The Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) provides two features to help the administrator save time and hassle. The first one is a snapshot (a short-term backup of all files on an NTFS volume). Thanks to a snapshot or shadow copy, users can independently restore an accidentally deleted file or correct the consequences of choosing Save instead of Save As by mistake. VSS is not intended to replace the current archiving strategy, as will be shown below. The second important feature of VSS is the archiving of files opened or locked by an application such as Microsoft SQL Server or Microsoft Exchange.
VSS creates shadow copies on a schedule or on demand. Using VSS in Windows 2003 and for Vista system restore is simple. This article shows you how to set up VSS backups in Windows 2003 and how to convert basic disks to dynamic without damaging shadow copies. As an administrator implements VSS, the recommendations in the "Five VSS Tips" box can be helpful.
How VSS works
VSS creates a snapshot of all files on an NTFS or source volume. Shadow copies are stored in an area called the shadow copy cache. The volume on which the shadow copy cache resides is called the shadow copy storage volume. The shadow copy cache is usually invisible to users because it is located in the hidden System Volume Information folder.
By default, the shadow copy cache is created on the source volume, but you can create it on a separate physical disk to improve performance and fault tolerance. Before you enable VSS, you must choose a location to store the shadow copy cache, because the cache cannot be moved later without losing the snapshots it contains. Also, be aware that disabling shadow copies on a volume removes all existing shadow copies.
VSS can only be enabled on NTFS volumes. You cannot enter or exclude specific files or folders - only "all or nothing". Data on mounted volumes is not included in the shadow copy on the parent volume. However, you can enable shadow copies on the mounted volumes themselves. Shadow copies retain both encryption and NTFS permissions, which can lead to file recovery problems.
VSS activation
To enable the VSS service, select My Computer, then right-click on the volume on which you want to enable VSS and select Properties. On the Properties page, click on the Shadow Copies tab. If you have already done so, you must decide whether you want to store the shadow copy cache on another volume on another drive.
Then select the source volume and click the Settings button. In the Settings dialog box, you can select a different volume to store the shadow copy, as shown in Figure 1. You can change the size of the storage area and the schedule (by clicking the Schedule button) if the predefined schedule does not fit. By default, snapshots are generated Monday through Friday at 7 am and noon. Snapshots should be created as needed, not every hour.
After completing the settings, click the OK button. On the Properties page, you must click the Enable button to enable shadow copies on this volume. You will be prompted to use the default schedule and settings; you must accept this offer and click on the Yes button, and then again on the OK button.
Command-line utility proponents will benefit from learning how to set up VSS using Vssadmin and Schtasks instead of a GUI. With Vssadmin, you can create, delete, and resize shadow copies, among other things. Schtasks is used to create, edit and delete assigned tasks.
Disk space requirements. When VSS is activated, 100 MB of disk space is immediately allocated, and VSS can take up to 10% of the hard disk size. Snapshots only reflect changes from the previous snapshot, so they require less storage space than you might think. However, only 64 copies can be stored in the shadow copy cache. If there is not enough disk space or the 65th snapshot is created, the oldest snapshot is deleted to make room for the new one. Due to redundancy when taking snapshots, we recommend that you enable VSS only on volumes that store user data or have the ability to archive open files.
Using Windows 2003 Shadow Copies
To enable client computers to access previous versions of files, the Previous Versions Client application that comes with Vista and Windows 2003 is required. Windows 2003 disc), and on Windows 2000 (you must download the appropriate version from the Microsoft Web site). To install the client program on users' computers, double-click the file to start the installation, or deploy it through Group Policy or Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS).
Shadow copies are designed to be used with the Common Internet File System (CIFS), an extension of the Server Message Block protocol, so you must connect through a shared folder to access previous versions of a file or folder on the server. Even after registering with the server, you must use the Universal Naming Convention (UNC) path. For example, to access older versions of a file on a server named UptownDC in the Sales share, click the Start button, select Run, and enter the command
Click on the OK button, then right-click on the desired file and select Properties. The Previous Versions tab lists the snapshots and shows the date and time they were created (see Figure 2). There are three options here: View, Copy, and Restore. In View mode, the copy of the file is opened as read-only; this is convenient for selecting the desired copy. In Restore mode, the document, its NTFS permissions, and encryption settings are restored to their original location, and the current version is overwritten. A safer option is Copy, which copies the file to a new location.
