System Restore is a fake computer analysis and optimization programfrom the FakeHDD family of rogues. This rogue displays false alerts that are designed to make you think that your computer has hard disk problems that have lead to corrupt and missing data. It displays these alerts in order to scare you into purchasing the program so that you can fix these issues. In reality, though, there is nothing wrong with your hardware or data, so these error messages should be ignored. System Restore is installed through hacked sites that exploit vulnerabilities in software that may be installed on your computer or through fake online scanner pages. Once installed, System Restore will displayfalse error messages and security warnings on the infected computer. These messageswill state that there is something wrong with your computer's hard drive andthen suggests that you download and install a program that can fix the problem.When you click on of these alerts, System Restore will automatically be started.
System Restore will be configured to start automatically when youlogin to Windows. Once started, it will display numerous error messages whenyou attempt to launch programs or delete files. System Restore will then prompt youto scan your computer, which will then find a variety of errors that it statesit cannot fix until you purchase the program. It will then prompt you to repair your PC, where it will pretend to fix fake problems on your computer and state that it was unable to repair some of them in order to make you feel there is a problem with your computer.
If you are infected with System Restore it is important that you do not delete any files from your Temp folder or use any temp file cleaners. This is because when this infection is installed it will delete shortcuts found in various locations and store backups of them in the %Temp%smtmp folder. It does this so that you when try to launch a program from your start menu, none of your shortcuts will appear and thus making you think that your computer has a serious problem. Therefore, you do not want to delete any of the files in your Temp folder as it will remove the backups that we will use later in the guide to restore your Windows Start Menu. For a list of folders that shortcuts are deleted and the corresponding directories where they are stored, please see this topic: Unhide.exe - A introduction as to what this program does.
To further make it seem like your computer is not operating correctly, System Restore will also make it so that certain folders on your computer displayno contents. When opening these folders, such as C:WindowsSystem32 or variousdrive letters, instead of seeing the normal list of files it will instead displaya different folder's contents or make it appear as if the folder is empty. Thisis done to make it seem like there is corruption on your hard drive that iscausing your files to not be displayed. It does this by adding the +H, or hidden,attribute to all of your files, which causes your files to become hidden. Itwill then change your Windows settings so that you cannot view hidden and systemfiles. Once the rogue's processes are terminated you can enable the settingto view hidden files, and thus be able to see your files and folders again,by following the instructions in this tutorial:
System Restore also attempts to make it so you cannot run any programs onyour computer. If you attempt to launch a program it may terminate it and statethat the program or hard drive is corrupted. It does this to protect itselffrom anti-virus programs you may attempt to run and to make your computer unusableso that you will be further tempted to purchase the rogue. The messages thatwill randomly be displayed are:
Windows - Delayed Write Failed
Failed to save all the components for the file System3200004823. The file is corrupted or unreadable. This error may be caused by a PC hardware problem.
Windows detected a hard disk problem
A potential disk failure may cause loss of files, applications and documents stored on the hard disk. Please try not to use this computer until the hard disk is fixed or replaced.
Windows detected a hard disk problem
A potential disk failure may cause loss of files, applications and documents store on the hard disk. It's highly recommended to scan and solve HDD problems before continue using this PC.
Hard Drive Failure
The system has detected a problem with one or more installed IDE / SATA harddisks. It is recommended that you restart the system. System Error An error occurred while reading system files. Run a system diagnostic utilityto check your hard disk drive for errors. Critical Error Hard drive critical error. Run a system diagnostic utility to check your harddisk drive for errors. Windows can't find hard disk space. Hard drive error.
Critical Error
Hard drive clusters are partly damaged. Segment load failure.
After you close this alert you will be presented with another alert that pretendsto be for a program that will attempt to fix your hard drive.
