System Restore

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I’m running Windows 7 Home, 64-bit, and I’d like to add a shortcut on my desktop for System Restore. It tool me a couple of days to even find it and I don’t want to have to go through the Control Panel>System everytime I want to use it.

I prefer a method that’s not complicated, a third party program is preferable, if there’s such an animal.

Also, I need to know if Quick Launch can be added to Toolbars, or to any other place for that matter.? Notice how much I wish I still had Windows XP?

Gloria

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I’m running Windows 7 Home, 64-bit, and I’d like to add a shortcut on my desktop for System Restore. It tool me a couple of days to even find it and I don’t want to have to go through the Control Panel>System everytime I want to use it.

I prefer a method that’s not complicated, a third party program is preferable, if there’s such an animal.

Also, I need to know if Quick Launch can be added to Toolbars, or to any other place for that matter.? Notice how much I wish I still had Windows XP?

Gloria

Hi Gloria and welcome

You can add a short cut for system restore. Just find the executable as you already have right click and create shortcut. Yes you can enable Quick launch but you may wish to give the win 7 tool bar a look. I was like you and came to realize that the win 7 toolbar can do many more things than merely quick launch. Should you still want to add quick launch right click the taskbar>toolbars>add new toolbar>quick launch.

Let us know if you need help

Ken J

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Hi Gloria and welcome

You can add a short cut for system restore. Just find the executable as you already have right click and create shortcut. Yes you can enable Quick launch but you may wish to give the win 7 tool bar a look. I was like you and came to realize that the win 7 toolbar can do many more things than merely quick launch. Should you still want to add quick launch right click the taskbar>toolbars>add new toolbar>quick launch.

Let us know if you need help

Ken J

I certainly do need more help and lots of it. Quick Launch was not on the list at add new toolbar. Can you think of another way to do this?

Gloria

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I certainly do need more help and lots of it. Quick Launch was not on the list at add new toolbar. Can you think of another way to do this?

Gloria

This linkshows a step by step method to add Quick Launch if you really want it.

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You can easily find System Restore when you want it by clicking the start orb and typing System Restore. It will show up by the time you hit the R in restore.

Jerry

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You can easily find System Restore when you want it by clicking the start orb and typing System Restore. It will show up by the time you hit the R in restore.

Jerry

System Restore isn’t available when I clicked on the start ball. I get Properties which opened Taskbar & Start Menu Properties; and Open Windows Explorer.

Sorry, but no cigar.

I did manage to get Quick Launch as a folder on my desktop. Is there a way it can be added to the taskbar?

Dichess

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System Restore isn’t available when I clicked on the start ball. I get Properties which opened Taskbar & Start Menu Properties; and Open Windows Explorer.

Try left clicking on the start orb…

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Try left clicking on the start orb…

Ian, please explain what you mean by start orb. I assumed that you were talking about the start menu ball, I see by your reply that I was incorrect in my assumption. I am waiting with much anticipation your explaination.

A day without learning something new about computers, is a day wasted.

Gloria

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Exactly what you asked for:

Shortcut on desktop for SR: Type in System Restore in search until it shows up, then Right click on it and choose Open file location. That will open the folder its in and highlight it. Then all you do is Right click on it again and send it to your desktop (Create Shortcut), and rename it if you want.

Quick launch in taskbar: First go to Folder Options and enable hidden folders to be viewed if not already done. Then, Right click on Taskbar and choose Toolbars>New Toolbar. In the window that comes up drill down to Users>You>AppData>Roaming>Microsoft>Internet Explorer and finally Quick Launch. Ok Quick Launch as the chosen folder and then unlock the taskbar if needed to move and customize the look of Quick Launch.

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For Quick Launch, the simplest is to learn a few desktop shortcuts, obviously for the things you specifically want most.

For Office Applications, if it is 2007 or later, the Quick Access toolbar is wonderfully configurable and lets you have the off-beat features that you personally want to have available (such as Word Count if you happen to be writer). it’s in the top left-hand corner, and is suitably tiny.

Both of those suggestions give you a lot of benefit for very little effort.

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After clicking the Start orb( Ball), type System Restore in the search box at the bottom, System Restore should show up by the time you type the r in restore unless you turned indexing off.