If you want to recover a deleted file, obviously you can't right-click on a file in a shared folder and select its properties. In this case, you must go to the folder level. Instead of the UNC path UptowndcSales, the connection is made to the administrative share of the C drive (which hosts the Sales folder): UptowndcC$. Right-click on the Sales folder, select Properties, and click the appropriate button to view, copy, or restore the entire contents of the folder. If you only need one file, copy the folder to a new location, then right-click on the file and work with previous versions of that file.
Vista and Shadow Copies
Vista is the first desktop operating system with built-in shadow copy functionality. Vista shadow copies are part of the System Restore mechanism; they are called restore points. By default, restore points are enabled for volume C, and shadow copies of files are created daily if the volume has at least 300 MB of free space.
The SR prescheduled task creates restore points and only activates if the computer has been inactive for at least 10 minutes and is on AC power. If for some reason the SR task is not started at the scheduled time, it will be executed as soon as possible. You can assign recovery points to other volumes as well. Vista allocates up to 15% of hard drive space to store restore points.
To set up and manage restore points, click Start, then right-click Computer and select Properties. In the Tasks menu, go to the System protection item. Access to System protection requires administrative privileges, so click the Continue button when prompted by UAC.
On the System Protection tab of the System Properties page (Figure 3), you can manually create a one-time restore point: select the volume and click Create, name the restore point, and click Create again. The process may take several minutes, depending on the size of the volume, but upon completion, a success confirmation is issued. If the creation of recovery points for a volume is automated, Vista creates a new recovery point for the volume every day and at system startup.
Accessing previous versions of files and folders in Vista is the same as accessing through a Windows 2003 file share from a client with the Previous Versions Client installed. But Vista users can access past versions of files and folders locally. Simply open Windows Explorer, right-click the file or folder, select Properties, and then click the Previous Versions tab (Figure 4). The options are the same as previous versions of the Previous Versions Client and function in the same way.
VSS and SANs
Another important benefit of VSS in Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition and Datacenter Edition is the ability to quickly and easily copy and move data across SANs. VSS can create a volume shadow copy of several terabytes that can be exported from the SAN and imported to the server in just a few minutes, moving large amounts of data very quickly. Each storage manufacturer implements this feature differently, so please contact the vendor for details.
Configuring VSS
For volumes with VSS, a cluster size of at least 16 KB is recommended. VSS records are converted to 16 KB files in blocks. On volumes between 2TB and 4TB, the default cluster size is 4K. But for clusters smaller than 16 KB, the VSS provider cannot determine if the file has been defragmented or modified. Therefore, VSS treats a defragmented file in the same way as a modified one - it generates a new shadow copy of the file. After defragmenting a disk with small clusters, the shadow copy cache can grow very quickly and overwrite existing shadow copies. For more information about this, see the Microsoft article "Shadow copies may be lost when you defragment a volume" at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/312067.
You can use the Fsutil command to find out the cluster size of a volume. For example, to find out the cluster size of volume C, enter the command
fsutil fsinfo ntfsinfo C:
If the cluster size is less than 16 KB and you need to increase it, you must back up your data, reformat the volume with a larger cluster size, and then restore the data. Note that NTFS file compression only works on 4K clusters, so you have to choose between compression and VSS.
Interaction between NTBackup and VSS
In the past, a file that was opened or locked by a service or application during a backup would not be backed up, causing problems if administrators needed to restore it. Data consistency is extremely important when working with applications that open many files at the same time, such as databases. If many files are open during backup, there is a good chance that changes have occurred in the last file in the time between copying the first and the last file. In this case, the data in the restored database is inconsistent.
The Windows 2003 backup utility, NTBackup, uses VSS to ensure that backups are complete and consistent. The VSS interacts with the writer component of the application associated with the file. The write component secures the application data and provides information such as the location of the data and methods for archiving and restoring. Applications without a writer component cannot interact with VSS. In the worst case, an administrator may try to restore an important file and find that it is not there at all: it was never backed up because the application cannot communicate with VSS. Windows 2003 has write components for AD and NTFS. To find all available recording components on the server, you need to enter the command
vssadmin list writers
When running NTBackup on Windows 2003, the utility requires you to enter a list of all writer components known to VSS. VSS not only enumerates the writers, but provides all known metadata about them, including the backup and restore methods used by the writer. VSS uses metadata to determine which applications support shadow copies. When NTBackup sends a request to VSS to create a shadow copy, VSS sends a message to the known writers to freeze all data writes, create the shadow copy, and store it in a delta file. The delta file tracks changes since the last shadow copy was created. The backup is performed using data from the delta file.
