Comments on: Create a System Restore Point with a Desktop Shortcut

By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:33:49 +0000

I opened notepad and copied the script into it and changed the quotes to plain quotes and saved as .vbs. Followed all the instructions and kept getting error codes. I tried this over and over again. Got nowhere.

I went looking for further info, especially as to why vbs scripts don’t work on my Netbook with Win 7 starter edition. Haven’t found out why they don’t work yet.

I found a solution on a different site but credited this site (online-tech-tips) and the site where I downloaded a file to create the shortcut for me.

If not for http://www.online-tech-tips.com/, I wouldn’t have continued my pursuit for a quick way to create system restore points. I create them every time I boot up as well as every time I download and then install programs. Believe me, it’s NOT overkill.

I posted a shorter version of this on Twitter for the benefit of those looking for this and for those who don’t know they need it but they should get the hint now!

Windows 7 – System Restore Point Shortcut:
sevenforums.com/tutorials/494-system-restore-point-shortcut.html

This link shows you how to confirm that you created a system restore point. I couldn’t get the VBS script to work but I’m using the Windows 7 starter OS on my netbook.

Thank you to everyone who posted the script, adjustments to it, helpful tips and notes to make it work.

Steph

By: Peter Hopkins

Peter Hopkins — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 03:47:04 +0000

Thank you, replacing the quotes fixed the problem.

By: Morris

Morris — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 03:23:13 +0000

I’m running Win 7 64. Had fun tweaking this to get it to work. Used Katie’s suggestion for a message box. But still had the “Char” problem! So, I copied it to Word (couldn’t do a thing with the quote marks in Notepad), AFTER I turned OFF -unchecked- Replace “straight quotes” with “smart quotes”. (It’s in Word’s Windows Circle button, Word Options, Proofing, AutoCorrect Options).

Once I got that done, copied it back to Notepad, where i could save it as a .vbs file. So far so, good, but it STILL didn’t run. That’s when I remembered someone writing about running it as Admin. OK, right clicked on the icon, options, finally found the Run as a an Admin dialog box, checked. Ran it, accepted the program (win 7 is unbelievable paranoid – GOOD!)

Ran like a charm. First the Hold your horses msg box came up. Waited a few seconds, hit OK, waited a few more seconds (a minute or 2??) then a box saying the Restore Point was created came up. Piece of cake? Not quite, but enlightening, nonetheless. Thanks to all who contributed to my success.

By: Clifford

Clifford — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 03:20:09 +0000

# 18 Peter,

Look at #12 1st paragraph. Replace the quotes from example by typing them yourself.

By: Ken Mason

Ken Mason — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:16:26 +0000

Here’s a link to Single Click Restore Point, a script compiled into an EXE. It doesn’t require a VBS knowledge. This even works in Win7!

http://tec-updates.blogspot.com/2008/01/download-single-click-restore-point.html

By: Peter Hopkins

Peter Hopkins — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 20:56:19 +0000

This looks like a really good shortcut but I’m new at vbs scripts and I keep getting the following error:
Script C:\Util\SystemRestorePoint.vbs
Line 1
Char 6
Error Invalid character
Code 800A0408
Source Microsoft VBScript compilation error

This is the script I’m trying to use:
rp = “Shortcut created restore point from ” & WScript.ScriptName

GetObject(”winmgmts:\\.\root\default:Systemrestore”).CreateRestorePoint rp, 0, 100

Thanks for any help you can give me
Peter

By: esgee

esgee — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 14:42:25 +0000

Fantastic tip ! {And Cornell’s point is also good).

Had the same problem with the fancy quotes, but it worked perfectly when I replaced them in regular quotation marks.

Katie’s “messagebox” tip is great, too. Thanks everybody !!!

By: Sher

Sher — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 14:23:12 +0000

Followed directions exactly but didn’t work for me in Vista Home Premium…

By: pavid

pavid — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 20:16:38 +0000

I too had some problems with the script as presented. It seems the “fancy quotes” used by the typesetter were causing a problem both with the script and the message boxes. Once I replaced all “fancy quotes” with regular quotes everything worked fine. BTW thanks Katie for the message box idea. It’s much better than hanging in the “dark” while the script is running and never knowing when it actually finishes. I’m using Win 7.

By: simonett

simonett — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 18:53:42 +0000

I had to change the “fancy” quotation marks (slanted or curly) on this page into plain-text (straight & vertical) quotation marks. There was an error compiling the brief Visual Basic script that I copied without change from this page, until I noticed that all quotation marks on this page web remain “fancy” when copied into either Notepad or EditPad, (my favorite plain-text editor). After fixing that issue it compiled and worked beautifully. Thank You!

By: Gadgetman496

Gadgetman496 — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 17:41:55 +0000

This is still not working for me on XP! Any other ideas?

By: Clifford

Clifford — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 23:22:52 +0000

Cornell,
Different strokes for different folks. Does your way work in Vista/Win7?

I also did it “your” way when I had XP. OTT’s way in vbs is not “a lot more tedious” past the creation of the script file. One advantage is the msgbox Katie included.

By: Cornell

Cornell — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:52:56 +0000

This is how I’ve been doing it with XP for quite a while.
First, Create a System Restore shortcut and put it on the Desktop.

Afterward, whenever I want to create a restore point, it’s then very simple.
1. Click on the shortcut whenever I want to create a restore point.
2. Create a restore point.

Your way seems like a lot more tedious.

By: Clifford

Clifford — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:03:40 +0000

joetronics,
You are right. Just created this from scratch on NB and the ” from the box in Step 1 had to be replaced manually. The ones in the box do not work. Probably different character set.

Also, had “Invalid character in Line 2 col 1″. Went into the shortcut properties and gave it Run as Administrator. Worked fine.

Katie, thanks for the message box. Added another Msgbox to advise process is in action. Here is what the final vbs looks like.

rp = “Shortcut created restore point from ” & WScript.ScriptName
Msgbox(“Restore Point Being Created!…Please Wait”)
GetObject(“winmgmts:\\.\root\default:Systemrestore”).CreateRestorePoint rp, 0, 100
Msgbox(“Restore Point Created!”)

By: Katie

Katie — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 12:55:50 +0000

Cliff – try adding a message box to tell you the script worked. Just add this to a new line at the end of your script file:

Msgbox(“Restore Point Created!”)

In Windows 7, there is a bit of lag between when I click the script and when the box pops up–about 20 seconds.