Recover deleted System Restore Points?

[porty]

Anyone know if it's possible to recover deleted System Restore Points?

Are these things just un-flagged like other deleted files or are they permanently lost?

If they are recoverable, what are they called?

Cheers

 

[linney]

Are you saying you actually deleted the folders containing Restore Points, or that you have no Restore Points in the System Restore Wizard?

How to gain access to the System Volume Information folder

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;309531&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

Q301224 - System Restore "Restore Points" Are Missing or Deleted

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q301/2/24.asp

From memory I think the restore points are in a longish alphanumeric named folder with RPnn inside of that folder.

Data recovery.
PC Inspector

http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/UK/welcome.htm

http://www.restorer2000.com

http://www.runtime.org/hints.htm

Plenty of other recovery software listed here.

http://dmoz.org/Computers/Software/Disk_Management/Error_Checking_and_Repair/

 

[porty]

Thanks linney. I was about to dump a couple of MS updates (THIS UPDATE CANNOT BE DELETED!!!GRRR>TAKE THAT) that are screwing my system when I discovered that I had no restore point earlier than the beginning of this month. Guess I must have turned System Restore off and back on in a fit of springcleaning

Which made me begin to wonder if they're recoverable. I mean, they must be still there somewhere, but I had no idea what the folder\file was called. I have plenty of recovery progs but I'm not sure what I'm looking for, or even whether I'll be able to find them.

But I'll check out your links; thanks again.

 

[linney]

Can you not use Add or Remove to uninstall your update? You may have to tick the box at the top to show installed updates. Another way to remove them is shown in this article, which you could use as a guide.

875350 - How to remove Windows XP Service Pack 2 from your computer

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;875350&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

875355 - How to use the Automatic Recovery feature to recover your computer if the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Setup program is not completed successfully

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;875355&FR=1&PA=1&SD=HSCH

If they don't work you could try repairing windows by running it over itself. You will lose all your windows updates but your files will be untouched.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade (Reinstallation) of Windows XP (Q315341)

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q315/3/41.asp