Monitoring the functioning of VSS
Monitoring shadow copies using Performance Monitor in Windows 2003 can help prevent potential problems before they affect users. For example, Performance Monitor warns you that the disk space used for shadow copies is approaching the maximum allowable amount. By default, the performance monitor does not contain objects or counters that monitor the characteristics of shadow copies, but the administrator can enter them himself. For instructions on creating counters, see the Microsoft article "Add counters to System Monitor" at http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserve...3.mspx?mfr=true.
Using the Volperf utility (with the /install switch) from the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit, you can add shadow copy objects and the following counters to the system monitor:
% Disk Used by Diff Area File: percentage of disk space used by all difference files on the volume;
Allocated Space (MB): Memory space (MB) allocated to a particular volume;
Maximum Space (MB): The maximum space (MB) allocated for the shadow copy storage volume;
Nb of Diff Area Files: number of difference files;
Nb of Shadow Copies: number of shadow copies in the shadow copy cache;
Size of Diff Area Files: total size of difference files for the selected volume;
Used Space (MB): The amount of space (MB) used in the shadow copy storage volume
Convert Basic Disk to Dynamic and VSS
Sometimes it is useful to add an extra hardware layer of fault tolerance by creating a mirror set. Mirrored sets can only be built on dynamic disks, so the underlying disk must be converted to dynamic. The documentation states that converting disks from basic to dynamic does not result in data loss. However, the documentation does not say anything about the fact that if the conversion is incorrect, existing shadow copies can be deleted. If the source volume and the shadow copy cache are on different volumes, the conversion can be difficult. For more information about the differences between basic and dynamic disks, see "Disks for Windows Servers - Basic or Dynamic Type" published in Windows IT Pro/RE #1, 2003.
The choice of procedure for converting a VSS-compliant basic disk to dynamic depends on the location of the shadow copy cache on the boot volume.
Scenario 1- The shadow copy cache is not located on the boot volume. If the shadow copy cache is not on the boot volume, then you must first unmount the source volume (the volume that was snapshotted to) using the Mountvol command-line utility with the /P option (/P unmounts the volume). Then you must convert the volume containing the shadow copy cache to a dynamic volume. From this moment, the countdown begins: the administrator has only 20 minutes to mount the source volume using the Mountvol utility or the Disk Management snap-in in the MMC. If the source volume is not mounted within 20 minutes, all shadow copies will be lost. Finally, bring the source volume online and convert it to a dynamic volume.
Scenario 2- the shadow copy cache is located on the boot volume. If the shadow copy cache is on a boot volume, it is easy enough to convert the volume containing the shadow copy cache to dynamic. It is not necessary to dismantle it first. Then restart the server twice and convert the source volume to a dynamic volume.
Beneficial for the end user - beneficial for the administrator
It's nice that Microsoft is releasing new tools to restore the health of the desktop operating system for both IT professionals and end users. The fewer backup tapes an administrator has to load, the easier it is to work, and Vista restore points are a step in the right direction. In addition, thanks to VSS, users have the opportunity to manage the file recovery process. But careful planning and management is essential to fully realizing the benefits of VSS.
Five tips for VSS
When implementing VSS or preparing Vista recovery points, we recommend that you do the following:
1...Before activating VSS restore points, select a storage location for shadow copies. Remember that you cannot move them later.
2... Placing VSS on the system or boot volume is not a good idea. Operating system files change frequently, so the number of shadow copies on a boot volume is usually large.
3... The optimal cluster size for VSS is 16 KB.
4...Storing the shadow copy cache on a physical disk other than the source disk improves performance and fault tolerance.
5...Neither VSS nor restore points can replace a complete backup solution.
The usefulness of shadow copies, and in particular the Previous Versions feature, largely depends on how often data is backed up in the system. Shadow copies are created on a schedule: every day at midnight (but only when the computer is on and not in use) and 30 minutes after Windows starts.
