Windows XP System Restore. Updated: December 0. By Melissa Wise. This article is from the September 2. Windows & . NET Magazine. Microsoft OSs have typically included utilities that help you recover systems that become unstable or crash, but Windows XP's System Restore goes much further.
System Restore reinstates the registry, local profiles, the COM+ database, the Windows File Protection (WFP) cache (wfp. Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) database, the Microsoft IIS metabase, and files that the utility copies by default into a Restore archive. You can't specify what to restore: it's all or nothing.
On This Page. Understanding System Restore. Creating a Restore Point. Restoring a System. Troubleshooting. Understanding System Restore.
System Restore's purpose is to return your system to a workable state without requiring a complete reinstallation and without compromising your data files. The utility runs in the background and automatically creates a restore point when a trigger event occurs. Trigger events include application installations, Auto. Update installations, Microsoft Backup Utility recoveries, unsigned- driver installations, and manual creations of restore points.
![System Restore Cleanup Vista System Restore Cleanup Vista](http://www.computerstepbystep.com/wpimages/wp94c828aa_01.png)
The utility also creates restore points once a day by default. System Restore requires 2. MB of free hard disk space, which the utility uses to create a data store. If you don't have 2. MB of free space, System Restore remains disabled until the space becomes available, at which point the utility enables itself.
![System Restore Cleanup Vista System Restore Cleanup Vista](http://www.infobazar.ro/files/image/calculatoare/system-restore-2.jpg)
System Restore uses a first in/first out (FIFO) storage scheme: The utility purges old archives to make room for new ones when the data store reaches a set limit. The file types that System Restore monitors are many but include most of the extensions that you typically see when you install new software (e. Note that only application installations that use a System Restore restorept. Typically, system recoveries are easiest when you know *or think you know* what caused the problem (e. In some cases, System Restore might not be the best choice for correcting a problem you're experiencing. System Restore changes many different files and registry entries, and in some cases might replace too much and actually cause more problems than it solves. For example, say you install Office XP, which triggers System Restore to create a restore point, and the software suite works great.
Later in the day, you download and install an updated video driver, and because the driver is signed, the installation doesn't trigger System Restore to create a restore point. Now your system hangs on occasion, and you believe that the video driver is the culprit. In this case, you should use the Device Driver Rollback utility because it will address the device- driver problem only and not change anything else on your system. System Restore would roll your computer back to a pre. Office XP state, and you would have to reinstall the entire software suite after you resolved the driver problem. Creating a Restore Point.
Windows XP automatically creates restore points when you would typically need them most. However, occasions arise when you might want to create restore points manually*for example, if you're installing an application that you're not sure will be stable on Windows XP, if you're unsure whether an application is System Restore restorept. For example, I wanted to install Crystal Decisions' Crystal Reports Professional 7, but because that version is several years old, I wasn't sure how well it would run on Windows XP. I decided to create a restore point before installing the software. I clicked Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore.
Creating a Restore Point. Windows XP automatically creates restore points when you would typically need them most. However, occasions arise when you might. Learn how to use Disk Cleanup to delete files you no longer need. System Restore and. In some editions of Windows Vista, restore points can include. System Restore is a system recovery feature of Windows that creates snapshots, or restore points, of the state of your computer at various intervals or before you. How to Delete System Restore Files. System restore allows you to set your computer back to a previous date when it was working correctly if something goes wrong with. Get a brief explanation about how System Restore can restore your computer settings to an earlier date. Windows 7 and Vista has a feature called System Restore that automatically backs up registry and system files whenever you install new software or drivers. System Restore is a feature in Microsoft Windows that allows the user to revert their computer's state (including system files, installed applications, Windows.
![System Restore Cleanup Vista System Restore Cleanup Vista](http://www.gearhack.com/docs/How%20To%20Remove%20Spyware.%20Trojan%20Horse.%20and%20Virus%20from%20Your%20Computer%20Using%20Windows%20XP%20System%20Restore.html.files.hidden/System%20Restore.png)
A Welcome screen appeared, and System Restore asked whether I wanted to restore or create a restore point. I chose Create a restore point and clicked Next. I named my restore point Before Crystal Reports, as Figure 1 shows, and clicked Create. Figure 1: Name restore points so that you can easily identify them later.
After the utility collected all the information it needed, it displayed the Restore Point Created screen, which Figure 2 shows. I closed the utility to end the process. Figure 2: Restoring a System. Having created a restore point, I could install Crystal Reports on my Windows XP machine with the confidence of knowing that I could restore my system if anything went wrong.
Time Required: Using the System Restore tool to undo/reverse changes in Windows usually takes anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, at least in most cases.
![System Restore Cleanup Vista System Restore Cleanup Vista](http://assets.malwarehelp.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Windows-vista-system-restore-1.jpg)
During the installation, several error messages reported that the system couldn't find a particular DLL. The installation finished, and Crystal Reports didn't start. I was immediately glad that I'd created the restore point. Before performing a restore, I used the Crystal Reports uninstallation program to try to delete the application's program files and registry entries, but the procedure overlooked one registry entry. Instead of deleting the registry entry manually, which could destabilize the system, I decided to use System Restore to restore the registry safely.