Jerry

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After clicking the Start orb( Ball), type System Restore in the search box at the bottom, System Restore should show up by the time you type the r in restore unless you turned indexing off.

Jerry

You were so right, I got a ton of them (slight exaggeration). None of them took me where I wanted to go, but I find the one that has both Create and Restore in the same window by nosing around in Control Panel > System.

I haven’t found a shortcut to it but I’m beginning to know my way around and can get there easily.

Gloria

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The target is C:WindowsSystem32rstrui.exe

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The target is C:WindowsSystem32rstrui.exe

Thanks Jim,

The exe file indeed, opens System Restore but it’s not the one I’m looking for. The exe file you mentioned opens SR so that a user can select a restore point. The one I want is the one that gives you both options, both create and restore. I have to do the long way and go to System > System Properties > System Restore. I’ve had to do this ever since Windows 7 was installed (much to my everlasting sorrow).

Gloria

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The exe file indeed, opens System Restore but it’s not the one I’m looking for. The exe file you mentioned opens SR so that a user can select a restore point. The one I want is the one that gives you both options, both create and restore. I have to do the long way and go to System > System Properties > System Restore. I’ve had to do this ever since Windows 7 was installed (much to my everlasting sorrow).

Run SystemPropertiesProtection.exe to go to the System Protection tab directly. Then just “press” the “Create” button.

Joe

--Joe

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Run SystemPropertiesProtection.exe to go to the System Protection tab directly. Then just “press” the “Create” button.

Joe

Hi Joe,
It worked by doing a search. I reached the same place by this method:

Control Panel > System > System Protection (found on the left hand side).

Now I know two ways to reach SR. Thank you very much.

Gloria

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Run SystemPropertiesProtection.exe to go to the System Protection tab directly. Then just “press” the “Create” button.

Joe

This one actually works, if I copy and paste SystemPropertiesProtection.exe into the start menu “search programs and files” and then right click on the SystemPropertiesProtection.exe. If you actually go to the programs pages you cannot create a shortcut.

I cannot get to SystemPropertiesProtection.exe without pasting the address you gave, any other methods just open the programs and no shortcut can be made.

So again, why so hard to find? where would one come up with the idea to look for SystemPropertiesProtection.exe in the normal process of creating a shortcut since it is in the C:WindowsSystem32 folder? I am generally pretty on top of the computer stuff, but that one really got my goat. I have been at this since my KayPro 8088 so I am not a noob by any means.

This is such an important tool it should have been brought to the front and made even easier to use, not harder.

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If you have God Mode open it and go down to ‘System’ and then ‘Create a Restore Point’. Drag it to the desktop and make a shortcut. It will have Create and Restore available.

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I strongly suggest that you Google or otherwise search for ‘God Mode’ before diving into any such thing., I can’t do it at this hour, but as I understand it this is a just a sticky name for a standard and well-documented procedure that is (or was) better explained long prior to its being called ‘God Mode”.

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I strongly suggest that you Google or otherwise search for ‘God Mode’ before diving into any such thing., I can’t do it at this hour, but as I understand it this is a just a sticky name for a standard and well-documented procedure that is (or was) better explained long prior to its being called ‘God Mode”.

I took your advice and Googled God Mode. I won’t hardly use something like that, too durn complicated for yours truly. My start menu is just fine the way it is now.

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Here’s a link to download two small programs that will do a restore backup with one click. One method let’s you input a description, and the other doesn’t. Just found them yesterday after having the same annoyance as you did…Hope you like them!

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/697-system-restore-point-create.html

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Here’s a link to download two small programs that will do a restore backup with one click. One method let’s you input a description, and the other doesn’t. Just found them yesterday after having the same annoyance as you did…Hope you like them!

http://www.sevenforu…int-create.html

Thanks but no thanks Greg. I prefer to continue using SR the way I’m doing now (too much work the way you suggested).

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System Restore easy way, press Win key and Pause, upper left choose System Protection. Everything you need right there.

