Can not create Restore points

Got a problem with system restore not functioning..at all.
Went to do a disk cleanup of junk and old files and knew I could recover a lot of space by deleting old restore points. But when I opened the application it reported that there were no restore points. Since I have system protection turned on I thought it stange.

When I selected to 'create a restore point now' the sreeen with creating a restore point came up and after about 8 or 9 min I got a timed out error 0x81000101 unable to create restore point please try again.

For the last two weeks I have tried again and it's getting a little trying right now.

I have turned off system protection on the disk I want a restore point on ( c:\ ) and then turned it back on to wipe out any leftover files from the system and that did not help.
I ran the windows malicious file activity scan and it came up clean.
I ran chkdsk /f in both windows and dos (safe mode command prompt only) with no errors reported
I ran scannow with no problems detected.
I ran KAV full scan with no threats found.
I ran msconfig and disabled all items in startup and then, in services, hid the microsoft services and disabled all the rest and that did not help.
I verified under services.msc that windows backup and volume shadow copy and all their dependancies were running and that did not help.
I attempted to create a restore point in safe mode with windows running but in win7 pro x64 that is not an option. Just a waste of time but worth a try
I searched the microsoft site to see if there was a fix for this and there is no help there.
I removed ie9 from the computer ran a cleanup utility (asc) tried to create point no help.
Re-installed ie9 ran full scan for any infections and none reported,tried again no help
Disabled all browser add-ons save for the defaults. No help.
Attempted to create a point with anti-virus turned off, No help
The list goes on with all the checks I did comparing my backup computer settings to my main computer settings and will not bother to list these as the list would take up a dozen or more pages. I will say that any discrepancy was given attention to and either resolved or left alone. I am running the same OS on both machines but with different hardware and software so that is to be expected but the system functions are identical and Restore works perfectly on the backup unit. I would clone the system drive on the second computer and install on the main if it were not for the hard/software difference.

It appears that the only option would be a format of c:\ and complete reinstall of everything since even though I have two complete full system backups, each from a different program, for redundancy, that would not help because they were created after the problem with system restore happened but I did not know about it then.

I make incremental backups and every month or so start fresh so to conserve space by beginning with a new full and deleteing the old copies. Sort of like deleteing old restore points.
Needless to say I will make differential backups fron now on.

So if anyone took the time to read this book I would very much like to hear your thoughts on the subject.

 

I run Win 7 (Home Edition) and had a similar problem with restore points.
I used the following steps to start creating them again.

Code:

1)Restart the computer and press f8 on boot up and select 'Safe Mode without networking'.
2) Click on the start menu and type 'cmd' (without quotes) then right click on cmd.exe and choose 'run as administrator' from the menu.
3) Type "net stop winmgmt" without quotes and press enter to make certain the WindowsManagementInstrumentation (WMI) service is not running.
4) In the start menu click 'computer' on the right hand side.
Go to the c:\windows\system32\WBEM\ folder and rename the 'Repository' folder to something else like 'OLDRepository '(right click and choose 'Rename Folder'.
5) Reboot and restart as normal.
6) In the start menu type 'cmd' (without quotes) and at the top right click the program and choose 'run as administrator'
7) Type 'net stop winmgmt' (without quotes) and press enter to stop the wmi service.
8) Type 'winmgmt /resetRepository' (without quotes)and reboot.

 

Thank you very much.
I followed your advice and got to the part to rename the Repository.
I typed in the new name and clicked enter and a box popped up saying this could not be done because the folder or a file in it is in use by another program.???

Did that happen to you when you solved the problem?

For the life of me I can not find anything else using it in safe mode without networking

any idea's

 

You'll get that message if WMI is still running;did you get a message saying it had been stopped successfully.

 

Yes it reported that it had stopped.

But to be safe I am going to undo everything and start over and report back with progress.

Thanks for being there.

 

Well I undid what had been done with one exception being that I disabled all startup items before rebooting an got back into normal mode windows an first enabled start up items and checked to see if the file had been renamed after all.

It had not so tried to create a point anyway...No luck.

Oh and if confusing replies are getting to post I'm sorry for that but every time I want to preview it seems strange things happen.

 

That's all I have.
Try a PM to mod DDP and ask for an assist..

 

Hey... you have been great.

Just for satisfying myself I'm going to try renaming the file in DOS.

Just have to dust off my manual and refresh my memory a tad but I know that it can be done.
And under DOS there is no way that the file can be used by another program.

If that works I will do it all again and see what happens.

If still no go then I'll bite the bullet and do a fresh clean install of the OS and spend the next couple of days putting all my programs and assorted files back to where they belong..

As you can tell I am a stubborn cuss but it's in my nature to exhaust every possibility before doing anything drastic. Thanks for your efforts and don't feel down because no one else knows any more than you, or myself at this stage, on a simple fix for this application which is totally inoperable.

 

Yep! system no restore works wonders just when you need it so here's four words for ya
easeus todo backup free ,and yes its free for personal use ,however if there is an infection of some sort & you really want to play around you'd best get hold of 2oldgeek or just look thru the windows section where many ask for hijackthis log help etc

personally i would just reinstall & start creating system images from there & never look back

 

Thanks scorpNZ for the advice.
I defininately do not wish to play around with this issue any longer.

It has taken up too much of my time and the time of people like yourself who have attempted to help me resolve this issue.

I have just about exhausted all avenues of a resolution after searching multiple forums including Microsofts' and trying the fixes recommended with no success.

This leads me to belive that it is in Windows itself and the only recourse is to start from scratch.
The only thing is I attemped that after a Microsoft rep suggested to repair Windows by inserting my original install disc, (Win7 Pro x64 with Svc Pack 1), by selecting repair under the options and then activating it normally, which I did, but the problem was still there when the dust from that operation settled.

I guess I will do as you mentioned and just reformat and do a complete reinstall of everything and not look back.
I will contact Microsoft again and explain that I repaired Windows with my install disc but it did not fix the problem and if there would be a problem re-activating after just a short time has elasped since the repair install was performed.

So in effect I am considering this a resolved, albeit a drastic one, issue and thank one and all for their help....

 

Same here it was on an xp machine i was sorting out for a friend & kept getting script error but not only for here on other web pages as well amongst other issues the computer was having

 

Thanks for the reply.

From my younger days my motto is "What Me Worry"

Just completed a complete format and install of my Windows OS and sys. restore has already created six points, one for every move I make is my guess, since now I have a great opportunity to be veeerrry selective as to what I put in my machine.
As I load programs from discs or internet updates I have saved, which is most all of them for as program updates or downloads are selected when the screen comes up and asks 'run or save' I save them...just in case. after a while I transfer my "download" folder to a disc or usb drive and then freshen up the folder for quick search in the future.

Right now I'm waiting for my AV, the First thing I put back, program to stop the definitions update so I can run a full scan after each new item I load into the computer so I can keep an eye on what's going on.

You see that there's no way I am going to install a program from a prior backup 'cause that would be like filling a bucket with a hole in it. What you put in just runs out and you'll be at it forever. In this case if I put in a previously loaded and ran program whatever caused this problem might come alive and it's square one time.
So after each new install I create a check point if windows has not already and only then will I feel like something has been accomplished.

So anyone else out there who might have followed what has gone on in this thread I will say as ddp stated 'just do it' and take your time to do it right. I could have saved two weeks and precious sleep time if I had done what I'm doing right away.

As far as I'm concerned case closed and lesson learned and gratefull thanks to all.