Learn how to use Disk Cleanup in Windows Vista to delete files you no longer need and reclaim storage space on your.
I started the System Restore utility. At the Welcome screen, I chose Restore my computer to an earlier time, then clicked Next. To prompt me to select a restore point, the utility presented the various options in a calendar format, which Figure 3 shows. The calendar format lets you click through dates and see the existing restore points. Restore points that System Restore creates appear as System Checkpoint. Figure 3: I clicked July 2. Before Crystal Reports restore point that I had created earlier.
I selected that restore point and clicked Next, then confirmed the restore point selection and clicked Next again. System Restore closed all programs and proceeded with the restoration.
![System Restore Cleanup Vista System Restore Cleanup Vista](http://www.udel.edu/it_static/files/help/security/anti-virus/protection.gif)
The computer then rebooted. I logged back on, and the Restoration Complete screen appeared to let me know the restore was finished and had succeeded, as Figure 4 shows. Figure 4: I then checked the hard disk and the registry and found no sign of Crystal Reports. In addition, the files I created between installing and restoring my system remained on my system.
My data files were safe, and the system was stable. If your system no longer boots to the OS, start the computer and press the F8 key as Windows begins to run. When the Windows Advanced Options menu appears, choose Last Known Good Configuration and press Enter. If the damage isn't too bad, a boot menu will appear, and you can select Microsoft Windows XP, then press Enter. Windows XP will restore the computer to the most recent restore point. If a restoration fails to resolve a problem, System Restore lets you try to select another restore point or undo the restoration. So, if you chose the wrong restore point earlier, you get a chance to correct your mistake.
Remember, performing a restore is one of the events that triggers the system to create a restore point. Now you know why. Troubleshooting. I've found System Restore to be stable and reliable.
However, as with most programs, you might occasionally experience problems with System Restore. Should you need to disable it, you can do so (for details, see the sidebar "Disabling System Restore").
But first, try troubleshooting: Read any error messages and address any issues that the messages identify. Check your hard disks for free space. You must have at least 2. MB of free space on each disk on which you've enabled System Restore.
You can use the Disk Cleanup utility to reclaim space. If necessary, you can also use this utility to delete all but the most recent restore point. Confirm that the System Restore service is running.
Try to run the utility in Safe mode. Check the System log for any errors that relate to sr or srservice. If these steps don't help, run srdiag.
Srdiag creates a . You can double- click the file or right- click it and choose Extract. You can then examine the 1. System Restore's scope, ease of use, and reliability are impressive. It's a useful utility that power users, technical support staff, and administrators should familiarize themselves with. System Restore has the potential to significantly reduce administrator work and user downtime. Try a sample issue of Windows & .
NET Magazine at: https: //secure. Code=WI2. 01. XTN. Windows & . NET Magazine UPDATE is a free email newsletter containing news, tips and other resources for Windows IT Professionals. Subscribe now at http: //email. В© 2. 00. 2 Windows & . NET Magazine. All rights reserved.
Windows Vista System Restore Guide. Table of Contents. Introduction to System Restore.
System Restore is a system recovery feature of Windows that creates snapshots, or restore points, of the state of your computer at various intervals or before you perform a certain task. These restore points can then be used to restore your computer back to the state it was in when they were taken. When these restore points are created, and restored, the only files affected are the Windows Registry, programs, and system files. Your data such as spreadsheets, documents, images, and music remain untouched between restores. You may be wondering why you would want to restore your computer to a previous point. The reason being that there comes a time in every computer user's life that they install a new program, install a new driver, or just turn on the computer and find it no longer works as it did the day before. You have no idea why, can't resolve the problems, and are left with two options.
You can either backup your data, reinstall the operating system, and then reinstall all your applications or you can restore your computer to a previous snapshot in the hopes that the problems will now be gone. By using System Restore to restore your computer to a previously known working state you can save considerable time or money compared to reinstalling the entire computer. System Restore points are automatically created when the following actions occur. When you install a new application or driver.
When you uninstall or install certain programs. When you install new updates. Automatically on a daily interval. By manually creating one. If you choose to use system restore to restore to a previous restore point, system restore will create a new restore point prior to restoring a previous state in case something goes wrong. If you restore to a previous state in Safe Mode, a restore point will not be created for the current state.
In order for System Restore to work you must have 3. MB of free space for each hard disk that System Restore is monitoring. System Restore will also use up to 1. As hard drive space runs out, older restore points will be deleted as newer ones are created.
It is also important to point out that you must be logged in as an Administrator in order to use System Restore. Now that you understand the basics of System Restore, you should continue to the next section to learn how to use it. Restoring Windows Vista to a previous State. In the case of a problem on your computer that cannot be solved by normal means, you can restore your computer back to a previous working state. To do this you need to start System Restore so that you can choose the restore point to restore. If you are currently having problems starting Windows Vista, you can use System Restore from the Windows Recovery Environment. Instructions on how to do this can be found in this tutorial: Using System Restore from the Vista Windows Recovery Environment.
