How to Restore a Shadow Copy in Windows Vista

Windows Vista offers extensive backup and recovery capabilities, well beyond those offered by previous Windows versions. One such capability is the Shadow Copy, provided in Vista Business, Ultimate and Enterprise that allows for the restoration of previous versions of files and folders in the event that unwanted changes are made in a "live" version. Shadow Copies are created on a daily basis and whenever a System Restore Point is created.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Windows Vista Business, Ultimate or Enterprise

1. Confirm that Shadow Copies are enabled. Click "Start," then right-click on "Computer" and select "Properties." Make sure that the drive for which you want Shadow Copies to apply is checked under "Create restore points automatically on the selected disks." The Shadow Copy feature works in conjunction with the System Restore capability; if the latter is turned off, Shadow Copies will not be generated. Make sure to select all drives for which you would like Shadow Copies enabled if you have more than one drive or partition.
2. Access a Shadow Copy. Select "Start" and click on "Documents." Navigate to the folder where the file to be restored resides. Ensure that the file is not open. Right-click on the file, select "Properties," and then choose the "Previous Versions" tab. A list of available Shadow Copies, by date, will be displayed. The "Previous Versions" dialog can also be accessed directly by right-clicking on a file and selecting "Restore previous versions."
3. Open a Shadow Copy. Right-click on the desired copy and select "Open." Edit the file as required, and either save to a location different from the other most recent copy or overwrite it.
4. Copy a Shadow Copy. Right-click on the desired copy and choose "Copy," then select a location for the new file. This will be a completely different copy from the other more recent copy and can be edited and saved as desired without affecting the original.
5. Restore a Shadow Copy. Right-click on the desired copy and choose "Restore." This will open the Shadow Copy in place of the original, thus overwriting it. It will be impossible to restore the copy over which the Shadow Copy was restored.
6. Clean up Shadow Copies. Shadow Copies can consume large amounts of storage space. To remove Shadow Copies to reduce storage use, click on "Start," then type "Disk" in the search field. Choose "Disk Cleanup" from the top of the search window, and select the appropriate disk. Once Disk Cleanup has finished analyzing the drive, select the "More Options" tab from the resulting dialog. Click on "Clean Up" under "System Restore and Shadow Copies." If you wish to delete all but the most recent restore point and Shadow Copies, select "Delete." Otherwise, choose "Cancel."

Tips & Warnings

• Shadow Copies also exist for entire folders, and the same steps can be used to work with them. If a Shadow Copy of a folder is restored, then all files within the folder are also restored.

Who Can Help:

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