Fix Disk
System Restore Diagnostics will scan the system to identify performance problems. Start or Cancel
If you press the Start button, it will pretend to scan your computer and thenstate that there is something wrong with it. This message that you may see is:
System Restore Diagnostics
Windows detected a hard disk error. A problem with the hard drive sectors has been detected. It is recommendedto download the following sertified <sic>software to fix the detected hard drive problems. Do you want to downloadrecommended software?
or
Critical Hard Disk Drive Error
System Restore detected a bad sector on your hard disk drive. This error may cause the following problems: - Data corruption and loss - Hard drive inaccessibility - System errors and failures
These are just further alerts trying to make you think your computer has aserious hard drive problem. It should be noted that if you attempt to run aprogram enough times it will eventually work.
When you perform the scan or use the fake System Restore it will state that thereare numerous problems on your computer, but that you first need to purchaseit before it can fix any of them. Some examples of the fake problems it detectson your computer are:
Requested registry access is not allowed. Registrydefragmentation required
Hard Drive rotational speed decreased by 20% Disk drive C: is unreadable. System files are damaged. System is unstable. The problem may cause errors while loading operating system. Ram memory speed decreased significantly and may cause system failure. Read time of hard drive clusters less than 500 ms 32% of HDD space is unreadable Bad sectors on hard drive or damaged file allocation table GPU RAM temperature is critically high. Urgent RAM memory optimization isrequired to prevent system crash Drive C initializing error Ram Temperature is 83 C. Optimization is required for normal operation. Hard drive doesn't respond to system commands Data Safety Problem. System integrity is at risk. Registry Error - Critical Error
While System Restore is running it will also display fake alerts from your Windowstaskbar. These alerts are designed to further scare you into thinking that yourcomputer has an imminent hardware failure. The text of some of the alerts youmay see include:
Critical Error!
Damaged hard drive clusters detected. Private data is at risk.
Critical Error
Hard Drive not found. Missing hard drive.
Critical Error
RAM memory usage is critically high. RAM memory failure.
Critical Error
Windows can't find hard disk space. Hard drive error
Critical Error!
Windows was unable to save all the data for the file System32496A8300. Thedata has been lost. This error may be caused by a failure of your computerhardware.
Critical Error
A critical error has occurred while indexing data stored on hard drive. Systemrestart required.
System Restore
The system has been restored after a critical error. Data integrity and harddrive integrity verification required. Activation Reminder System Restore Activation Advanced module activation required to fix detected errors and performanceissues. Please purchase Advanced Module license to activate this softwareand enable all features. Low Disk Space You are running very low disk space on Local Disk (C:). Windows - No Disk Exception Processing Message 0x0000013
Critical Error
Hard drive clusters are partly damaged. Segment load failure.
Just like the fake corruption messages and fake scan results, these alertsare only designed to scare you into purchasing the program.
To make matters worse, recent variants of this family have been know to install the TDSS or ZeroAccess rootkits as well. These rootkits will attempt to stop you from using security programs that may help you to remove this infection. If you are infected with System Restore and are unable to update your Malwarebytes's Anti-Malware definitions then you most likely have this rootkit installed. If this is the case, this guide will not be able to help you and you should instead follow the instructions in this topic in order to receive one-on-one help in removing this infection.
Without a doubt, the methods used by this program are fraudulent and criminal.Therefore, do not purchase System Restore for any reason, and if you already have, pleasecontact your credit card company and state that the program is a computer infectionand a scam and that you would like to dispute the charge. To remove this infectionand related malware, please follow the steps in the guide below.
The System Restore tool in Windows is one of the more helpful utilities available to you and is usually a great first step when you're trying to fix a major problem in Windows.
In a nutshell, what the Windows System Restore tool lets you do is revert to a previous software, registry, and driver configuration called a restore point. It's like 'undoing' the last major change to Windows, taking your computer back to the way it was when the restore point was created.
Since a majority of Windows problems involve issues with at least one of those aspects of your operating system, System Restore is a great tool to use early in the troubleshooting process. It also helps that it's really simple to do.
Follow these easy steps to return Windows to a previous, hopefully working, state using System Restore:
Time Required: Using the System Restore tool to undo/reverse changes in Windows usually takes anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, at least in most cases.
