[richelles]

I have Windows XP Home and on August 9, 2007 I made a mistake removing some digital pictures from the 60 GB HD. I must have somehow deleted the entire file while trying to transfer it to a 6 GB I/O Magic USB Drive. I was told to try to use the restore feature to see if it would restore back to the previous day. When I opened the restore system the only restore point was listed as "10:34:05 AM Software Distribution Service 3.0". I tried that restore point but it came back as restoring to 1:28:27 PM Restore Operation and the photos were still gone. I tried again to restore to a point previous to the 10:34:05 AM point but couldn't get any earlier point.

I was able to find the photos on the I/O Magic USB Drive and recovered them with a program that was suggested but without the file folders they were in. I still can't find a restore point such as the installation restore points or any of the previously seen restore points several of which I had previously used.

Two of the points I had previously used were because the screen on my laptop was 90 degrees out of phase and I restored to a point before that happened.

The restore points disappeared sometime after I installed Windows Office 2007 after using Office 2003 since I got the computer. I had the automatic update enabled which I now see as a mistake because it apparently installed the offending program without my knowledge.

Is there some way to get to the original restore points on this computer? I now have a CD with XP on it that Dell finally sent but will that reinstall the restore to the installation point? We have a second computer identical to this one only it has a 40 GB HD instead of the 60 and hasn't had Office 2007 installed on it. It shows that on June 15th, 2007 at 7:44:19 PM "Software Distribution Service 2.0" was installed on it without my knowledge. It shows no restore point beyond that date What has Microsoft, in its supposed wisdom, done to my restore points and why hasn't someone asked about this bad move?

Richelles

[mphenterprises]

Hi Richelles. If I am following your concern, you are trying to recover lost files correct? If that is the case, a System Restore will not help you recover those files. System Restore only returns your computer to a previous point. This means your system settings and the removal of any programs that were installed after the date you choose.

If you were able to recover the files using a program, you should be able to burn those files to a CD. The question I have is if you were able to recover the files, where are they located within My Computer? Wherever they are, you would use that location to burn the files to a CD.

[Wainui]

Richelles,

Try this program SoftPerfect File Recovery

[richelles]

mphenterises

No my question deals with Microsoft?s program ?Software Distribution Service 3.0? which has eliminated all my earlier restore points that existed before that malicious program was installed on my computer without my consent. I want to know if there is someway to eliminate that program and/or what benefit the installation of ?Software Distribution Service 2.0 or 3.0? makes to my computer. It seems to me that eliminating, any and, all restore points before this trash program was installed on my computer isn?t to my benefit. I contacted Microsoft about this problem and their disingenuous answer wasn?t to address the bad thing that happened to my earlier restore points but that since Dell had installed XP on my computer they were my recourse in the event of a problem. Microsoft?s answer to everything is it was up to Dell to cure the problem they hadn?t caused. I contacted Dell and their solution was to send me discs for XP without any answer to my problem of lost restore points. So the original problem is still mine and I?m still seeking some way to get back to the original installation restore point to start over again in the event another malicious Microsoft program is installed on my computers.

But note the problem exists on two computers both from Dell which are almost identical. One shows version 2.0 and the other shows version 3.0, as being installed automatically, and both computers have lost the older restore points that existed before that malicious software was installed. But note in Microsoft?s instructions to ?Select a restore point? which comes up when you go to restore it says ?Possible types of restore points are: and goes on to list system checkpoints, manual restore points and installation restore points which all existed on my computer before Microsoft installed another piece of failed software on my computer.

In one sense I?m seeking to create a record so possibly a class action law suit might be brought against Microsoft which would force Microsoft to reimburse everyone who must go back and reinstall an operating system which I?ve heard could involve half a day of my time to get away from the problem Microsoft created. Had they not taken away what I paid to have installed on my computer which changed my EULA without my consent and acquiescence, which had I known of the bad outcome I wouldn?t have allowed on my computer, I wouldn?t have this problem. I know something about failure analysis and accident investigation and this is a classic case of malfeasance where they caused harm to others by their action. I know Microsoft is trying to maximize their profit and they could care less about the harm their trash software causes but I see this as a serious breach of my rights.