However, certain conditions must be met. Firstly, the process starts only after 10 minutes of computer idle time; while you are working, archiving is not performed. Secondly, to conserve battery power, laptops only archive when connected to AC power (that is, files will not be archived while you are sitting in a cafe). Finally, in the event of a failure, the system does not retry archiving until the next scheduled time. If you're serious about using the Previous Versions feature, you'll probably want to set up a more robust schedule.
Start by launching the Task Scheduler (taskschd.msc). Expand the Task Scheduler Library\Microsoft\Windows\SystemRestore branch in the left pane. Right-click SR in the middle pane, select Properties from the context menu, and select the History tab to check how often Windows creates shadow copies of data.
To change the schedule, go to the Triggers tab. If you have not changed anything yet, then there are two entries in the list: Daily (Daily) and At startup (At startup). Highlight the trigger and click Edit.
In one volume (each volume has its own drive letter), you can create no more than 64 shadow copies, so if it suddenly seems reasonable to you to create backups every hour, do not rush to change the settings. With such a schedule, copies older than two days and sixteen hours will be instantly deleted, and regardless of the disk space limits set in the Toolbar, which were mentioned a little higher.
When you have finished configuring the schedule in the Edit Trigger window, make sure the Enabled checkbox is checked and click OK.
Now go to the Conditions tab. If your computer is rarely idle, clear the Start the task only if the computer is idle for check box. Otherwise, the creation of shadow copies can be delayed indefinitely. However, if the performance of your computer is more important to you, then it is better to leave this option enabled. Similarly, if you often disconnect your laptop from the network, then uncheck the Start the task only if the computer is on AC power check box. On the other hand, when this setting is enabled, battery power is saved.
Finally, go to the Settings tab and make sure the Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed check box is checked. Click OK to save changes.
A more reliable, but less automated, way to back up previous versions of files is described in the sidebar "Backing Up Instantly," and in the next section, we'll talk about full system backups and protecting against accidental errors.
INSTANT ARCHIVATION
The archiving process takes a long time. Moreover, even if you create a backup every day, data loss is still possible - imagine that you missed a key, the power went out, or the application crashed. Since archiving is almost indistinguishable from a simple copy, why not have a quick and simple backup several times a day when dealing with especially important data? You don't need any special software or hardware, and what's even better, the process only takes a few seconds.
Solution 1: simple copy
If you spent several hours editing a document and don't want to lose your changes, then make a duplicate of the file: open the document folder, right-click on the document and drag it to another part of the same window. In the context menu that opens, select the Copy (Copy Nege) command. The latest document backup is now in the same folder! Of course, the copy can be placed on a USB drive, on an archive server, or on another computer on the local network.
Solution 2: Simple Zip File
To quickly back up an entire folder, right-click on it and select Send To from the context menu, then Compressed (zipped) Folder. In a few seconds, you will receive a new .zip file containing compressed versions of all the data in your folder. Restoring files is very simple: double-click the zip file and drag the files you need back to the original folder. Read more about this ubiquitous format in the Archiving section.
Solution 3: Previous Versions
Right-click on the document, select the Properties command, and go to the Previous Versions tab in the window that opens to check the automatically created backup copies of this file. Click Copy (Copy) so that when restoring the backup, the newest version of the file is not lost. In Windows, automatic backup is performed on a schedule, if it is enabled at all, so there is no guarantee that the restored copy will be fresh. But the fact that archiving is automatic already means a lot. For more information about previous versions, see "Back to the Past - Using Restore Points and Shadow Copies".
Solution 4: Add-ons
If you don't hate add-ons, then you should like Microsoft's SyncToy. Version 2.1 or later can be downloaded from http://www.microsoft. com/downloads/. In short, SyncToy is designed to synchronize two or more folders; it makes sure that the content in them remains identical. However, this add-in can also be used for online backup of the contents of a folder. (Tip: For extra protection, create a second folder on a network or USB drive.) Think of SyncToy as a RAID 1 array of individual folders; For more information, see the "Protecting Data with a RAID Array" section. A similar utility called Second Copy (which you can download for free from http://www.secondcopy.com/) has an even wider range of features.