How you access System Restore differs between Windows versions. Below are three separate procedures: one for Windows 10, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1, one for Windows 7 or Windows Vista, and one for Windows XP. See What Version of Windows Do I Have? if you're not sure.
How to Use System Restore in Windows 10, 8, or 8.1
If System Restore did not correct the problem, you can either a) repeat the steps above, choosing an even older restore point, assuming one is available, or b) continue troubleshooting the problem.
If this System Restore caused an additional problem, you can undo it, assuming it wasn't completed from Safe Mode (see the Important call-out in Step 10). To undo a System Restore in Windows, repeat steps 1 through 6 above and choose Undo System Restore.
How to Use System Restore in Windows 7 or Windows Vista
How to Use System Restore in Windows XP
More About System Restore & Restore Points
The Windows System Restore utility will not in any way affect your non-system files like documents, music, video, emails, etc. If you were hoping that Windows System Restore would, in fact, restore or 'undelete' any deleted non-system files, try a file recovery program instead.
Restore points don't usually need to be created manually. Assuming System Restore is enabled and working properly, Windows, as well as other programs, should regularly create restore points at critical junctures like prior to a patch being applied, before a new program is installed, etc.
See What Is a Restore Point? for a greater discussion on restore points and how they work.
System Restore can also be started in any version of Windows by executing rstrui.exe, which might be helpful in certain situations, like when you need to run it from Safe Mode or another limited-access situation.
See How to Start System Restore From the Command Prompt if you need help doing that.
Every time your system gets corrupted or when something goes wrong, like bad drivers or misconfigured settings, the first thing that comes to our mind is to restore the system to the previous good state. Actually, it is one of the most suggested options as it is not only easy to perform but solves some of the basic problems like corrupted system files. But as useful as it is, there is a lot of ambiguity and some misconceptions about what Windows System Restore can and cannot do whenever you perform a system restore to fix things up. So let’s find out and clear up the confusion on what the system restore can and cannot do on your system.
What is System Restore
To put it simply, System Restore is a built-in feature which can be used to roll back to a previous known good state. This feature is particularly helpful whenever you want to roll back major changes made to the system. System Restore points can be created manually but are also automatically created in the event of any supported major changes to system configurations or while installing programs or Windows updates. If you have multiple restoration points, you can pick and choose the one that suits your current situation.
Effects on Windows Programs
Whenever you perform a system restore on your Windows machine, your installed Windows programs will be affected. Any programs installed after the restoration point will be uninstalled and vice-versa. The only problem you should be aware of is that some programs like AntiVirus software, etc., may not respond as they should once restored and require you to reinstall the affected software to function properly. In fact, whenever you restore your Windows system, Windows will list all the affected programs right in the restoration wizard. So always check for the affected programs before proceeding to restore your Windows system.
Effects on Windows System Files
System restoration affects almost all the system files. So whenever you restore your system, any changes made to your system files, system programs, and registry settings will be rolled back to the restore point. Moreover, any deleted or changed system scripts, batch files, and any other executables will also be restored. If you have corrupted system files, then restoring your system to a previous time may help you to get your system back up and running.
Effects on Windows Updates
Just like the installed programs, System Restore will also affect Windows Updates. So whenever you restore your system, any uninstalled Windows updates will be reinstalled and any updates that are installed after the restoration point will be uninstalled. The same also applies to any installed or uninstalled hardware drivers. Since the hardware devices are affected by the changes in driver software, make sure that you always update, install or uninstall the driver software accordingly.
Effects on Personal Files
Although system restore can change all your system files and programs, it will not delete or modify any of your personal files or data stored on your hard drive. For instance, if you have stored your documents or pictures in the “My Documents” folder located in the C drive and later restored your system, the files will not be affected in any way and are kept intact throughout and after the restoration process.
Effects on Viruses or Other Malware
System Restore will not remove or clean viruses, trojans or other malware. These malicious software behave rather differently from the regular software and sometimes will be deeply integrated into your Windows operating system. If you have an infected system, it is better to install some good antivirus software to clean and remove virus infections from your computer rather than doing a system restore.