I just want something that worked to my benefit, i.e. going back to the original install, when my computer fails to work after some defective software is installed by the perpetrator so they would gain a benefit. So far I haven't found anyone who can explain what SDS 3.0 does that enhances my computer experiance.

Richelles

[richelles]

Wainui' Thanks for the answer but I sucesfully recovered the 8000 digital pictures but lost all the file folders they were stored inside. Someone suggested a file recovery that worked fine by restoring from what proved the be a recycle bin. This is acceptable since I can sort through and return them to a file structure based on my needs. My problem is the loss of all my restore points that were created prior to the installation, by Microsoft, of a program that undid a part of what I paid for when I bought my computer. If Microsoft has the right to change something I liked and wanted to keep then their business plan doesn't exist to keep me as a satisfied consumer. At this point I think their high handed checking my XP to see if it's still a legal copy seems excessive. How many times do they need to check this? Plus I want to know what they are installing on my computer. I don't care to help that strange firm make any more money off me. I still have my original software going back to the 80s and I think I know what kind of business they run. If they had competition they would have already filed bankruptcy.

Richelle

[mphenterprises]

Okay, I can definitely understand your frustration. However, let's step back for a few moments. First, as upset as you are that you may have lost those files, a reinstallation process does not take half a day. The process itself takes less than an hour. Depending on how many programs you had installed on your computer, the total time could reach upwards of 2-3 hours.

Now, exactly how did this application get on two separate computers? Did you get it from an Automatic Security Update from Microsoft?

I did a quick search and found this link:

http://www.microsoft...rt/articles/sus20_overview.mspx

I have never heard of Software Distribution Service, but from what I have read, it basically gives your computer the ability to automatically install critical updates on all the programs installed on your computer. This is reaching an unfamiliar area to me. So, I am going to move this Discussion into the Answer Line Community. This Community is monitored by PCWorld professionals and they may be able to answer some of these concerns.

Also, I am sure there are other forum members that may be able to answer some of your concerns in the meantime. Now, in relation to your files. You originally mentioned that you were able to recover the files. My suggestion to you is to immediately back up those files to a DVD or CD in case this issue repeats itself. You mentioned that you lost the file folders. If you were able to recover the files, the files should be somewhere within My Computer. How exactly did you recover the files and where are they now?

Now in relation to your Restore Points, unfortunately, there is nothing you can do once the points are gone. The best thing you can do at this point is to back up those files immediately.

[richelles]

mphenterises



Thank you for your cognitive answer which makes me feel someone does know something I don't know. I have quite a few programs on my laptop because I use it for many different tasks. I started with computers back in the dark ages in a nuclear plant in the early Sixties and with NASA back when Kennedy announced we were going to the moon in this decade. I had to learn when CPM, VisiCalc, word star and D-Base III ran on a Trash 80 with a three hole extension bay with 8 inch floppies. I have graduated from those early antiques to Vista and Office 2007 neither of which I'm satisfied with at this time.



I thought I had auto updates turned off on both computers and googled each thing Microsoft said I needed to install. Many times I found reasons that showed the update was valuable. However things like Windows Genuine Advantage didn't strike me as something I wanted on my computer. Dell had installed XP Home on both of our computers and both still have the sticker underneath which shows the programs to be genuine. The fact MS GA couldn't be uninstalled bothered me no end.



But then I was told, by MS, if I didn't allow MS to check that there was a purported advantage to me I couldn't run what I had paid for. Calling them to avoid installing wasn't a solution so they forced me to accept something which wasn't any advantage to me. In fact waiting while it checked before each update frustrated me totally. As I said auto update was turned off and I suspect MS installed something which changed that setting. Enough is enough from them.



I can't find anything in MS knowledge base (What a contradiction in words almost like MS Genuine Advantage) about SDS 3.0 which makes me wonder what it does. Your suggestion that it could do something useful makes me wonder why it isn't listed in Programs? Do they want to hide something? Maybe what I use my computer for so they can sell my private info?????



I was using an I/O Magic 6 GB USB Drive to move my digital pictures from my XP laptop computer to a new 320 GB Vista HP Pavilion computer. I went to My Pictures and did a select all and after opening the 6 GB USB Drive I moved the entire Group of files by dragging the selected files across. I didn't know the I/O Magic somehow had a recycle bin on it and apparently the pictures all went there. None were left on the 60 GB HD. When I discovered there were no pictures left on the laptop I was advised to use restore to a point before I made the above mentioned move. This is when I found no restore point remained from before the MS SDS 3.0 had been installed on the laptop.