If you accidentally delete a file or folder past the recycle bin, don't panic. Data recovery programs will not go anywhere from you, so try the system tools first. In Windows, you can restore previous versions of files and folders, even if this option is not available in the GUI.
In Windows 8, there is one less tab in the properties of drives, folders and files. Please note that previous versions are gone.
This is only observed on the client operating system, ie. in Windows Server 2012, the tab remains. In Windows 10, the tab is back, but... you should read the article :)
The article has been updated in the context of Windows 10.
Today on the program
Previous versions in Windows 10
The article was written in the days of Windows 8, and in Windows 10 the "Previous Versions" tab is back in the folder properties. However, the material is relevant for Windows 10 because it demonstrates how to restore files directly from shadow copies.
In Windows 10, the tab says that previous versions are generated from file history and shadow copies. To begin with, you need to take into account that in Windows 10 system protection is disabled by default, therefore, with standard settings, previous versions are only available from the file history, if it is enabled, of course.
Moreover, my experiment in Windows 10 version 1511 (and later in 1709) showed that only versions from the file history are displayed on the tab, even if system protection is enabled!
On this picture:
- OS screenshot folder properties. Latest version dated February 27th. This is probably the date of the last copy to the file history, which does not work for me now (the disk is physically disconnected)
- The last shadow copy of May 11 (appeared when creating a restore point before installing WU updates), I create a symbolic link to step 3
- The contents of the shadow copy. It can be seen that it contains files created shortly before the appearance of the May 11 shadow copy. However, they are missing in paragraph 1
Thus, you have the best chance of restoring previous versions if the file history is enabled. The versions are then available on a tab in the folder options or in the file history interface. Otherwise, system protection must be enabled, and if necessary, you will have to get to shadow copies using the methods described below in the article.
How previous versions work, and why the tab was removed in Windows 8
This picture in the properties of files and folders is only a consequence of the fact that in the protection settings of the Windows 8 system there is now no option to restore files.
I must say right away that the absence of an entry point in the graphical interface does not mean the absence of technology in the system. Previous versions of files are still available! Therefore, everything said below is fully applicable to Windows 8, and the description of the technology applies to Windows 7 as well.
Why was the file protection option and the previous versions tab removed? I don't have a definitive answer, but there are educated guesses that I'll share with you, along with explaining how previous versions work.
On many systems this tab was always empty
This caused thousands of people to puzzle community forums and Microsoft support with a sore point. But you already guessed what their problem was, right? These people had their system protection completely disabled!
People did not understand the principle of storing and displaying previous versions
Indeed, why are there several versions for some folders, and none for others? The fact is that different revisions of files in these folders could only be created not earlier than the oldest restore point.
Agree, when looking at the tab, it is not entirely obvious that saving versions of personal documents and media files is tied to creating restore points (although this is described in Windows help, albeit not without flaws).
It is customary to think of points as a means of rolling back system settings, especially since personal files are not restored (with the exception of these types of files).
Meanwhile, restore points and previous versions of files (not related to file history) are stored in one place - volume shadow copies.
The System Restore mechanism simply takes a snapshot of the volume at the right time and stores it in a shadow copy. It is the space allocated for shadow copies that you control in the system protection settings.
Now it becomes clear why the number of versions for files and folders can vary. The state of the file is recorded at the time the restore point was created. If it has changed between points, its version is stored in the shadow copy. If the file remained unchanged during the period covered by the restore points, it will not have previous versions at all.
Windows 8 introduces File History
When the principle of applying technology is understood, it can be used to benefit. In Windows 7, this was not clear to most people, so Windows 8 introduced a more visual data backup system - file history.
It does not rely on shadow copies, and you can control the number of file versions by setting the backup frequency. It all depends on your needs and the space on the target disk.
The tab for access to "incomprehensible" previous versions in Windows 8 was simply removed, along with the accompanying option in the system protection settings. As for IT professionals, they should be well acquainted with the concept of shadow copies - after all, in server operating systems, there is a tab of the same name in the volume properties to manage them. Therefore, in Windows Server 2012, the Previous Versions tab is in its usual place.
In Windows 8+, restore points are created according to a special algorithm, and with them previous versions of your files and folders are saved. Next, I will tell you how to open them.
How to open previous versions of files and folders from shadow copies
Below are two methods that will work if you have system protection enabled. The first one is suitable for all supported Windows and will be useful if you don't have file history enabled. The second method only makes sense in Windows 8/8.1, taking into account the remark about Windows 10 at the beginning of the article.
