System Restore seems to scheduled a snapshot once per day, called a “System Checkpoint”. However, SR can also be triggered by the installation of software, some OS configuration changes, some OS updates, etc. That is, restore points may get recorded automatically. Rather than have the user remember to create a manually initiated snapshot before doing a program install, it would be handy if CTM noticed that SR got triggered to save a restore point and then also do its own snapshot. Restore points don’t work very often and do not include the user’s data files so a CTM snapshot would be preferrable. However, automatic snapshots would also be very handy to eliminate the user forgetting to create one before a major change. Triggering a CTM snapshot when SR gets triggered to create a restore point would provide some means of automating the creation of snapshots.
While CTM recommends in their FAQs to disable SR to save on disk space and OS resources, it doesn’t appear that CTM will ever notice a software installation, Windows Update patch or service pack installation, or any of the many softwares out there that will offer to save a restore point before their installation continues. By monitoring SR for when it creates restore points (other than the daily System Checkpoint restore point), CTM could provide better protection and recovery than SR alone but SR would still need to be running and enabled for CTM to see the event of creating a restore point (unless CTM could be coded to intercept the calls to the SR service to create a restore point or substitute itself as a SR service replacement).