Browse and restore previous versions of files in Vista: Shadow Explorer 0.4.382.0

Shadow Explorer 0.4.382.0
http://www.shadowexplorer.com

For those of us who actually are using Vista, here's a handy utility that can help us go back and restore a previous version of a file or folder. While yes, this feature is included in the Vista Ultimate and Business distributions, users of the other editions are left out in the cold.

From the ShadowExplorer website:

From time to time, Windows® Vista^TM creates point-in-time copies of your files. This allows you to retrieve older versions from files you accidentally deleted or altered. This service is turned on by default on all versions of Windows® Vista^TM, but Microsoft grants access to these copies only in Ultimate, Business, and Enterprise editions. This is where ShadowExplorer comes into play. For more information on Shadow Copy, visit Microsofts website.

So, basically, for users of Home and Basic versions of Vista, you too can have an easy way to browse for previous versions of your files on your hard disk. For Ultimate and Business Vista users, this is just another way to get to them.

Below, you can see the built-in method (for Business and Ultimate) to access the shadow copies of your files...simply right-click the folder in question and click on the 'Previous Versions' tab. Double-click the date you are interested in, and then copy your files to a new location! Easy!

Even though this feature is not available to Home and Basic users, Vista is still creating those Shadow copies for system restore purposes.

To access them, install ShadowExplorer and click the date/time drop-down and look for the file you wish to restore from your Shadow copies.


Once you find the file that you need, just right-click it> 'Export' - and that's it!

The writer of ShadowExplorer accepts donations for the project, and offers email support.

The FAQ states that this software also seems to work for Windows Server 2003.