System+Restore+Modify+Settings

System Restore Modify Settings

System Restore uses 12 percent by default of the available hard disk space.

However, this varies dependant on how much space is available at any given moment.

System Restore purges older restore points until only 70% of it’s allocated 12 % is full.

System Restore restricts itself to 400MB if the hard drive is less than 4GB

System Restore also purges any record older than 90 days ( 7,776,000 seconds )

System Restore creates a record every 24 hours ( 86,400 seconds )

These are created when the system is idle.

System Restore creates a restore record every time you use it.

Common sense really.

This allows you to roll back if you don’t like what you have just done.


 * What you can modify:‐**

You can delete all records if you wish

You can elect not to make a record of additional drives ( It is always prudent to make a record of the drive containing the System )

You can alter the allocated space

You can alter the automatic time ( i.e. 24 hours )

You can alter the length of time which records are kept ( i.e. 90 days )

You can alter when the record should be made

( This is where you have no idle time on the computer. You can instruct the computer to create a restore point )

Each of the above has it’s own location in the Registry

If you feel not proficient enough to delve into the Registry leave it alone now.

For those who fell proficient or even those who feel they know it all Follow my tip Procedures before altering the Registry

You could be sorry if you don’t

Having followed my advice and not before Go to:‐

Start > Run In the box type without the quotes “ **Regedit** “ OK

Scroll to :‐

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore

Click on SystemRestore and in the right‐hand window you will see a large selection of entries

To deal with them in order of the above:‐


 * DiskPercen**t = The percentage of free hard disk space which System Restore occupies ( i.e. 12% )


 * RPGlobalinterval** = The amount of seconds before an automatic record is made (i.e. 86,400 seconds)


 * RFLifeInterval** = The time in seconds to purge older records (i.e. 7,776,000 secs )


 * RFSessioninterval** = This value is 0 (zero) by default here you can set a time, for example 86,400

If you do not know how to change the values you should not be playing with the Registry

If you have simply forgot, remember it is a right‐click

To purge all restore records or isolate second/third hard drives

Go to :‐

Start > Control Panel > System > System Restore tab

Highlight the selected drive click Settings

Place a tick in the box to isolate the drive. ( You will get a warning message ignore it )

If you place a tick in the first window that will turn off all records

__** Do not forget to go back and reset the System to record the drive which carries the system files. **__


 * One final Note** :‐

If your free hard disk space falls below 50 MB System Restore will stop making records