Do I need Windows System Restore running?
Can I just disable the default Windows System Restore service?
I have Comodo Time Machine right?
Or Is CTM dependant on Windows System Restore service?
No it’s not, you can disable WSR if you like.
WSR will also cause CTM snapshots to be come larger because CTM monitors also the System Restore data movements…
Also please be aware that disk defragmentation is useless on a CTM device cause CTM will record all defragmentation as file changes and therefore will cause a large snapshot to be monitored…
So, there will be no negative side effects with regard to performance or security if I go to Adminstrative Tools - Services and disable System restore?
Why is it not disable by default?
It’s better to disable the monitoring of the disk for System Restore on the settings tab.
Well if you wish to travel in time with CTM you don’t need System Restore.
After I disable the Windows Restore,
Why did you say that I shouldn’t defrag my system?
Is there any way to defrag? Boot Time?
Just because it’s an average misunderstanding CTM and defrag.
What CTM does is monitor all disk activity and create a tracking log of it. So if you “defrag” you change data on disk, that what CTM monitors and “captures” for it’s snapshot. So e.g. defrag causes your snapshot size to increase dramatically.
There is no other solution then to uninstall CTM if you wish to defrag and re-install again after it…
I wouldn’t mind taking the time cause fragmentation hardly creates slowdowns on the average computer systems (assuming relatively recent hardware is used).
If, I uninstall Comodo Time Machine, will my snapshots also get deleted?
Yep - all of them.
You would need to reset the baseline snapshot to your most recent one, reboot and then uninstall.
Can someone else please confirm this sequence before the user proceeds?
IMHO, given the speed of most relatively modern equipment, defragging does not produce the same degree of performance increase that it used to.
Ewen 
As far as I know this is the correct procedure…
First reset the baseline (it’s writes all changed “permanent” to disk).
Then Uninstall.
I’m not sure if the current uninstall routine has this onboard…
I only need a single snapshot - I did a fresh Windows install and installed CTM and it automatically created a locked snapshot.
Since I only need that initial locked snapshot and need not make anymore snapshots
Can I defrag? Does defrag increase the size of the initial locked snapshot?
What is the difference between a locked snapshot and other one?
Providing you don’t care about any programs installed after CTM or any data generated after CTM was installed, then you can uninstall and it will rollback to the system status that existed when the initial snapshot was taken.
Can I defrag? Does defrag increase the size of the initial locked snapshot?No, you should not defrag while CTM is installed. The performance increase is minimal. The size of hte locked snapshot does not increase - it is locked. CTM will create additional snapshots because of the file system interaction with whatever defragger you use.
What is the difference between a locked snapshot and other one?
Locked ones can’t be modified or simply deleted.
Ewen
It’s not necessary, i.e., you can uninstall directly to the current state (uninstall to).
But, you’re right, I always do a two-step uninstallation: first update the baseline and then uninstall.
Thanks for the feedback Tech :-TU
You’re welcome.
That procedure assures the user will have the updated baseline if anything goes wrong during uninstallation. I’ve asked doskey this two-step uninstall procedure. But he couldn’t (or don’t want) to listen me (yet).
I have installed CTM to my test machine so I only need it to restore to the fresh install of Windows at which point I have already made a locked snapshot
So,
If disk changes are monitored by CTM extremely, Can I use Ccleaner? especially the clean free space feature?
Can I use any cleaning app?
You can’t really do anything with the free space once you have installed CTM, as CTM assumes it has free rein.
Ewen
This is becoming a drag for me 8)
So I can’t use Ccleaner?
and I can’t defrag?
But what is the ‘Compact’ option for?
I saw it under -Advanced - Settings - Protection Settings
After I defrag, can i just click it to reduce the size?
No. The technologies are incompatible.
You need to understand that the free space is where the snapshots are kept…
You can clean (delete) files. You can erase files.
You can’t erase the free space. Well, you can, but you’ll mess your computer.