How the System Restore Utility Uses Drive Letters

This article describes how you can use the System Restore utility to alphabetize drive letters and how you can configure the System Restore utility to exclude drives.

You can use the System Restore utility to exclude the drive letters that you do not want monitored whenever changes occur. The System Restore utility also enables you to specify the amount of hard disk space that is available to track any changes.

Drive letters are listed in the following order:

• The system drive is listed first, followed by the remaining drives in alphabetical order.
• The system drive is the drive in which Windows is installed or from which Windows runs. The system drive is listed first because it cannot be excluded without disabling the System Restore utility. Non-system drives can be individually configured and excluded from the System Restore utility.

To configure or to exclude a drive from the System Restore utility, perform the following steps:

1. Click Start and click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, click System or click Performance and Maintenance, and then click System.
3. Click the System Restore tab, and then select the drive that you want to configure or to exclude.
4. Click the Settings button and make the changes you want.

For further information on how to manage and configure the System Restore utility by means of a program, refer to the Software Development Kit (SDK).