Issues with Vista Backup and System Restore

[balein]

Davey,

I have fixed my Media Center problem now and just have the issue of the system restore outstanding.

I can't get System Restore to work - it is consistently corrupting the backup files after a few days, so I have to delete them to create new ones, or if I do have a clean backup it fails to restore it, failing right at the end after it has rebooted the PC and saying it can't complete the operation, or with the error message "incompatible version of the serializing package. (0x80070724)" . I also get this message if I try to do a backup through Vista Backup. I think the issue originally arose when I was trying to do a backup and it failed.

I have Norton Antivirus 2007 installed and have found the instructions on disabling that for a system restore but it doesn't fix the problem. I have also tried to restore from Safe Mode, but it just fails to recognise that any restore points exist.

Sooner or later this is going to catch me out and I will need to do a reinstall I suspect.

Do you have any suggestions on fixing this, or If I do need to do a reinstall from scratch what is the correct procedure?

David

[Davey W]

Hi balein,

You can try running the hard drive diagnostic tool for your drive to ensure it's nothing to do with data corrupting there.

I would also look at software that has been installed that might be writing to the backup, or causing files to be change in such a way that the files are written to the backup.

On a personal level I would suggest uninstalling Norton's completely, then creating a backup, and testing the system by restoring from it.

With the TV issue, do you get the same problem if you remove the remote receiver box from the system again?

Davey

P.s. I came across this post after I had responded to an older one you put in someone else's thread here. If you could put any reply in here it for continuation it would be appreciated.

[balein]

Davey,

Thanks for the suggestions - I have run the Seatools test on both short and long test and there are no issues there. I have also uninstalled the Norton Antivirus, including a thorough registry clean, and running CHKDSK, but that didn't fix it either. At least the reinstall of NAV2007 has fixed a slight issue with a LiveUpdate file that had failed before. I have even tried running system restore from a Safe Mode Command Prompt, but the program just states that there were no backups available to be restored.

I have tried adjusting the space allocated to Shadow Copies using vssadmin and have the space set to 10GB at present, although when the issue first started it was using about 50GB.

As far as software is concerned I have Office 2003, the Cyberlink Suite, Photoshop 7, iTunes, Real Player, Clone DVD, Logitech Setpoint and 3 Games - Rise of Nations, UT2003 and Medieval Total War.

The strange thing is that the PC is running perfectly apart from the issue with System Restore. I've used the latest version of Registry Mechanic (V6.0) to clean up the mess from the various issues I've had on the way.

Do you have any other suggestions?

David

[Davey W]

Hi balein,

Do you have more than one drive/partition in the system? If so, you could try disabling System Restore on all drives, then enabling one at a time testing the function.

If the drive checks out my feeling is that it is something running in the background. I would assume (hope) if you have Norton's we can assume it isn't a virus. This would leave a utility of some sorts. Of course it could also be corruption which system restore cannot repair in itself.

Davey

[ukengineer]

System restore is has shoddy has when it was first seen in Windows ME, also when you get a virus or spyware, they dump drop files in the store files in the System Restore folder, hence getting rid of a virus is impossible unless you turn this feature off.

It could be Norton has turned it off for you, and Norton has provided its own System Restore feature.

[majfran]

It seems that System restore is corrupted because mine from new has never been able to give me a restore point which was not corrupted. How can get a restore piont older than four weeks old? It seems to delete them as fast as they are created.
Futher to the above the built in back up has also never been able to back up anything. It keeps saying that whatever I try to back is corrupted.
How can I correct these faults please?
majfran

[squib]

My System Restore hasn't worked either since the day I got my new PC on the 21 Feb 2007, I am running Vista Home Premium. I was wondering if it was a bug in the disc that Mesh use.

[balein]

I've now checked everything I can think off. I've turned off System Restore to release the disk space, run full virus scan with Norton, full Spyware check with Spyspweeper, defragged the disk with Diskeeper, run Windows Clean up, and these have all been clean with no issues reported, but haven't fixed the issues.