Quicklaunch including Show Desktop yes I like XP way much better and on Taskbar removed all them things
http://www.msfn.org/board/show-desktop-quicklaunch-t138501-pid-886068.html/page__p__886068__hl__Quicklaunch__fromsearch__1#entry886068

yes I admit it, I’m a geek

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Gaahhh! I wrote a long reply, and for the second time in a couple weeks when I click Add your reply….it has vanished.

That Add your reply button is confusing up there ^^^…..apparently I need to click the little Post button at the bottom instead.

And as for the SR comments nevermind, I don’t have time to write it all over again.

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[Quote within Reply] at bottom of my post if you reply to what I said

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Hello.

Seeing this tread had me check my “Restore”. It was off and I had no point at all. On Win Se7en, why would it be turned off by default ? I am on Se7en for the last year after being on RC for the previous 8 months. Love it !

So, I turned it to ON and did a point. I can see the Windows C: System and another C: that when I try to click on it, it spits in my face saying there was an addy error. If anybody here has a minute or two, would they be kind enough to explain the whys of this ?

The Restore point that I made shows up fine, I have not tried it as it is only of two minutes ago. Any more details needed ? I am all eyes. JP.

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The Windows Club is a great place to get utilities and fixes for Windows 7. They have fixes for the quick launch and the system restore.
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/

Here is a one-ckick system restore point maker they offer: http://www.thewindowsclub.com/create-a-system-restore-point-in-1-click-with-quick-restore-maker

In the right hand column they have a link to all the free software they offer.

Their FixWin software program is a must have. Their Ultimate Windows Tweaker is another useful tool offering many adjustment to customize your system.

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The Windows Club is a great place to get utilities and fixes for Windows 7. They have fixes for the quick launch and the system restore.
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/

Here is a one-ckick system restore point maker they offer: http://www.thewindowsclub.com/create-a-system-restore-point-in-1-click-with-quick-restore-maker

In the right hand column they have a link to all the free software they offer.

Their FixWin software program is a must have. Their Ultimate Windows Tweaker is another useful tool offering many adjustment to customize your system.

I have installed the quick restore point maker on Vista 32 and 64bit and Win7 64 bit. I have a shortcut on my desktop for it, just like the old style I had in XP. I can’t believe how convoluted and hard Vista and 7 made making a restore point!! I am a rabid restore point maker, if I ever install or change something I do a restore point first and Microsoft should be ashamed of themselves for making this so hard in the new operating systems.

Install this, you won’t be sorry! Use version 2 so you can name the points. The original did not let you do that.

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I can’t believe how convoluted and hard Vista and 7 made making a restore point!! I am a rabid restore point maker, if I ever install or change something I do a restore point first and Microsoft should be ashamed of themselves for making this so hard in the new operating systems.

How hard is it to go to Control Panel | System and Security | System | System Protection and then right click on the item in the taskbar and select “pin to taskbar”. You then have easy access to creating a restore point, performing a restore, and configuring system restore.

Joe

--Joe

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How hard is it to go to Control Panel | System and Security | System | System Protection and then right click on the item in the taskbar and select “pin to taskbar”. You then have easy access to creating a restore point, performing a restore, and configuring system restore.

Joe

Apparently you have a different system or have never actually tried this. I tried every place I could and there is NO option anywhere to right click to pin to task bar. Your path is not even the same as I would have to take to get there (I can get to system protection, but not the trail you offer- no “system and security”, just straight to System) and in the system protection tab (where the restore point is made) there is NOTHING when I right click anywhere, with the exception of the top bar which offers “move and close”. I am running Win7 right now, but previously had Vista on this laptop and still have XP on the desktop.

In Win95 and XP you mereley went to system restore in the accessories folder and right clicked and made a shortcut on the desktop. That simple. In 7 and Vista they seemed to basically hide system restore for MAKING restore points. Yes I can drill down through start menu folders and find system restore and pin it to the task bar, but it will only open the restore window, not one to make restore point.

If I make a shortcut to Backup and Restore all I get is the window to make a backup disk or system image. No restore point.

Therefore my complaint about Win 7 and Vista being “convoluted” There is no way to make a shortcut to a simple “one click” to get to the window so I can make a restore point as there has been in all previous versions.

