Information

All of us have gone through this. You turn on your PC to write that school report or business presentation and there you have it, our computer wants a holiday today. It may be the word processor, spreadsheet, or financial package which is not working, many of the users dont know that Microsoft Windows XP has an intrinsic feature which can save the day for them. That feature is known as "System Restore".

Essentially, system restore works behind the scenes of your operating system, taking "snapshots" of different components of the computers workings. In this way, if a part of the operating system fails, the system restore utility is able to look back at the snapshots it took and restore the system from a previous day when the component was working properly. This snapshot strategy allows all your current data like documents, projects and pictures to be preserved and only changes the flawed part of the system to it's previous functional state.

If you wish to return your machine to its pristine state do the following: With the computer operating, stop any running software. Once everything is closed, go to the "start" indicator (usually in the lower left) Access "All Programs", then navigate through the menus to the "System Restore" wizard. Once chosen, the software will launch, giving you the choice of creating a new status point or returning to one of the previously saved states.

To restore your system to proper working order, first select option A and then click on "next." This will bring you to a screen with a calendar on it, which will allow you to select the date of the backup file you want to restore your system from. If your computer worked OK two days ago, for example, choose that date on the calendar and click "next." The next screen allows you to confirm the information you have supplied, so verify that data and then click "next" again. That will allow Windows XP to reboot and attempt to restore your system with the selected backup file.

The System Restore process can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes depending on how much reconfiguration Windows XP needs to do and how fast of a PC you have. When System Restore is done, a screen will popup with the results of the restore. If it was successful, you can then log into the system and start using the computer again. Any quirky issues that you were having are now hopefully gone.

I mentioned the "Create a system restore point" option. This option is for when you want to force Windows XP to take a snapshot of your system just before you install a program or alter any system settings that you are not sure of. It is like a safety net for when you install any internet programs (sometimes riddled with spyware) or system drivers (video, audio, etc). If you want to revert back to a virgin state just create a restore point "before" installing any software. This way, if your machine starts acting weird, you can just restore your settings from the selected point. With a little practice, the System Restore utility is easy to use and a great way to help ensure the safety of your computer.