Yes, I understand this. Tomorrow I'll post also all found related Registry entry here. In the meantime, have you also set up the service I indicated previously to Manual and deleted the SR task? Create an image of your Windows partition and try it soon instead.
Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider (swprv) service > Manual = It turns itself on any time it likes. Setting it to disabled prevents System Restore from working but spits out Event Viewer errors every time it "wants" to run or other random VSS related events I don't know about. Delete "SystemRestore\SR" task = Was already done by Slimdown10, and/but I have deleted it, and the System Restore folder it was in before, and it just recreates itself and comes back (When SR turns itself on?). So I've taken to leaving the Task but disabling it (because when it recreates itself, it does so in the enabled state), which still does not totally prevent SR from turning itself on and running.
What you describe does seem strange enough, but there must be an explanation. Of course I can say about what I see here and not about what you have there. However, what I can add to what has already been said is the following: since the only two Registry entries that are significant here are these Code: Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\SystemRestore] "DisableSR"=dword:00000001 "DisableConfig"=dword:00000001 I just tried to set those entries to "0" and I had been able to set the C:\ partition to ON without even having to first reboot. Then I set the entries to "1" again and all the buttons become greyed out again, but the setting of C:\ to ON remains, of course. Anyway, since the Volume Shadow Copy (VSS) service may be necessary for other tasks I would not disable it, but I would set it to Manual. Then I would also set the "Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider" (swprv) service to Manual as already reported. Then I would set the two entries in the registry already widely mentioned to "0". I would go into "Settings > System > About > System Protection" and set all your partitions to OFF and then click "Configure" and delete all previous restore points (if any). Then I would set the two entries back to "1" in the Registry. If the SR task is also deleted/disabled I don't know why SR should re-enable itself.
I am guessing certain driver packages or Windows updates themselves have a "create restore point" setting that is force enabling system Restore. As for all that in the previous post, it's pretty much what I do normally, but SR will eventually turn itself on. I don't think there is anything that works to prevent it other than nuking volume shadow copy, which I prefer not to do. I think you were right, I found other sources that mentioned it with the "DisableSR" switch. I'm not sure how it differs from the other location with that same setting though. System wide vs User? Don't know. Never the less, it still turned itself back on when installing a driver. Ugh!
Yeah, I'm getting a bit confused which entries we are talking about now at this point. I was referring to the two "DisableSR" settings I've seen mentioned: ...This one(two), the usual and correct setting (gpedit sets these): [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\SystemRestore] "DisableSR"=dword:00000001 = disables SR (same as gpedit), but on my rig it is ignored at some point and turns back on even with this setting still set in gpedit/regedit! "DisableConfig"=dword:00000001 = Just greys out the config dialog as intended, but I have to reset this one to "0" to be able to get back in and delete the unwanted SR points it creates. It does not help with preventing SR self activating. ...And this one, not sure about, but was testing anyway, did not solve the problem so probably pointless/incorrect: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore] "DisableSR"=dword:00000001 = did not seem to hurt or help, I'm abandoning this one.
In summary, what works here is the following What I can add is that I've installed Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 21H2 19044.4412 through Slimdown10 enabling "Windows Store, Desktop Appx Installer and Windows Update". Also, I've Windows Defender completely disabled and all settings in Windows Security disabled (even those that have a green checkmark). Is the above related to the fact that here System Restore does not enable itself even after Windows Updates or drivers installation? No idea, though.
Sounds almost identical to how I set mine up. After all my testing, the reg and system settings you mention are pretty much the only ones that aren't overkill or just otherwise not helpful, so yup, I agree. Probably in my case, I just use something that most other people don't that is triggering SR to "self activate". Like that particular M-Audio M-Track driver, or the "Visual C++ 2012" installers it contains and installs, even if a newer version of them is already installed. Oh well, I guess I'll just use the known good settings and keep checking for it to turn itself on and re-nuke it any time it activates. Thanks to all who tried to help.
I think that you could even create a small batch file that sets the 2 "DisableSR" registry entries to "0" and the 2 services "Microsoft Software Shadow Copy Provider (swprv)" and "Volume Shadow Copy (vss)" to Manual. Maybe to save yourself some boring things to do. Just sayin'...
Dude Guyman: Call vssadmin.exe to the rescue! It may reveal which app is triggering the service. At the command prompt: Check Status: - vssadmin list providers Check available VSS providers. - vssadmin list writers Shows the VSS Writers used for each backup type and the service that controls these Writers. Manage shadow copies: - vssadmin list shadows Shows all available shadow copies: - vssadmin delete shadows /all /quiet Deletes all shadow copies (restore points) without prompt.
I do that with a .REG file, but if you mean a script that auto runs to take care of it, it would not work because those settings never change. System Restore comes on and creates a restore point WHILE those settings, and many related GPEDIT settings are still set to "off"! That is my main beef. It does not change those settings then run, it ignores them. To "re-nuke" it, I have to undo the "DisableConfig" setting so I can access the SR dialog, delete restores, slide it to use minimum space, and disable System Restore again. All the while the registry and gpedit say "System Restore disabled = YES". I'll try that! Edit: I tried by installing the M-Audio driver that triggered it the other day, so I could then run the commands and see what came up vs the result from just before, while SR was off. Checked = off install m-audio driver Checked = off reboot Checked = off ran m-audio console Checked = off Ugh! So f'n random. This time I can't trigger it. I hate "issues" like this that appear totally random. which is why this has plagued me for years. I think I fixed it, then 3 months later... "Why is my hard drive footprint suddenly bigger?" SR Checked = ON! PS: In case anyone is thinking I run a virus/malware scanner, driver updater, or any other auto run sort of crap, I do not. I am very particular about performance and not allowing anything other than a required driver or something to start with Windows. I check every program I install for "auto update" settings (even hidden ones in .INI files) and disable them as well. I regularly check all the "Windows\CurrentVersion\Run" reg areas, Start Menu > Startup folders, Scheduled Tasks, etc. for crap trying to "save me time" or "make things faster" or "check for update". Gpedit.msc for "preload" crap, Allow MS Edge to pre-launch, Allow MS Edge to start and load the Start and New Tab page, and the like.
Wait a moment, right now it could be that you fixed the settings by eliminating the redundant ones and setting 2 services as Manual and now it just works as expected... However, just for my information, when it re-enabled automatically itself, Is it just for the system partition or other partitions as well? Please, look at this https://forums.mydigitallife.net/threads/windows-10-hotfix-repository.57050/page-741#post-1842358 It could be a possibility. Out of curiosity, do you happen to use BitLocker for any volume?
1. It's not fixed, it's just "random". I currently only have all the normal settings disabling SR, the ones that are made by gpedit.msc, same as always. The others did not work, so I abandoned using them. 2. When it re-enables itself, it's just for the Windows drive C:\ 3. The extra space is caused by the Restore Points created (I just delete them) After Windows Updates, I run Wise Disk Cleaner, then "Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup /ResetBase", delete the contents of "...\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download" and "...Windows\servicing\LCU" (1 - 1.5 GB), then run DISM++ to clean it up even more. 4. No Bitlocker, no Defender, no System Restore, Syncing, File History, Offline Files, Windows Updates, Cortana, Indexing, Defragging etc. etc. etc. etc.