Method 1 - Symbolic Link to Shadow Copies (Windows 7 and later)
Regular blog readers have already seen this trick in the Refresh Your PC article. It also uses shadow copies to staging the disk when you create your rollback image.
Then I needed this focus to understand the technology, but now you may need it to solve a very specific problem. From a command prompt running as administrator, run:
Vssadmin list shadows
You will see a list of shadow copies on all volumes. For each of them, a drive letter is indicated, so it will be easy for you to navigate. In addition, each shadow copy corresponds by date to one of the restore points (to list them, run in the console rstrui).
Select the desired date and copy the volume ID of the shadow copy. Now use it in the second command (don't forget to add the backslash at the end):
Mklink /d %SystemDrive%\shadow \\?\GLOBALROOT\Device\HarddiskVolumeShadowCopy2\
You already have a symbolic link at the root of your system drive shadow, leading to the shadow copy! By clicking on the link, you will see the familiar structure of files and folders - these are their previous versions.
Method 2 - Login to a shared drive over the network (Windows 8 and 8.1)
Added on 01/15/2013 . In the comments, reader Aleksey shared an easier way to access shadow copies compared to what was originally described in the article. At first, the method worked, but later Microsoft closed the loophole with some of the updates. However, Nick's reader ended up suggesting a workaround.
First you need to make the disk shared, and then go into it "over the network." In the "This PC" window, open "Network" and go to your PC, or under an administrator account, paste the network path into the address bar of File Explorer or into the "Run" window:
\\%computername%\C$
where C is the desired drive letter. In network folders, the "Previous Versions" tab is present:
Since I've resorted to extracting data from shadow copies several times, I'm a bit sorry for the loss in the GUI. After all, the “Previous Versions” tab was convenient because it immediately allowed you to get to the files you need.
However, I did not use this feature so often that entering two commands into the console gave me terrible inconvenience. After all, the main thing is the presence of previous versions of the files, and I can get to them! Now you can too ;)
Have you ever restored previous versions of files from shadow copies? Tell us in the comments why the need arose and whether everything was restored.
I still think that most readers have never used this feature on home systems, and therefore its disappearance from the graphical interface will not upset them too much. In the next post, we will talk about why various Windows features are disappearing or undergoing changes, and how you can influence the situation.
It is not always necessary to install additional third-party programs in Windows 7 in order to recover deleted or overwritten data. Seven allows you to do this by your own means. If you inadvertently deleted or overwritten files, suppose Microsoft Office documents or family photos and want to restore them or return them to their original state, then do not rush to install special software for this procedure.
Windows 7 data recovery is possible by means of the system itself, for this, Microsoft developers have added a convenient and easy-to-use tool to this version of the operating system - shadow copies (Volume Shadow Copy Service, abbreviated as VVS). With the help of shadow copies, you can quickly, with just a couple of mouse clicks, reanimate deleted or overwritten files stored on your computer's hard drive.
Do not confuse shadow copies with a full backup of Windows 7. This tool does not replace a full backup, but only stores duplicates of those files that have been modified or deleted. In the "seven" this tool works on the principle of restore points. All of you probably know about these points, with which you can roll back the system to a certain point. So, the VVS function creates shadow copies of data, for example, before updating the OS. This is a very handy Windows 7 data recovery tool, but only if you accidentally deleted and overwritten files. Volume Shadow Copy Service can restore up to sixty-four previous copies of each deleted or modified file.
Restoring Files Using Windows 7 Shadow Copies
To start restoring files from shadow copies, follow these steps: Right-click on the desired file or directory containing the recovery data. Then, in the context menu that opens, select the “Properties” item, then go to the “Previous Versions” tab. If there are shadow copies for the file or folder in the system, you will see a list of them. Unfortunately, we could not find shadow copies of files in our system, since it is practically fresh, that is, a site installed specifically for the site.
To restore a file from the desired copy, simply double-click on it with the left mouse button, and it will be restored.
It is worth noting that the user can customize this tool. For example, you can define where shadow copies of files are stored on the hard disk. In addition, by pressing the “Win + Pause” key combination and going to the “System Protection” section, you can tell Windows 7 to protect disks or hard disk partitions and determine for each of them the amount of memory that the OS can use for this.