If you can log into Windows Vista, then you should follow these steps. Close and save any documents that you may have open. Click on the Start button to open your Start Menu. The Start button looks like this. When the Start Menu opens click on the All Programs menu option. Click once on the Accessories Start Menu group. Click once on the System Tools Start Menu group.
Click once on the System Restore icon. After you click on the icon, if a User Account Control window opens you should click on the Continue button. You will now be at the System Restore screen as shown below in Figure 1. From this screen you can specify the restore point that you would like to restore. Figure 1. System Restore Screen. By default, Vista will already have selected the Recommended restore option.
This restore point is one was made after a new program, driver, or update was installed. If you would like to use this restore point, you can click on the Next button to start the restore process. On the other hand, if there is a more recent restore point that you would like to restore you should select Choose a different restore point and press the Next button. This will bring you to a screen, as shown in Figure 2, that contains a listing of all the available restore points that you can restore to. Figure 2. List of available restore points.
You should select the restore point that you would like to restore and press the Next button to start the restore process. Vista will display a Window showing your selected restore point and asking you to confirm that this is the one you would like to restore. Figure 3. Confirm the selected restore point. If you would like to select a different restore point press the Back button.
Otherwise you can press the Cancel button to exit System Restore or the Finish button to begin the restore process. If you selected Finish, Vista will display a second prompt asking you to confirm that you would like to continue the restore. Figure 4. Second Confirmation. If you are sure you want to do the restore, then press the Yes button. Vista will now log you off of the computer and start the System Restore process as shown in Figure 5 below.
Figure 5. Restoring a restore point. When the restore has been completed, you computer will be restarted and when Vista boots back up it will be restored to its previous state. When you log in to Vista for the first time after the restore, you will see a message showing that the restore was successful. Figure 6. System restore was successful. If there are any problems with your computer due to the last restore, you can revert back to your previous settings by going back into the System Restore Utility and selecting the Undo System Restore option and pressing the Next button. Figure 7. Undo the last System Restore. Your computer should now be working properly again.
Using System Restore from the Windows Recovery Environment. Manually Creating Restore Points. As said previously, it is also possible to create manual restore points as needed. Popular reasons to create manual restore points are when you have your computer set up perfectly and would like to save the state in the case of problems in the future. To create a manual restore point you need to follow these steps.
Click on the Start button to open your Start Menu. The Start button looks like this. Click on the Control Panel menu option. Click on the System and Maintenance menu option. Click on the System menu option. Click on System Protection in the left- hand task list.
You will now be at the System Protection tab in the System control panel. This tab allows you to enable and disable System Restore as well as make new manual restore points.
Figure 8. System Protection tab. To create the manual restore point you should click on the Create button.
When you press this button a prompt will appear asking you to provide a title for this manual restore point. Figure 9. Enter title for manual restore point.
Type in a title for the manual restore point and press the Create button. Vista will now create a manual restore point, and when completed, display a notice saying that it was created successfully. Figure 1. 0. Manual restore point was created. Now that you have completed making the manual restore point you can close the System window. Disabling System Restore. It is advised that you do not turn off System Restore unless you have specific need to do so. WARNING: By disabling system restore you will delete all stored restore points and shadow copies of documents on your computer.
To disable System Restore you would follow these steps. Click on the Start button to open your Start Menu. The Start button looks like this.
Click on the Control Panel menu option. Click on the System and Maintenance menu option. Click on the System menu option.
Click on System Protection in the left- hand task list. Uncheck the checkboxes next to each hard drive listed under the Create restore points automatically on the selected disks: section. When you uncheck a disk you will be presented with the following screen. Figure 1. 1. Turn off System Restore confirmation.
You should click on the Turn System Protection Off button. Press the Apply button and then the OK button.
System Restore is now disabled on your computer. Enabling System Restore.
By default System Restore is enabled on Windows Vista computers so you will only need to enable it if you have previously disabled it. To enable System Restore do the following. Click on the Start button to open your Start Menu. The Start button looks like this. Click on the Control Panel menu option.
Click on the System and Maintenance menu option. Click on the System menu option. Click on System Protection in the left- hand task list. Put a checkmark in the checkboxes next to each hard drive listed under the Create restore points automatically on the selected disks: section. Press the Apply button and then the OK button.
System Restore is now enabled on your computer. Deleting Restore Points. There are two safe ways to delete restore points stored on your computer. These ways are described below: Turn off System Restore - When you turn off System Restore, all previously created restore points will be deleted. System Restore runs out of storage space - If System Restore runs out of allocated space it will delete the older restore point in order to create free space in which to create the new restore point.
System Restore and Shadow Copy. If you are the owner Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise then you also have a feature called Shadow Copy available to you. Shadow Copy is a feature integrated into System Restore that makes copies of your documents when a restore point is created. You can then use these shadow copies to restore these files at a later date if they have been accidentally deleted or altered in some way.
Since Shadow Copy is integrated into System Restore, if System Restore is disabled you will not be able to use Shadow Copy. To use Shadow Copy to restore a particular file to a previous state you would right- click on the file and select the Restore previous versions option as shown in Figure 8 below.