Windows 7 Can't get System Restore to work

[Nisko]

I keep getting Unspecified Error - even from Safe Mode and different restore points.

BTW, is there a foolproof way to get into Safe Mode? I have to keep trying and trying and trying until something 'clicks.'

 

[Joe S]

What do you have for anti virus and other security?
Joe

 

[Nisko]

Disabled Norton 360 - same results. Other suggestions?

 

[Nisko]

BTW, I even tried System Restore many times using Safe Mode - didn't work.

 

[kemical]

Have you tried running the system file checker?
Right click on cmd prompt and choose 'Run as admin'.
Then type:

sfc /scannow

Press enter. This will then run through hopefully fixing any corruption along the way.

If that fails then you could try pressing F8 whilst booting which as you know gets you into the advanced boot options. It's here you could try clicking 'last good known configuration'.

 

[Nisko]

Trying SFC right now.

 

[Nisko]

SFC didn't find any issues. Last Know Good Configuration ran - but I can't tell if it fixed the problem. It would take some time to explain what I did to cause the problem - but time will tell if it's OK now. Thanks for the help.

 

[Joe S]

I forgot until I tried using system restore tonight that mine isn't working either. I restored from a system image. I think the problem may have to do with antivirus and security software. Some of it is nearly impossible to fully shutdown.
Joe

 

[Mike]

If it is Norton this is to absolutely be expected... it is the nuisance anti-virus of our age, but a constant blitzkrieg of marketing allows it to continue to be pervasive on computer systems around the world. Another issue would be if the restore points themselves were actually corrupted. This could have been addressed by manually clearing the area where restore points are stored, but chances are you needed to restore anyway. I will recommend the only solid commercial anti-virus I know, that has never detected a false positive and has never failed to protect my system in the 5-6 years I have been using it: ESET Smart Security.

Best.

 

[Nisko]

Thank you. I'll look into ESET Smart Security. I admit I've never heard of it - but that doesn't mean much. With Norton, the only other things I can think of are to 1. Try their forum and 2. Shut down the Norton Services while I try to restore.

When you say clear the restore points manually, how and where do you do that?

 

[Joe S]

I've got my HD partitioned and and it's almost as fast restoring the image as using system restore anyway about 8 min. I use Acronis True Image 2010. I boot off the CD to do a backup. An image takes about 8 min to make and about 10 to verify.
Joe