System Restore Points - Stop XP Dual Boot Delete

How to Stop System Restore Points from being Deleted in Vista and Windows 7 when Dual Booting with XP​

   Information

When you are dual booting XP with Vista and/or Windows 7, this will show you how to stop XP from deleting all of the System Restore Points and Shadow Copies in Vista and Windows 7 everytime you start XP.

You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

For more information, see also:

• Microsoft Help and Support: KB926185
• System Restore "restore points" are missing or deleted

   Note

In Vista and Windows 7, shadow copies are used to maintain System Restore Points. Additionally, shadow copies are used to maintain Complete PC Backup files. Therefore, when you access the volume from an earlier operating system (XP), it will delete all restore points and all except the most recent versions of Complete PC Backup files in Vista and Windows 7.

   Tip

This problem occurs because the volume snapshot driver that is included with Vista and Windows 7 uses disk structures that are incompatible with earlier versions of Windows. Therefore, the earlier operating system deletes Vista and Windows 7 shadow copies with the associated restore points. This behavior occurs because the earlier Windows operating systems do not recognize the new disk structures.

   Warning

This does not actually fix the problem. It is a workaround that will stop XP from deleting the restore points and shadow copies. After you restart XP, you will not be able to access the volume Vista and/or Windows 7 is on from XP. However, you can still access the volume that XP is on from Vista and Windows 7.

It has been reported that some 3rd party disk defragmentation programs could also delete your restore points when used.

OPTION ONE

Using a REG File Download

   Warning

This needs to be done in XP, not in Vista or Windows 7. This download assumes that Vista or Windows 7 is installed on the D: drive as the second OS. If this is not true for you, or you need to add another drive to be hidden from XP, then do OPTION TWO below to do this manually with the drive letter that your Vista or Windows 7 is installed on instead.

1. To Stop XP from Deleting Restore Points ​

A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.​

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Stop_XP.reg​

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B) Go to step 3.​

2. To Restore Default Settings in XP​

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A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.​

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Restore_Default_Settings.reg​

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3. Click on Save, and save the .reg file to the Desktop.​

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4. Right click on the downloaded .reg file and click on Merge.​

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5. Approve the merge when prompted.​

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6. Restart XP to apply the changes.​

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7. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.​

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OPTION TWO

Manually Through Registry Editor

   Warning

This needs to be done in XP, not in Vista or Windows 7.

1. Open the Start Menu, click on My Computer to open it, then make note of the drive letter for the Vista and/or Windows 7 installation that you wan to prevent XP from seeing to prevent their restore points from being deleted.​

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2. Open the Start Menu, click on Run to open it,, then type regedit and press Enter.​

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3. In regedit, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)​

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HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\MountedDevices​

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4. To Stop XP from Deleting Restore Points​

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A) In the left pane, right click on MountedDevices and click on New and Key.​

NOTE: If you already have the Offline key under MountedDevices, then skip this step and go to step 4C. (see screenshot below step 4C )​

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B) Type Offline and press Enter.​

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C) In the right pane of Offline, right click on a empty area and click on New and DWORD Value. (see screenshot below)​

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D) Type \DosDevices\D: and press Enter. (see screenshot below step 4F)​

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NOTE: While in XP, if your Vista or Windows 7 is not showing as being on the D: drive in Computer, then substitute D: with the drive letter that it is shown to be on instead. For example, if it is shown to be on the E: drive, then type \DosDevices\E: instead. Repeat this step if you wish to hide another drive letter from XP.​

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E) In the right pane, right click on \DosDevices\D: and click on Modify.​

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F) Type 1, and click on OK. (see screenshot below)​

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G) The registry should now look like this. (see screenshot below)​

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H) Repeat steps 4C to 4G for any other drive letter that you want to prevent them from being seen by XP.​

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I) Go to step 6.​

5. To Restore the Default XP Settings​

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A) In the right pane of Offline, right click on \DosDevices\D:, and click on Delete. (see screenshot below step 4H)​

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B) Click on Yes to confirm the deletion.​

