deleted.

None of my restore points that were removed were any near 60 days old, yet 
all of them were removed.  I suspect it was the one of the two updates I 
mentioned removed them.

> 
> Firefox bookmarks are a separate issue from Windows restore points.  If
> you save backups, maybe they include the folder for your Firefox
> profile.
> 
> Do not rely on System Restore fixing problems.  Sometimes it works.
> Sometimes it fails.  

True.  I've had it fail.  But this time, it did get me back to my Firefox 
settings.

The Firefox profile folder is data, not an
> executable program respository.  A restore point will not restore app
> data.  Its intent is NOT to restore the exact prior state of the drive.
> It is a patchwork restore.  If you want to restore the exact same state
> of a drive, save image backups (and do not use the included Windows
> Backup program, but a 3rd-party backup).  System Restore is a system
> restore (a bit flaky), not a data restore.
> 
> https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/system-restore-a5ae3ed9-07c4-
fd56-45ee-096777ecd14e
> "System Restore works by utilizing restore points, which are snapshots
> of the system's configuration and settings at a specific moment."
> 
> System files.  Not data files.  System Restore is a snapshot of system
> files, not a drive-state backup solution.

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Thread

System Restore Points Disappear Boris <nospam@invalid.com> - 2026-05-03 04:17 +0000
  Re: System Restore Points Disappear VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> - 2026-05-02 23:59 -0500
    Re: System Restore Points Disappear Boris <nospam@invalid.com> - 2026-05-04 03:15 +0000
      Re: System Restore Points Disappear "....winston" <winstonmvp@gmail.com> - 2026-05-04 01:55 -0400
        Re: System Restore Points Disappear Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2026-05-04 19:27 +0000
          Re: System Restore Points Disappear "....winston" <winstonmvp@gmail.com> - 2026-05-04 17:43 -0400
      Re: System Restore Points Disappear Paul <nospam@needed.invalid> - 2026-05-04 03:15 -0400
  Re: System Restore Points Disappear Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> - 2026-05-04 19:02 +0000
    Re: System Restore Points Disappear Boris <nospam@invalid.com> - 2026-05-04 20:27 +0000

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