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Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: June 28 2006, 03:48 If, like me, you're using Windows Defender with its real time protection switched on, then please check what it's doing to your System Restore points: [Start > control panel > performance and maintenance > system restore > select restore my computer to an earlier time and click NEXT.] Take a look at the restore points available for each day. On my system (and I understand I am far from alone), Defender is creating between 5 and 8 'Windows Defender Checkpoints' every day!!!. The effect of creating so many restore points is that the earlier ones are lost - so, very rapidly, the system will reach a stage where no restore points are available before you installed Defender. Which means of course that you may not be able to restore your computer to a pre-Defender state if you discover, too late, that it's messing up your system...... I don't know why this is happening. It may be that Defender pointlessly sets a restore point with every computer restart; or it may have something to do with the fact that it goes on and on investigating one of the AOL drivers (ATWPKT2) every time I start AOL. But at any rate, I've switched OFF Windows Defender Real Time Protection until Microsoft decide to fix it. (The issue has been known about for weeks, but no patch is forthcoming, it seems.) Back to top

arron11196 Group: Members Posts: 826 Joined: April 2005 Posted: June 28 2006, 05:37 System restore points are BAD. They do nothing to protect your system in quite the way you think they do. The only operating system where they worked effectively was Windows Me. Windows XP includes a "last known good configuration" autosaving procedure whenever you install new drivers. This is like a built-in version of system restore that makes sure that Windows runs correctly. Therefore, as it doesn't quite work properly, and as saving and maintaining the restore points just takes unecessary processor timing, just disable it. Altogether. The benefits of a system like that are minimal when all you need to protect is the vital stuff to start your machine (registry, device drivers etc) which is already covered by the stripped down version used by windows. Sigh. There are many other things I could suggest to help speed up your computer, but I'm sure you all have your own opinions on this anyways. Maybe you want to be 'extra special sure'. That's up to you I guess. -------------- Arron J Eagling Everyone's interpretation is different, and everyone has a right to that opinion. There is no "right" one, I am adding this post to communicate my thoughts to share them with like-minded souls who will be able to comment in good nature. (insert the last 5 mins of Crises here) Back to top

a_r_schulz Group: Members Posts: 425 Joined: Sep. 2001 Posted: June 28 2006, 08:05 Alan, I just found a fix somewhere in another forum: >> Create a "REG_DWORD" Key named "DisableRestorePoint" and set it to >> TRUE under the following location in the registry. >> HKLM/Software/Microsoft/Windows Defender/Scan/ (You may have to fiddle with permissions for that branch, but working as a Beta Tester for Microsoft, I guess you know what you are doing...) Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: June 28 2006, 11:03 Quote (arron11196 @ June 28 2006, 10:37) System restore points are BAD. They do nothing to protect your system in quite the way you think they do. On two occasions System Restore has saved my bacon as a last resort - one when I got into a desperate tangle installing software for my printer; and once again when my machine behaved oddly after a power cut. In both cases it was 100% effective. @ andreas: Quote (You may have to fiddle with permissions for that branch, but working as a Beta Tester for Microsoft, I guess you know what you are doing...) Yes, I found that fix - but no way am I competent to implement it! I haven't a clue what I'm doing, and the only issue before me is whether I simply uninstall Defender and be done with it. I'm still deciding. Back to top

arron11196 Group: Members Posts: 826 Joined: April 2005 Posted: June 28 2006, 16:23 Yes, Alan, but the same thing can be achieved with "Last known good configuration" as I mentioned. I guess each to his own eh. -------------- Arron J Eagling Everyone's interpretation is different, and everyone has a right to that opinion. There is no "right" one, I am adding this post to communicate my thoughts to share them with like-minded souls who will be able to comment in good nature. (insert the last 5 mins of Crises here) Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: June 28 2006, 17:30 Quote (arron11196 @ June 28 2006, 21:23) Yes, Alan, but the same thing can be achieved with "Last known good configuration" as I mentioned. Are you certain about that, Arron? The last time I used System Restore, it really did take the system back exactly to how it had been a few days previously - including the removal of a program I'd (not very sensibly) reinstalled. I'm not sure that a 'Last known Good' would have been good enough to rescue me - I feel in my bones that it would have returned me to a more recent state that was still problematic.... Back to top

arron11196 Group: Members Posts: 826 Joined: April 2005 Posted: June 29 2006, 05:00 Mm. As far as I know, LKGC includes all drivers that make the compy runnable. This would include a registry image - which would therefore disregard anything that you'd installed hence after. Basically, they're pretty much the same tool, except one's been 'imported' from the code of Me, whereas the other was built as part of XP's native boot environment. Honestly, every computer magazine guide I've read details the disabling of the Windows GUI-based SysRestore, no matter what. I suppose it also depends on the way you use your computer; if you're constantly fiddling and messing about then it might be an idea to include this extra level of protection - although if a compy can't boot, a compy can't boot. Simple as that. Maybe you've had different experiences here, and what you have to remember is that this is just my opinion as there is no universal "this is always best" from the computer industry, as some approaches work for some situations whereas others don't. I originally posted with the view to helping you out in a way, but as you feel strongly about this I guess I should be quiet now and let you get back to it. Cya. -------------- Arron J Eagling Everyone's interpretation is different, and everyone has a right to that opinion. There is no "right" one, I am adding this post to communicate my thoughts to share them with like-minded souls who will be able to comment in good nature. (insert the last 5 mins of Crises here) Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: June 29 2006, 07:48 Quote (arron11196 @ June 29 2006, 10:00) I originally posted with the view to helping you out in a way, but as you feel strongly about this I guess I should be quiet now and let you get back to it. Oh I understand perfectly that you were offering help, and I'm grateful. It's not that I feel strongly about it (I know too little to feel strongly about anything in this area). It's just that I feel so unconfident about my ability to fix a computer that's misbehaving, that I'm reluctant to lose the one thing - System Restore - that has definitely helped me in the past. I've taken on board what you've said though. Back to top

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