I tried every thing I could think of to create a simple, stupid shortcut on the desktop and it is not possible in Win7 or Vista. I Googled for answers, wasted tons of time and finally found that great little program on Windows club and fixed the problem, a problem which should not have existed in the first place!

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Apparently you have a different system or have never actually tried this. I tried every place I could and there is NO option anywhere to right click to pin to task bar.

I tried every thing I could think of to create a simple, stupid shortcut on the desktop and it is not possible in Win7 or Vista. I Googled for answers, wasted tons of time and finally found that great little program on Windows club and fixed the problem, a problem which should not have existed in the first place!

Hmmmm . . . . . . . . Following Joe’s instructions exactly (and I am running Windows 7 and I HAVE tried it), I was able to create the “System Restore” taskbar shortcut. So it would seem then that it IS possible (at least in Windows 7).

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Hmmmm . . . . . . . . Following Joe’s instructions exactly (and I am running Windows 7 and I HAVE tried it), I was able to create the “System Restore” taskbar shortcut. So it would seem then that it IS possible (at least in Windows 7).

Well, from my control panel window there is no “System and Security”. I have to go straight to System, then System Protection, which opens the System properties window, where you click on the system protection tab to get to the create a restore point window. From there there are no right click options. So we must have our systems set up different or he is starting from somewhere besides control panel. I just can’t get there from here.

Anyway, as in my previous post, the SystemPropertiesProtection.exe works fine and I would certainly recommend that method.

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Well, from my control panel window there is no “System and Security”. I have to go straight to System, then System Protection, which opens the System properties window, where you click on the system protection tab to get to the create a restore point window. From there there are no right click options. So we must have our systems set up different or he is starting from somewhere besides control panel.

I followed the steps I posted multiple times. It worked every time.

When you have System Properties open right click on the icon in the Taskbar (not the system properties applet itself), you should see “pin to taskbar”.

Note: type in SystemPropertiesProtection.exe in the search area, when the .exe shows up right click and drag to the desktop, you should get a menu to create a shortcut. I just did this so this also works.

Joe

--Joe

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Well, from my control panel window there is no “System and Security”. I have to go straight to System, then System Protection, which opens the System properties window, where you click on the system protection tab to get to the create a restore point window. From there there are no right click options. So we must have our systems set up different or he is starting from somewhere besides control panel. I just can’t get there from here.

Anyway, as in my previous post, the SystemPropertiesProtection.exe works fine and I would certainly recommend that method.

I just tried your method and it worked, I now have SR pinned to my Start Menu. I tried it and I have both Create and Restore.

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I just tried your method and it worked, I now have SR pinned to my Start Menu. I tried it and I have both Create and Restore.

Please do not credit me with that method, that was Joe P’s, I was just quoting his post. It is the perfect solution to the problem, though.

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Jean, I’ve seen Sys Restore disabled on a couple machines I’m using for testing. I’m certain I’ve never turned it off.

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Hello John.

Jean, I’ve seen Sys Restore disabled on a couple machines I’m using for testing. I’m certain I’ve never turned it off.

This is what I see when trying to go a little bit further in Restore :

Could not find Required recovery files

If you have a Widnows installation disc, insert it and
restart the computor from the installation disc. Select a
language and then click “Repair your Computor” to
Access advanced recovery methods.

Is this a default setting in Se7en ?

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I like to add a control panel icon to my desktop. I just open up the Control Panel and then have it show all the items.

Highlight the path at the top of Windows Explorer: ‘Control PanelAll Control Panel Items’ And then drag it onto the desktop and a Cotrol Panel shortcut icon will be on your desktop. That saves one step.

Open up Cotrol Panel then Backup and Restore. Go again to the navigation bar and grab that little icon in front of Control PanelAll Control Panel ItemsBackup and Restore. Drag it to the desktop and you have a shortcut straight to your system restore.

Now you have a Control Panel shortcut icon, a System Restore shortcut icon, and if you installed the 1-Click Restore Maker from the Windows club I posted earlier, you then have all the tools you need to check and make your restore points easily. You have easy access to the Control Panel too.