I successfully found all the pictures on the 6GB USB drive and got them on the 320 GB HD HP computer. The problem was none of the many dated files were present. The digital pictures are from 6 trips to Alaska and years of research in my local National Park. They all have dates in the properties and I can put them back but the hours of time makes me furious. The program I used didn't work on the laptop because I had used the computer for a week before I discovered the loss. I was lucky they were still on the USB drive. The pictures are all on the 320 GB HD and still on another 6 GB USB drive. I intend to sort through the pictures and then replace the ones I need on the laptop. Many of the pictures are already on CDs from the past four years because I've done some amount of work with them. But the time to recover from this event has been traumatic.



My question is why did MS use a bandit program to do something I wasn't told about when it had the potential to cause me harm? If I don't trust MS to get it right and have experience to prove they seldom seem to get it right what reason do I have to trust MS? I had few problems back in the days before wee billie sold IBM a bill of goods using something he didn't invent and now no matter how hard I try to keep my computers clean they mess things up in unimaginable ways.



I hope to see some answers to this newest problem I seem to be plagued with because billie's crew doesn't seem to get the message "If it ain't broke don't fix it". Anyway my rant ends here for now.



Richelles

[mphenterprises]

Hi Richelles. Yes, this can be very frustrating. I am going to mention two points. As you know, hindsight is 20/20 so use these points for future reference:

- System Restore will not recover files. The only thing System Restore will do is reverse any system changes (registry changes) or remove any programs that may be causing a problem. Any files or folders in your computer will be untouched.

- Never "Move/Paste" any files, especially files that are valuable to you. Always "Copy/Paste." This way, if anything does go wrong with the function, you will still have the files in the original location.







I am very interested in finding out the whys and the hows as well. I am going to keep an eye on this Discussion and learn something new. Good Luck.

[richelles]

I've been researching MS's "Software Distribution Service" 2.0 and 3.0 trying to discover why there is nothing found about the program when you do a Google search. When I search my XP laptop for SDS 2.0 or 3.0 there is no such program found. The only reason I know that it exists is when I tried to go back to an earlier restore point it is listed as the first restore point I can use. Since twice in the recent past my laptop's screen had come up 90 degrees out of phase and in spite of asking around since I couldn't find any way to return it to the normal position I was obliged to use a restore point to before the out of phase occurred. But the thing that really bothers me is when it was installed? There is a time and date for a restore point where it is listed in the Restore dialog box but there is nothing in the update log to indicate anything was installed as an update by MS on that date let alone at that time. And looking back to earlier installs of MS's there isn't a word about this defective software nor what it purports to do. Then when I go to that contradiction in words, Microsoft's Knowledge Base, there is likewise nothing that can be found to explain what is happening or why it erases the restore points on my computer. So what is this program and why hasn't anyone examined it??



Several times now I've found a blurb that seems to say this updates any software I have installed on my computer automatically but is this actually a malevolent or is it a benevolent piece of software? It would be my impression, having been forced to deal with the likes of Microsoft for about thirty years now, that there isn't a decent motive in anything they have ever done to us. And if it is purported to be something we desire and need to have why is there such a deafening silence from MS? Knowing wee billie's business method's over the years since he sold IBM something he didn't own it seems he must be the world's greatest example of a con artist and if you doubt that check out the fact he sold Omaha's Buffet a bill of goods sufficient to get him to part with his billions.



I then turn to something that Howard Hughes did namely build the Glomar Explorer and sally forth to purloin a submarine that was a gravesite. And we all know body snatching is frowned on it this world by most decent people. So has wee billie thrown his lot in with the nefarious government we or some other nations have and added a secret means of watching you and I to the equation? Secrecy does strange things to the thoughts of rationale people and for governments it does worse things. I don't trust the current administration and wee biliie has also failed my smell test after picking my pocket for his tinker toy software over my lifetime and even if he did something good I'd look to see how it benefited him. What is Software Distribution Service and why isn't such an important discovery being announced with as much fanfare as Mission Accomplished?



Richelles