Windows System Restore: Does It Really Work? (xp Sp3)
If your computer stops working properly, Windows System Restore can help you get it working again
. The System Restore program creates "restore points" on a regular basis as long as it is turned on, and the restore points generally go back for approximately 90 days. Restore points can also be created manually at any time, and it is a good idea to create one prior to installing a new program or Windows driver.
You can get to System Restore by clicking Start, then All Programs, then Accessories, System Tools, System Restore (Windows Vista and 7 vary somewhat from these directions). You can either add a new restore point or turn the system back to a previously created point. To create a new restore point, click "Create a restore point" in the System Restore program and then click Next. The system will make the restore point for you - it will take several seconds to complete.
To restore your computer to a previous time, select "Restore my computer to an earlier time" in the interface. Choose the date that you would like to restore your computer to - the dates that are in bold on the calendar are days that restore points exist for. After you click the date, select which restore point you would like to use (there may be more than 1 for each day). After you have clicked on which one you wish to use, click Next. Your computer will restart, and then it will tell you if the System Restore was successful.
System Restore can also be turned on and off through the Control Panel. To maintain your System Restore points it is a good idea to turn off the System Restore about once a year (this will delete all previous restore points) and then turn it back on again. You can also choose how much hard drive space is used for the restore points: the default is about 12%. To perform this maintenance, go into the Control Panel and then double-click System (if Classic view is enabled). Select the System Restore tab. To turn System Restore off, Check the box to do so, and click Ok. All restore points will be deleted. To turn it on, un-check the box and click Ok. You can move the slider to tell the system how much of the drive space to use for the restore points.
With all of the good that System Restore does (which is especially helpful under certain circumstances), it is not perfect. If a virus or spyware trojan infects the system, System Restore may not be accessible or work properly. As a matter of fact, some viruses infect restore points so they all need to be deleted prior to attempting a fix. Restore points can also become corrupt which then causes the restore points near it to become corrupt as well. You will know if your restore points are corrupt because either they won't show up on the dates they were made, or the System Restore process will fail when you attempt it. Unfortunately, however, System Restore gives no warning when the restore points are corrupt.
If your system is infected by a virus or spyware trojan, it is still possible to access System Restore through a boot disk. If you have your original Windows disk, you can use the Recovery Console to access System Restore. Directions for this are given
here. You may also make a boot disk to use so you can access System Restore. This is handy for OEM computers such as HP, Toshiba, Sony, and others where the XP operating system disk is part of a complete recovery program. Furthermore, here is additional information on System Restore should you desire
more. Google search "Barts PE Boot disk" for information on creating a boot CD for Windows.
What it does and what it doesn't do: System Restore will restore the registry files and other system files that make Windows work. Therefore, any programs that you installed since the date of the restore point will not work and therefore will need to be reinstalled. System Restore does not remove or add files to the hard drive. Therefore if you uninstalled a program and the files are gone on the hard drive, restoring the registry may make Windows 'think' a program is still there when it really isn't. This can cause problems, too; a registry cleaner such as Ccleaner may be needed to help with this issue.
The idea behind System Restore is sound - if Windows has a problem or becomes corrupt, you can restore it to a previous time. System Restore has been used successfully by myself many times, especially in cases where a spyware trojan caused major problems with the system and still does not work properly even after removing the trojan. However, System Restore can cause problems because it does not keep knowledge of program that were installed. I received a call from a customer recently who used System Restore and lost 8 months worth of programs since the only restore point he had was from 8 months prior (a very unusual situation). He ended up spending all day reinstalling his programs. I then advised that he turn off his System Restore to clean out the database and turn it back on again. Finally I advised he check a week later to verify that System Restore was making good restore points again - which he will do.
by: David Glick
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