Creating a System Restore Point

Problem/Question/Abstract:

The following example demonstrates how to create and cancel restore points.

Answer:

To create a new System Restore Point in Windows XP, click Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore.

The following two examples show two ways how to do this with Delphi.

{*****************************************************}
{1. Using the Microsoft Scripting Control}

  {
  If you haven't installed the Microsoft Scripting Control yet
  (TScriptControl component), get it
  from http://www.msdn.microsoft.com/scripting/

  Once you've downloaded and run the installation, start Delphi and go to the
  Component | Import ActiveX Control... menu.
  Select "Microsoft Script Control 1.0" from the Listbox amd click "Install"
  to install the component into Delphi's palette.
  What you should end up with now is a TScriptControl component on your ActiveX tab.
  Start a new application, and drop a TButton, and a
  TScriptControl onto the main form.
  In the OnClick event of Button1, put the following code:
  }

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
  sr: OLEVAriant;
begin
  ScriptControl1.Language := 'VBScript';
  sr := ScriptControl1.Eval('getobject("winmgmts:\\.\root\default:Systemrestore")');
  if sr.CreateRestorePoint('Automatic Restore Point', 0, 100) = 0 then
    ShowMessage('New Restore Point successfully created.')
  else
    ShowMessage('Restore Point creation Failed!');
end;

{*****************************************************}
{2. Using the SRSetRestorePoint() API from SrClient.dll}

// Translation from SRRestorePtAPI.h
const
  // Type of Event
  BEGIN_SYSTEM_CHANGE = 100;
  END_SYSTEM_CHANGE = 101;
  // Type of Restore Points
  APPLICATION_INSTALL = 0;
  CANCELLED_OPERATION = 13;
  MAX_DESC = 64;
  MIN_EVENT = 100;

  // Restore point information
type
  PRESTOREPTINFOA = ^_RESTOREPTINFOA;
  _RESTOREPTINFOA = packed record
    dwEventType: DWORD; // Type of Event - Begin or End
    dwRestorePtType: DWORD; // Type of Restore Point - App install/uninstall
    llSequenceNumber: INT64; // Sequence Number - 0 for begin
    szDescription: array[0..MAX_DESC] of CHAR;
      // Description - Name of Application / Operation
  end;
  RESTOREPOINTINFO = _RESTOREPTINFOA;
  PRESTOREPOINTINFOA = ^_RESTOREPTINFOA;

  // Status returned by System Restore

  PSMGRSTATUS = ^_SMGRSTATUS;
  _SMGRSTATUS = packed record
    nStatus: DWORD; // Status returned by State Manager Process
    llSequenceNumber: INT64; // Sequence Number for the restore point
  end;
  STATEMGRSTATUS = _SMGRSTATUS;
  PSTATEMGRSTATUS = ^_SMGRSTATUS;

function SRSetRestorePointA(pRestorePtSpec: PRESTOREPOINTINFOA; pSMgrStatus:
  PSTATEMGRSTATUS): Bool;
  stdcall; external 'SrClient.dll' Name 'SRSetRestorePointA';

// Example how to create and cancel a previous restore point.
// Ref: http://tinyurl.com/78pv

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
const
  CR = #13#10;
var
  RestorePtSpec: RESTOREPOINTINFO;
  SMgrStatus: STATEMGRSTATUS;
begin
  // Initialize the RESTOREPOINTINFO structure
  RestorePtSpec.dwEventType := BEGIN_SYSTEM_CHANGE;
  RestorePtSpec.dwRestorePtType := APPLICATION_INSTALL;
  RestorePtSpec.llSequenceNumber := 0;
  RestorePtSpec.szDescription := 'SAMPLE RESTORE POINT';

  if (SRSetRestorePointA(@RestorePtSpec, @SMgrStatus)) then
  begin
    ShowMessage('Restore point set. Restore point data:' + CR +
      'Sequence Number: ' + Format('%d', [SMgrStatus.llSequenceNumber]) + CR +
      'Status: ' + Format('%u', [SMgrStatus.nStatus]));

    // Restore Point Spec to cancel the previous restore point.
    RestorePtSpec.dwEventType := END_SYSTEM_CHANGE;
    RestorePtSpec.dwRestorePtType := CANCELLED_OPERATION;
    RestorePtSpec.llSequenceNumber := SMgrStatus.llSequenceNumber;

    // This is the sequence number returned by the previous call.
    // Canceling the previous restore point
    if (SRSetRestorePointA(@RestorePtSpec, @SMgrStatus)) then
      ShowMessage('Restore point canceled. Restore point data:' + CR +
        'Sequence Number: ' + Format('%d', [SMgrStatus.llSequenceNumber]) + CR +
        'Status: ' + Format('%u', [SMgrStatus.nStatus]))

    else
      ShowMessage('Couldn''t cancel restore point.');
  end
  else
    ShowMessage('Couldn''t set restore point.');
end;
end;