System Restore Deletes Files???

I am running Windows XP Pro, and updated almost a week ago to SP2, which I'm
still having some problems with.

This morning, after a reboot, I had some serious problems with Windows
Explorer, and I ran System Restore, to restore a previous configuration. I
had no very recent restore point, I had to use one from a few days ago.
(Still after SP2 installation, however.)

Something surprised me though--some files I had downloaded yesterday were
now missing from my hard drive. They were not in any way system files, or in
any system location. ( Located in my C:\Downloads folder.) Others that I
downloaded yesterday were still there.

Some of these missing downloaded files were large files, and I have a slow
dial-up connection. I am now re-downloading those files, but I wish I didn't
have to.

I am surprised that this happened. I thought that System Restore just dealt
with registry settings, configuration files, etc. In restoring the computer
to a previous state, does it try to make the hard drive EXACTLY the same as
it was when the restore point was created, including which files are on it,
and deletes any files added after the restore point was created? If so, why?
And if so, why did it delete some of my files added since then, and did not
delete others?

If that's the case, any way to change the settings for System Restore so
that it will only change files dealing with the system configuration, and
not delete other files, etc.?

Also, since one can undo a restoration, I assume that SR has saved the files
it deleted somewhere. Where are they saved, and is there any way to get
individual files back, without undo-ing the restoration? (If I knew how to
get those files back, I wouldn't have to be re-downloading several large
files right now.)

Thank you to anyone who can help.

" MS" wrote in message
...
I am running Windows XP Pro, and updated almost a week ago to SP2, which
I'm still having some problems with.

This morning, after a reboot, I had some serious problems with Windows
Explorer, and I ran System Restore, to restore a previous configuration. I
had no very recent restore point, I had to use one from a few days ago.
(Still after SP2 installation, however.)

Something surprised me though--some files I had downloaded yesterday were
now missing from my hard drive. They were not in any way system files, or
in any system location. ( Located in my C:\Downloads folder.) Others that
I downloaded yesterday were still there.

Some of these missing downloaded files were large files, and I have a slow
dial-up connection. I am now re-downloading those files, but I wish I
didn't have to.

I am surprised that this happened. I thought that System Restore just
dealt with registry settings, configuration files, etc. In restoring the
computer to a previous state, does it try to make the hard drive EXACTLY
the same as it was when the restore point was created, including which
files are on it, and deletes any files added after the restore point was
created? If so, why? And if so, why did it delete some of my files added
since then, and did not delete others?

If that's the case, any way to change the settings for System Restore so
that it will only change files dealing with the system configuration, and
not delete other files, etc.?

Also, since one can undo a restoration, I assume that SR has saved the
files it deleted somewhere. Where are they saved, and is there any way to
get individual files back, without undo-ing the restoration? (If I knew
how to get those files back, I wouldn't have to be re-downloading several
large files right now.)

Thank you to anyone who can help.


My Documents is usually a safe place to store files. Anything on the desktop
is at risk. Other places...who knows? System Restore is supposed to deal
with system files only, but I really don't trust that any program that's
going to do major changes to the system is going to be careful with my
stuff. Lucky for you it was only downloads and not photos that can't be
replaced.

You might want to move that downloads folder inside My Documents and see if
it's safer there.

One workaround is to TEMPORARILY undo the restoration, if possible (after
setting a current Restore point). Then pop the files you want to preserve
from C:\Downloads into your "My Documents" folder (which is unaffected by
System Restore). Then restore back to your current state.

Otherwise the System Restore Info is in
C:\System Volume Information
(you'll need to change permissions on the folder via the properties
security tab to access)

Jon


" MS" wrote in message
...
I am running Windows XP Pro, and updated almost a week ago to SP2, which
I'm still having some problems with.

This morning, after a reboot, I had some serious problems with Windows
Explorer, and I ran System Restore, to restore a previous configuration. I
had no very recent restore point, I had to use one from a few days ago.
(Still after SP2 installation, however.)

Something surprised me though--some files I had downloaded yesterday were
now missing from my hard drive. They were not in any way system files, or
in any system location. ( Located in my C:\Downloads folder.) Others that
I downloaded yesterday were still there.

Some of these missing downloaded files were large files, and I have a slow
dial-up connection. I am now re-downloading those files, but I wish I
didn't have to.

I am surprised that this happened. I thought that System Restore just
dealt with registry settings, configuration files, etc. In restoring the
computer to a previous state, does it try to make the hard drive EXACTLY
the same as it was when the restore point was created, including which
files are on it, and deletes any files added after the restore point was
created? If so, why? And if so, why did it delete some of my files added
since then, and did not delete others?

If that's the case, any way to change the settings for System Restore so
that it will only change files dealing with the system configuration, and
not delete other files, etc.?

Also, since one can undo a restoration, I assume that SR has saved the
files it deleted somewhere. Where are they saved, and is there any way to
get individual files back, without undo-ing the restoration? (If I knew
how to get those files back, I wouldn't have to be re-downloading several
large files right now.)

Thank you to anyone who can help.