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Aloha, I found a free program, Quickrestore, that automatically makes a restore point.
just past this .exe into your program files, than just make a short cut and place it onto your desktop. Than just right click on the shortcut on the desktop and click on properties and give it a hotkey(I set it control-alt-q). Then when you want to make a restore point, just hit the hotkey and voila, the restore point is made automatically.

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Are you two viewing Control Panel by Category or by Icons? Maybe you are on different wavelengths, so to speak.

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Are you two viewing Control Panel by Category or by Icons? Maybe you are on different wavelengths, so to speak.

By icons with name included.

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With thanks to Joe, I now have it too.

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Jean, I should have said that I have other machines that are collecting restore points on a regular basis, by default. I’ve seen inconsistent operation so far. Maybe this is connected to available HDD space? Win 7 apparently needs a lot of space for the restore points.

If you have no restore points and need to repair Windows, those instructions are the next step. If this happens to you with a real problem you will wish you had a recent system image or a backup, because the restore points are very helpful.

-John O

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John O’, good morning.

My Win Se7en is now collecting Points to beat the band. I still do not know how it got defaulted to OFF. It matters not much here as I do Acronis True Image at least monthly, to a USB external HD. I personally do not like the Back Up that resides in Se7en, if the HD dies…, you are lost. We all have different ways to cover our behind and TI is mine.

I hope that you have an answer today as I have a question. How to import here, a screen shot, in .jpg format, like a PrnScrn ? I tried yesterday and did not find the way.

I read all the entries here and consider myself lucky to not have any of the reccurent problems. Have a great day and thanks for your dedication. ( Jean is John here ! )

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I hope that you have an answer today as I have a question. How to import here, a screen shot, in .jpg format, like a PrnScrn ? I tried yesterday and did not find the way.

If you use PrintScrn then start a graphics program such as the builtin Microsoft Paint or a thrid party program such as the :free: Paint.NET – Free Software for Digital Photo Editing. Then use the past function or CTRL+V if you prefer and save the image as JPG.

Note: Windows 7 has a builtin tool called the Snipping Tool which helps with screen captures. See All Programs | Accessories | Snipping Tool or just type Snipping Tool into the Start menu Search bar.

Joe

--Joe

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JoeP, hello.

I get to this point fine :

>> If you use PrintScrn then start a graphics program such as the builtin Microsoft Paint or a thrid party program such as the :free: Paint.NET – Free Software for Digital Photo Editing. Then use the post function or CTRL+V if you prefer and save the image as JPG.

I had a .jpg of a PrnScrn but it would not post to any message. I will try again.

Thanks. JP.

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I get to this point fine :

>> If you use PrintScrn then start a graphics program such as the builtin Microsoft Paint or a thrid party program such as the :free: Paint.NET – Free Software for Digital Photo Editing. Then use the post function or CTRL+V if you prefer and save the image as JPG.

I had a .jpg of a PrnScrn but it would not post to any message. I will try again.

Did you successfully save the file?

Joe

--Joe

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JoeP, good morning.

You wrote : Did you successfully save the file?

Of course, I still have it here in my Paint Shop folder, here is another try !

Maybe this did it ! !

Quite a convoluted way of doing this but not above the average bear. JP.

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Of course, I still have it here in my Paint Shop folder, here is another try !

Maybe this did it ! !

Have you resolved the “Could not find recovery files” problem?

Joe

--Joe

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Hello again, JoeP.

The .jpg that I published was in regards to the “no restore point” drama. This was resolved, the Restore was turned OFF. Strange.

You then asked :

Have you resolved the “Could not find recovery files” problem?

This is maybe, not my problem. I do not have a Recovery file at all, I installed a free upgrade to Se7en and did a full install from scratch, therefor I only have the C: partition. Not a problem at all here, I do Acronis clones at least monthly. Best recovery procedure that I can think of.

Thanks for your follow up just the same, tremendously appreciated. Have a fine Se7en. JP.

OK, JoeP. now I get it. Yes, I was worrying about the Restore “points” and using the files nomer had me on the wrong track. It was my problem ! Why the Restore was turned OFF is beyond me. Aside from doing TI clones, at times, I do use the restore POINTS. Best thing ever since sliced bread. I have a few points now. JP.

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