Trouble:
We just received a mail for one our readers Ravi, saying: “system restore is not working”
What is System Restore?
System Restore is a component of Microsoft’s, Windows XP systems which allows the roll back of system files, registry keys, installed programs, etc., to a previous state in the event of a system failure. It is a type systemic implementation of personal computer backup.
Normally, system restore is enabled in all the windows XP system, it is disabled mostly by some viruses which make some registry changes to disable system restore.
What would happen when system restore is disabled?
1. In System Properties, System Restore tab is not present at all.
2. In Services, the System Restore service is stopped.
When you try to start the system restore service you may receive the following error:
“FOLDER IS NOT EMPTY”
Let’s see how can we resolve this trouble
Fix:
To resolve this issue, you need to rename the System Volume Information folder, and then restart your computer.
Note: To do this, you must use an account with administrator permissions, if you don’t have administrative privileges, get to know how you can promote your account with admin rights here.
You need to rename “system volume information” folder in each of your system drive like in C: ,D: ,E: etc except your CD/DVD drive, follow the steps given below with one hard disk drive at a time.
Follow the steps given below:
- Open My computer, go to Tools >> Folder options.
- Click on View tab, Under Advanced settings, Check Show hidden files and folders and Uncheck Hide protected operating system files, this will give a warning “You have chosen to display operating system files. Are you sure you want to display these” click Yes and click OK on folder options window.
- If you have problem in configuring show hidden files and folders, then read this post on how to show hidden files and folders. else skip to step 4
- Now, right click on System Volume Information folder, and select Rename and give the new name as System Volume Information2.
- Restart your computer, check if system restore now works, if still it doesn’t work skip to step 6
- Repeat steps from 2-5 on your next drive of the hard disk in reverse alphabetical order by drive letter (For Example: First F: ,then D: ,E: and so on).
We hope this helps to fix the trouble.
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Author + Admin: Rohit KhuranaSoftware Engineer by profession. I am a part time tech blogger and believe in blogging because I enjoy writing on technology. I also write about Cars and Bikes at www.carblogindia.com. You can catch me on twitter @rohit_khurana. Get in touch with me at RohitKhurana.in.
I HAD A PROBLEM WITH MY BOOTING UP. I SENT ALL THE THINGS THAT WAS GOING ON. I DID EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID TO DO AND NOW EVERYTHING IS FINE AGAIN. JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS.
Okay this program file refuses to be renamed it says “Acess Denied” So would you kindly e-mail me so i can get this fixed V___V
<___<
The only thing wrong with it , is the fact it says its being used . or it simply cant do it .
So is there another Volume information somewhere i dont know about O-o
thank you,
Michelle
Also is this from a stand point of an account with adminship or just a regular user account
This would be great if I knew where the System Volume Information folder is?
Can someone help me i tried everything still no help.
I’m having the same problem as Michelle. I’m logged in as a computer administrator though, what’s up?
Same deal as Matt, admin and no system restore window, please email me!
Hi, Need help with System Restore, tryed opening files, and still will not let me change the name! Says Access Denied
Greetings,
Using Winsows XP Home, after selecting restore point,..when I click the word, next,….the computer does nothing. Seems like a virous has my pc locked up. Any ideas? I paid 50 bucks to REGCire.com and that seemed to work for awhile but it kept MORE virous’s making my computer slower.
Hope you can help.
Thanks,
dj
< = /\
the tab is missing the account says that the user needs admin rank and the account is admin rank i did go onto the admin acount (not to be confused with the user account) and it said i needed to have admin rank and it is the computers admin account. how do i fix this problem? i need to know today because i have more work to do.
thanks keith
Keep up the great work, you folks are great. It’s not easy keeping a computer running smoothly for extended periods of time in this day and age. The world is going to HELL because of corporations (psychopaths). Good non greedy people like you guys are in short supply.
Cheer up !, we all be dead soon.
Hi Dear
I have windows 7.
some time network icon show limited & some time connected
After reinstalled XP Pro SP 2, no System Restore.
Reinstalled System Restore. Got the System Restore Service running.
But when go to System Tools, click on System Restore, Nothing Happens! The System Restore window did not open .
I got 20Gb on my C drive. Enough disk space.
Probably obvious,
But one must Turn Off System Restore
before able to change the Sys Info File.
Not tried to do a restore yet..
And be sure to LOG in as ADMIN.
Had never used before… barely recalled PW.
And helps to VIEW files in Detail.
Hi, I just got that awful Advanced Virus Remover out of my computer. I can get to my System restore, but it deleted all the points from before the infection. Any way to reverse that? Thanks.
@Tom – You cannot restore the deleted system restore points.
hello
In my office my administrator lock and i have personal log on my system so that i have access pen dirve also have access copy from pen dirve but i have promble with copy data from system to pen dirve because of i have cannot authority of this service so how can i solve my problem.
all of a sudden, our desk top is hanging when in IE 6 while traversing web sites (yea, I know, IE6; old habits die hard)
The whole system locks up, can’t get to task manager or anything; have to reboot manually. It’s a windows XP SP2. The only thing I can see remotely related to the time the system started experiencing problems is there were automatic MS updates on 12/9. Other system functionality seems to be fine (so far). I see a few other hokey things happening as well.
When I google a topic and select the hyper link, it takes me to a totally unrelated subject matter; another issue is that I tried to go to a restore point prior to 12/9, but the restore fails (error message about failure, no specifics). I did notice an error message about mcsysmon.exe, but I’m not sure it’s related. In the mean time, I’m stuck right-click copy the properties of the links to get anywhere; forget about trying to use facebook.
I have the McAfee updated to the latest available from comcast and have run regular scans – nothing found.
HELP
Trying to use System Restore to remove corrupted hal,dll files, daughter followed all instructions, but inadvertantly left HP Home Edition CD in drive…computer booted up from the CD…now all programs and files are missing !! Any way to get them back ??
@Vanette I am sorry to say, but your data seems to have been lost because your computer has been restored to the factory settings from HP installer CD.
I have never been able to use system restore with XP. I have tried on a couple of different computers but it has never ever worked. I’ve followed all of the instructions from MS and it still doesn’t work. I have Norton security installed. I’ve removed the tamper production protection and SR still won’t work. Does anyone have any ideas what the problem is?
Hi, same problem as Michelle, Matt, Andre and Bill.
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