Effects on Deleted Data
System Restore will certainly restore your system files and programs, but it is not a tool to recover your deleted files or data. The workings of the System Restore feature is entirely different from how data recovery software works. So never ever use the System Restore feature as an option to recover your files and data. If you ever want to recover your deleted data, it is recommended that you use some sort of data recovery program to get the job done.
That’s all there is to do, and hopefully the above points will give you a good idea of what System Restore can and cannot do in the process of restoring your Windows system.
Do comment below sharing your thoughts and experiences or any other points I’ve missed.
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If you are making good use of the system restore feature in Windows, then you realize that all the restore points are taking up a lot of storage space in your hard disk. The good thing is you can easily delete system restore points as needed to gain back lost space.
Delete All Old System Restore Points at OnceRemove System Restore Points
Windows provides an option to quickly delete all but recent restore points. However, this option is buried deep and you may not find it unless you know where to look.
To delete all old restore points, search for “Disk Cleanup” in the Start menu and open it.
The above action will open the Disk Cleanup utility. Select “Primary (C:)” from the drop-down menu and click on the “OK” button.
Click on the “Clean up system files” button. Since the restore points are system files, you cannot see them unless you choose to clean up the system files.
This action will re-open the cleanup wizard. Select the C drive and click on the “OK” button.
You will see a new “More Options” tab in the window. Navigate to the new tab and click on the “Clean up” button under “System Restore and Shadow Copies” section.
In the confirmation window, click on the “Delete” button. As soon as you do, Windows will delete all the old restore points while keeping the recent ones.
Delete Old System Restore Points Individually
If you’d rather pick and choose which restore points to delete, you can do that too. Since Windows has no specific option to delete individual restore points, we are going to use a free and lightweight third-party tool called System Restore Explorer. Download and install it like any other software.
After installing, launch it by searching for it in the Start menu. As soon as you launch it you will see all restore points. By default, the software will hide the restore points created in the last five days. If you want to see them, uncheck the “Hide restore points created in the last 5 days” checkbox.
The good thing about this software is that you can mount the restore points and see what’s in them. It’s very useful if you want to recover files or folders. To mount a restore point, select it from the list and click on the “Mount” button.
The above action will mount the restore point and open it in the File Explorer. You can explore it like any other drive or folder.
Once you are done with that, click on the “Unmount” button to unmount the mounted restore point.
To delete a restore point, simply select it from the list and click on the “Delete” button.
Click on the “Yes” button in the confirmation window and you are done.
As you can see from the below image, deleting a restore point freed up around 5Gb of space.
Alternatively, if you are using CCleaner then you don’t have to install any other software. Open CCleaner with admin rights and navigate to “Tools -> System Restore.” Here you can select and delete any individual restore points as needed. However, you will miss the “Mount” feature provided by System Restore Explorer.
Do comment below sharing your thoughts and experiences about using the above methods to delete old restore points in Windows.
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If you use the System Restore function in Windows 10 occasionally to revert your operating system to the last known stable point when it was working correctly, you might be interested in deleting a restore point to regain disk drive space. In this article, we will see how it can be done.
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System Restore isn't a new feature of Windows 10. This technology was introduced in 2000 with Windows Millenium Edition. It allows you to roll back the installed operating system to the previous state. System Restore creates restore points which keep a complete state of Registry settings, drivers and various system files. The user can roll back the operating system to one of the restore points if Windows 10 becomes unstable or unbootable.
Here are some System Restore-related topics of interest:
Ensure that your user account has administrative privileges before proceeding.
To delete a system restore point in Windows 10, do the following.
To delete all restore points in Windows 10, do the following.
Alternatively, you can use the vssadmin console tool, as follows.
Tip: You can delete your restore points without prompting by adding the /quiet command line argument to the command above. The command will look as follows.
vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet
To delete all but the most recent system restore point in Windows 10, do the following.
How To Remove System Restore Points In Windows 7
That's it.
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