Simple utility creates instant restore point

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In looking over some past issues of WS I came across Scott Dunn’s piece recommending Quick Restore Maker.

I, too, wanted a simple way of creating a Restore Point. I found several programs that varied in size from hundreds of KB to several MB.

Quick Restore Point Maker is 791,040 bytes.

Nothing beats a VBS script that I found, and even after my tweaks and enhancements, is only 396 bytes. Simple. Fast. Easy. I called the RP “Special Restore Point” to differentiate it from a VBS script that runs on Startup and those RPs are called “Daily Restore Point”.

Here’s the Script:

“This VBScript creates a new restore point called “Special Restore Point”

Set IRP = getobject(“winmgmts:\.rootdefault:Systemrestore”)
MYRP = IRP.createrestorepoint (“Special Restore Point”, 0, 100)
If CSRP = 0 then
wscript.timeout = 3 : WScript.Echo “System Restore Point Created”
Elseif sOut 0 Then
WScript.echo “Error ” & sOut & _
“: Unable to create Restore Point.”
End If

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Steve,

I a little confused not being a VBS guy but where did the CSRP variable come in? Should it be MYRP to test the return code from the previous statement?

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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I’m not a VBS guy at all. I copied “If CSRP = 0 then”… from another VBS script. This could well be wrong, so I’m open to correction.

But when you run this script and “System Restore Point Created” is displayed, a restore point is created.

I’m not sure that the “Else if”… part works or how to test that it does.

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System Restore can certainly save your life, on occasion. And to think, some “Experts” turn it off. ?????

I too found a little script to Force A Restore Point. I named it “Set Restore Point.vbs”

Set SRP=GetObject(“winmgmts:\.rootdefault:Systemrestore”)
CSRP=SRP.CreateRestorePoint(“Hacked the registry”, 0, 100)

I rely on my Restore Points so much, that I put the little script in my Startup Folder, so it runs every time I reboot my PC.
That could be once a day, twice a day, if I go out for a while, or several times a day if I’m debugging a batch file or something
and I keep rebooting my PC. But, so what? I delete all my old restore points before I do my weekly Ghost backup.

Notice the “Hacked the Registry” name that the script puts on its restore points? The original author of the script was a comic.
But what the heck….it’s his script, so I just left it the way he wrote it. Of course, that name can be changed.

Put a shortcut to the script on the desktop, or in the Quick Launch toolbar and you can run it any time you wish.
It’s like FREE Life Insurance for your PC.

Cheers Mates! (and thank you for starting this thread)
The Doctor

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If you could tell me, are these 2 scripts created for Win 7 or Win XP? I tried them by copying to notepad then saving as a .vbs file on my desktop. When I attempt to run I get the following error:

What am I doing wrong?I tried both of the above scripts and get the same error.

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What am I doing wrong?I tried both of the above scripts and get the same error.

Long time since I did this, but some VBS scripts ran sweetly for me in XP, but one failed with a error.

The problem is that XP has two different VBS script engines and one of them is the automatic default.
The “bad” script ran OK when I followed instructions (also now forgotten) that first set the default to the other engine
(or it might have been a special argument on the command line).
I think I got advise from
http://www.computerhope.com/forum/index.php?board=2.0

Alan

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My bad. I use XP and I forgot that this is for XP only.

If you want a script for XP, Vista, and Win 7, look here:
http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/create-system-restore-point-quickly-using-script-in-windows-7-vista-and-xp/
If you don’t need it for XP, much of the code in the script can be eliminated.

Or try this for Vista/Win 7:
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows-vista/make-a-shortcut-icon-to-create-a-system-restore-point-in-windows-vista/
These seem more complicated:
http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7repair/thread/740f0902-1b13-4a0a-b428-ee58a9233e61
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/494-system-restore-point-shortcut.html

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Where would one of these scripts be placed in Windows 7, such that it would run at system startup?
Thanks,
Dick

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The little two-liner I gave previously works fine for me, in XP, Vista and Windows 7, Ultimate 64.

At one time I was getting an error message when I’d try to run it (in XP Pro, x86), but I got that fixed.
That was so long ago now, I don’t remember what I had to do to fix the problem. Sorry!

But, from what I’ve seen, Visual Basic Scripts run pretty much the same on all versions of windows.

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Dr Who:
Unless I’m blind and dont see it, my problem is that there’s no Startup folder in W7, which is why
I asked my question about how to do what you’re doing – but in W7.
Dick

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Dick,

I beg to differ:

C:UsersUSERIDAppDataRoamingMicrosoftWindowsStart MenuProgramsStartup

You’ve been upgraded/enhanced/etc. They just moved it!

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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Thanks RetiredGeek:
Not only am I “blind”, but I’m also “dumb” I guess. I did a search before posting my question
in this thread – and nothing came up.
Thanks for your help.
Dick

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Dick,

Don’t be so hard on yourself. Microsoft in their infinite wisdom not only moved it around but also put it in a most non-intuitive and far down the folder tree. Windows 7 is great but it is also a learning experience, especially for us older types who have been used to things being in one place for decades now we get “roaming”, “ribbons”, and who knows what else. It is much harder to unlearn something you’ve been using for years than to learn something new when you have no experience at all.

Keep on truckin’

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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RetiredGeek:

Thanks for the kind response.

Dick

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And some people still ask, “Why don’t you like Windows 7?”

MS changing things that should have NEVER been changed, pretty well sums it up for me.
Yeah, simple little things like the position of that Startup folder, for instance, could frustrate the
non-techie user, to the point of tears.
On XP, is was just so darned easy!
Right click on Start, click ‘Programs’ and then click “Startup” and you’re there.
That worked the same in Windows 98 and ME too.

I had to copy Solitaire from XP to Win-7 because I couldn’t stand the looks of the new and revised version.

I’m going to ask this question, without booting up Win-7 (I’m on XP).
Isn’t there a startup folder for each user profile, as well as one for All Users?

On XP when I’m installing something in the Startup folder, using a batch file, I go for the All users folder and not the individual users folder.

Cheers mates!

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This still works for me on Win 7 64 Bit Ultimate. Click Start, All Programs, Startup. There it is right where I expected it. As RG states in post #11, simply place shortcuts to the app you want to start at startup and the shortcut will appear in this folder on the Start Orb.

As RG points out the start up folder is in the “users” family tree so to speak.

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I’m going to ask this question, without booting up Win-7 (I’m on XP).
Isn’t there a startup folder for each user profile, as well as one for All Users?

On XP when I’m installing something in the Startup folder, using a batch file, I go for the All users folder and not the individual users folder.

Yes, there is a Startup folder for each use and for the Default User.

Joe

--Joe

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Thanks Joe…. I’m glad to know I’m not totally daft. Yet, anyway.

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