Why is System Restore off by default for many users in Windows 10?

It's disabled by default for all users for at least two reasons that I can think of:

1- It always had limited usefulness and does not compare to doing a proper backup.

2- It was widely misunderstood.

3- With Windows-as-a-service, restore points have a limited and arbitrary life.

Oops, did I say two reasons?

All of that makes sense from a home user perspective, but from an enterprise perspective it doesn't work for me. Taking a snapshot before critical updates are installed makes sense in case something goes bad. The Windows 10 method of "reset your pc" means re-installing a bunch of enterprise software, which is time consuming and not desirable.

So restore points definitely had their uses previously and I don't see something that truly replaces this functionality in 10.

That leaves me wondering what the scenario here actually is.

1. Is there a process that makes/will make restore points truly redundant and unnecessary?

2. Do restore points cause more harm than good in windows 10 where they are not advisable in an enterprise?

3. What does Microsoft recommend as a best practice for enterprises regarding restore points? The default is off, suggesting that as the recommendation.

4. Is it as simple as a method to save disk space for users under a certain drive size?

This is a pretty significant change with significant impact for an enterprise. Microsoft really should take a stance and make it known what they recommend and why they made the change.

System restore was for home users. Enterprises should be using more robust tools.

1. Is there a process that makes/will make restore points truly redundant and unnecessary?

Yes - backing up with disk images. Home users can do that too. I've been making automatic overnight images for years.

2. Do restore points cause more harm than good in windows 10 where they are not advisable in an enterprise?

They make no sense for an enterprise.

3. What does Microsoft recommend as a best practice for enterprises regarding restore points? The default is off, suggesting that as the recommendation.

I don't know what Microsoft recommends, if anything. Nobody here represents Microsoft. Backing up has been standard procedure for years.  Backing up with incremental disk imaging is simple (once you understand,) quick and easy.

4. Is it as simple as a method to save disk space for users under a certain drive size?

Sorry, I don't understand what you're asking.

I appreciate your attempt at answering this, but I am looking for someone with a little more insight on the Microsoft side.

1. Your suggestion that an enterprise deploy a complete disk image backup process for every workstation in the enterprise is extreme when there is a feature (restore points) that accomplishes the same security without requiring any effort on the IT side.

2. You've provided no evidence that they don't make sense for an enterprise. We have been using restore points for years to restore corrupt update scenarios quite successfully. It's a minimal amount of effort and has saved me from having to rebuild many, many machines.

3. Microsoft reps/insiders ARE represented on these forums and often answer questions. I engage with them often.

4. There is a lot of speculation that this setting was turned off on devices to save disk space. Specifically because of devices like the surface pro that ship with as little as 64 gb drives. If that speculation is accurate, then I can safely turn it back on without any further concern. However I can't find any documentation to back this up.

If you do a bing/google search on this topic, you will find a large number of users that have the same question and the consensus is to "just turn it back on". I'd like to know more about why it was turned off before I make that executive decision.

I am just finding this out also, I am surprised this is the default behavior in Windows 10, I have fixed so many friends PC's after they got a virus by using system restore in the last several years, I am shocked it is now off by default, since most those people had no idea it was there in the first place and now will be totally hosed.

I generally find that Microsoft is really very bad at deciding things like this, It took me searching google to find "Microsoft Update" on Windows 10, why they moved it from the Control panel is nuts, and even if they did, a search in the control panel for "update" does not even help you. Things like that are crazy considering they pay people lots of money to make Windows better.

1. Your suggestion that an enterprise deploy a complete disk image backup process for every workstation in the enterprise is extreme when there is a feature (restore points) that accomplishes the same security without requiring any effort on the IT side. same question and the consensus is to "just turn it back on". I'd like to know more about why it was turned off before I make that executive decision. 

Seriously?

It's disabled by default for all users for at least two reasons that I can think of:

1- It always had limited usefulness and does not compare to doing a proper backup.

2- It was widely misunderstood.

3- With Windows-as-a-service, restore points have a limited and arbitrary life.

Oops, did I say two reasons?

all three of these reasons are complete bs ;)

I recommend you ask a moderator to move this post (or post a new one) to TechNet for better help

for Enterprise questions.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/feedback/forum/fdbk_commsite-mods/

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-us/home

Unfortunately, I no longer work for an enterprise but my question still persists. When i support friends and family, the answer to this matters. When I support the local businesses i support, this matters.