I've finally managed to get Java and Flash to install properly on IE7, but have had to turn off User Account Control, and so now everything is working properly on the PC. I've now stopped trying to fix the System Restore and Backup issues. I'm just doing registry backups from Regedit, and file backups from Power Backup, and if I do get a really bad corruption I accept I will have to do a full clean reinstall.

David

[DrATty]

...How can get a restore piont older than four weeks old? It seems to delete them as fast as they are created...

You can make System Restore keep checkpoints for longer by editing the registry. There are a few settings you can change in XP and they're listed here http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;295659
I'm sure there will be something similar for Vista.

[majfran]

With thanks to all who have joined in this topic. I have looked at many other sites and there seems to be a general problem here. Either the disc that Mesh uses and supplies for Recovery is corrupt or Microsoft is at fauIt. I have just done a new install and the same faults are there so theyu must have been introduced by the Recovery disc supplied by Mesh. It must be more that a coincidence that we all have the same faults.
Can DAVEY please investigate this?
How can I have corrupted files from a fresh installation before I have downloaded anything?
Regards
Mick Clements (majfran)

[Davey W]

Hi majfran,

The disc we supply is built using the kit provided by Microsoft with very little changed by ourselves.

Unfortunately the history of System Restore is very similar to that of Standby / Sleep in that it is an imperfect technology. System Restore was tested on our masters prior to mass production and found to be working correctly. This leaves little for us to investigate.

Davey

[majfran]

Hi Davey,
Are you saying to all of us that we have to accept a corrupt disc because it is obviously at fault. I cannot possibly have corrupt files on a fresh installation unless they have been introduced by the new installation, which is what the System Restore & Backup programs are telling not only me but loads of others who have spent good money on a new O/S and expect it to work.
I am sorry to adopt this attitude with you but Mesh in general do not respond. Are you the scapegoat for complaints?
Regards
majfran

[majfran]

Hi Davey,
Are you saying to all of us that we have to accept a corrupt disc because it is obviously at fault. I cannot possibly have corrupt files on a fresh installation unless they have been introduced by the new installation, which is what the System Restore & Backup programs are telling not only me but loads of others who have spent good money on a new O/S and expect it to work.
I am sorry to adopt this attitude with you but Mesh in general do not respond. Are you the scapegoat for complaints?
Regards
majfran

[Davey W]

Hi majfran,

Would you be so kind as to list the "loads of others" to which you refer? Thinking ahead you might want to provide a definition of "loads" as you proceed.

Could you also provide the evidence that establishes the disc as corrupt?

At the moment it seems like you have a problem, you see one or two others that have the same problem, you ignore or do not even research the fact that since System Restore was introduced it has had issues such as you see here, on PC's from all companies and not just Mesh, and you conclude, naturally, that the problem is and must be, due to something that we have done.

Davey

[majfran]

Hi Davey,
I am concluding 'naturally' as you put it that because I still have the same problems following a fresh installation of Vista then the problems have been introduced by the installation, hence the Disc may be at fault. If you can help me resolve this I would be very grateful.
When I said 'Loads' I feel sure that if you did a survey you would find many others with a similar problem. My research as such was based on going to other forums and noticing that System Restore cropped up quite often. I have never experienced the same problem when used with XP and assumed that it was Vista related. If I am wrong I am sorry.
Regards
majfran

[JamesR]

Hi there,

I have personally set up 4 separate box-fresh MESH Elite systems in the last few weeks. I personally opened the box and got each of the units up and running for separate clients.

Each and every system has an error when trying to use the Built-in Windows Vista Backup.

The error seems to relate to the Volume Shadow Service trying to take a snapshot of the Recovery Partition.

It does this because the Recovery Partition is marked active.
To remedy the backup issue, one needs to remove the active marker from the partition, and then repair the boot info for Vista with a Vista install disc by entering the repair mode.

I am joining this forum to try and see if MESH have a standard method for getting the built-in vista backup to work, or at least a detailed method for performing the above steps?

I have tried, as have my clients, to contact mesh by phone, email and web form to no avail.... some clients are very disappointed to say the least. (although they are happy that the hardware they have bought is well made...)

The best description of the remedial procedure I have found is here:

www[dot]microsoft-tech[dot]com/index[dot]aspx

Can someone from mesh please advise!!!

Kind regards,

James.