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C) Repeat step 5 for any other listed drive letter that you would like XP to be able to see again.​

6. Restart XP to apply the changes.​

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That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Create a System Restore Shortcut in Vista
• How to Create a System Restore Point in Vista
• How to Undo the Last System Restore in Vista
• How to Do a System Restore in Vista
• How to Change the System Restore Disk Space Usage in Vista
• How to Turn System Restore On or Off in Vista
• How to Create a Create System Restore Point Shortcut in Vista
• How to Make a "Create System Restore Point" Shortcut in XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Add "Create Restore Point" to Context Menu in XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Change the Default Boot Partition in Vista
• How to Create a Complete Computer Backup and Restore Image in Vista
• How to Change the Automatic System Restore Point Settings in Vista Task Scheduler
• How to Enable or Disable Create Vista System Restore Point when New Device Driver is Installed
• How to Enable or Disable Create Vista System Restore Point when a Application is Installed
• How to Do a Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and XP
• How to Do a Dual Boot Installation with Windows Vista and XP
• How to Do a Dual Boot Installation with Windows 7 and Vista

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

Hello Brink.

I just used option 2 in this excellent tutorial to get XP to stop eating the Vista restore points; it worked like a charm.

Thanks Shawn!...















Later Ted

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Ted.

 

[Dj SharK]

Hey there..

Firstly, i wanna thank you so so very much Brink for this particular tutorial.

I've been using Vista for a few months now and everytime i did/installed something bad, i tried to do a system restore but Vista prompt that i don't have any. So i thought i had it turned off and checked. It's turned on but restore points just keeps disappearing. I'm on XP and Vista Dual-boot. XP on C: and Vista on F: ( same drive ). Did some research on Google and was linked to this site.

I did exactly how you explained it and it worked ! I tried Option 2 btw.

Again, i wanna thank you so much.


Have a great day !
Danny

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Danny. I'm happy to hear that you got it sorted out.

Shawn

 

[angyecarm]

I've a question:
if I work on Windows Vista it says me that Vista is on C: and XP is on D: but if I work on XP it saus me that XP is on C: and Vista is on D:

Now which letter do I use in the regeditor?

 

[Brink]

Hello Angyecarm,

While doing this tutorial in XP, you would use the D: drive letter for Vista then.

Shawn

 

[angyecarm]

Thanks!

So how can I try if it's work? This tutorial help me also with Shadow Copy?

 

[Brink]

Yep, once this is applied, it should allow Vista to start keeping all of it's restore points and shadow copies for you to use Previous Versions.

 

[angyecarm]

Ok!
So if a restart my PC and try to do a restore it must be work?

 

[Brink]

No, not yet. Vista will not have any restore points or Previous Versions yet since it is just now starting to store them. You or Vista will need to create restore points first before you can do that after applying this tutorial.

 

[angyecarm]

I've created yet!

 

[Brink]

I'm happy to hear that you can create them now.

 

[Ex_Brit]

Just out of interest and sorry to get an old thread going again. As XP can delete Vista's restore points unless modifications are made, does anyone know if the same goes for Vista in relation to Windows 7?

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

No, Vista will not delete Windows 7 restore points; but XP will delete Windows 7 points.





















Later Ted

 

[Ex_Brit]

So it was just an exclusively XP issue. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[Bare Foot Kid]

So it was just an exclusively XP issue. Thanks for the clarification.

You're welcome Peter.















Later Ted

 

[Ex_Brit]

I'd been hiding the Win 7 partition from Vista too, so now have unhidden it.

 

[nipo]

I noticed that two or more Win 7 delete each other system restore point. How to prevent this?

 

[Brink]

Hello Nipo,

Windows 7 and Vista should not delete each others restore points. This was a XP issue when dual booting with it and Windows 7 and/or Vista instead.

If you still believe this to be the case, then you can try hiding one of the Windows 7 from the other one using this same tutorial. Just substitute XP for the default Windows 7 that startups automatically to at boot.

 

[nipo]

Well, I have three HDD. Each of one have installed Windows 7. However I started windows 7 from another disk, the restore point of the first disk were deleted.