This article will discuss the built-in ability to restore the operating system of the Windows family. It is not uncommon that after installing some program or game, the system stops starting, or does not work correctly. In this case, Windows provides recovery by returning to the previous state.
System restore is a component of the Windows operating system designed to restore the operating system by rolling back system files, registry keys, installed programs.
The Windows Optimization Myth
Most users believe that opting out of System Restore saves system resources such as RAM and hard drive space. Alas, this belief was true until progress reached its current scale, for example, the Windows 7 operating system will no longer notice much difference "before and after" disabling the services responsible for recovery. It's all about the amount of RAM and hard drives used.
- A system restore checkpoint is data that stores information about the state, all settings of the operating system, as well as programs installed on it. A point-in-time restore point is created.
In Windows 7, restore points are created automatically: - according to a schedule; - when installing compatible applications and drivers; - when installing Windows Update updates; - when restoring the system to one of the previous points. You can also create a restore point manually at any time.
Note ! The amount of disk space allocated to Volume Shadow Copy Service and Recovery Point Storage depends on the capacity of the hard disk partition.
- Volume Shadow Copy is a Windows operating system service that allows you to copy system and locked files that you are currently working with. This service tracks changes across the entire hard disk partition.
The Volume Shadow Copy Service keeps 3 percent of the hard drive partition if it is less than 64 GB and 5 percent or 10 GB if it is over 64 GB. When the disk space allocated for the Volume Shadow Copy Service runs out, the old points are removed and replaced with new ones.
You can go to the system protection settings by right-clicking on the "Computer" icon on the desktop and selecting "Properties" and "System Protection" in sequence.
In the window that opens, you can configure the protection of previous versions of files together with system settings or separately, the disk space allocated for storing recovery points, or delete recovery points.
Note ! Even if you deleted a file in the trash and then emptied it, you have a good chance of recovering it by returning to the previous state of the computer. And all this thanks to the volume shadow copy service.
Note! Windows 7 has the ability to control the space allocated for system protection, that is, you can set the maximum amount of disk space for shadow copy storage. Which significantly increases your chances of system recovery.
System Restore can be started in several ways:
- In the Start menu, open the All Programs list. After that, you need to open the "Standard" folder, and then open the "System" folder, execute the "System Restore" command
- In the "Backup and Restore" section of the control panel, click "Restore system settings";
- Open Control Panel - System - System Protection and click the "System Restore" button.
In the System Restore window, you can return to the last created restore point or select any of the available ones. Here you can also find out which programs will be affected by changes during recovery. To do this, select a restore point and click the "Search for affected programs" button. - In addition, System Restore can be run from the Windows RE (Recovery Environment) environment, which is created automatically during the installation of Windows 7 and provides the following features: - Automatic Startup Repair fixes problems that prevent Windows 7 from starting. files are damaged or overwritten by the loader of another operating system; - System Restore allows you to return to a point created before the problem occurred. Sometimes this tool also allows you to restore the system startup; System Image Restore is a wizard that guides you through the steps of restoring a system from a pre-imaged image created by Windows Backup; - Windows Memory Diagnostic checks RAM for errors. As a rule, a visible manifestation of errors in RAM is a blue screen (BSOD).
- To start the Windows Recovery Environment after turning on the computer, press the F8 key to enter the menu of additional options for booting the operating system. By selecting the menu item "Troubleshoot your computer", we launch the recovery environment, where the first thing we will be asked to choose a keyboard layout. Select the language in which the administrator password is set. After entering the password, we get into a window with recovery options, where we are interested in the second item "System Restore".
- You can also boot into the recovery environment from the Windows 7 installation disc or the system recovery disc, which you will need to create first.
- In addition to the above options for accessing recovery functions, there are a number of other options. One of which is the CCleaner program from Piriform developers. After installing this universal optimization and system tuning tool, go to the "Service" section in which you will find the "System Restore" item. This area will display the latest restore points. The table will show the name of the point, as well as the date and time. Depending on the version of the program, the event at which the point was created is also possible.
Instead of an afterword
As you can see, the standard operating system recovery tools are a good option for constantly monitoring the safety of data. Also, this service is the key to stable operation. Windows should not refuse this feature.
