Setting up System Restore
When things go wrong with your computer, the easiest way to fix it may be to use a program called System Restore. It won’t fix all problems, but when it does work it is very simple, quick and effective.
Windows XP, and Windows ME before it, both include System Restore (see How to tell which version of windows you have if you’re not sure which version of Windows you are running). It is loaded from the Start Menu under All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools.
When you click on System Restore you get the following window (in Windows XP):
As the text says, ‘You can use System Restore to undo harmful changes to you computer and restore its settings and performance. System Restore returns your computer to an earlier time (called a restore point) without causing you to lose recent work, such as saved documents, e-mail, or history and favourites lists.’
This means that if something goes wrong, you can take your computer set up back to a previously saved version. It will change all of the computer’s settings to how they were at this time, and uninstall any programs installed since then. This can be very useful, as sometimes problems are due to a setting that has gone wrong, or a clash between recently installed programs. Restoring the settings will put things right without losing any of you work or emails.
To use System Restore you first need to create regular ‘Restore Points’. These store a snapshot of how your computer is set up at any one moment. It’s worth creating a restore point before you install a new program, or every two or three weeks. Windows XP computers are set to make regular restore points. It’s worth making your own, however if you have installed a lot of programs and changed settings, so that if thing go wrong you can take the settings back to that point and not have to re-do every thing.
Once you’ve created restore points, if something does go wrong, you can use System Restore to put your computer back to how it was.
To create a restore point
- Load System Restore.
- Click the Create a Restore Point button in System Restore and click Next.
- In the window which appears, give your restore point a description. The date and time will be stored along with the restore point, but it’s worth giving it a name that you’ll recognise. If you are installing some software, name the restore point ‘before ......... installation’, replacing the dots with the name of the software.
To create the restore point, click Create. This will take a snapshot of how your computer is set up – installed programs, printers, internet settings, desktop background etc.
After a few moments, System Restore will display the Restore Point Created window, as below, confirming the date, time and name of your restore point.
With your restore point created, you can close System Restore, and carry on working. If something goes wrong, you are now in a position to restore your computer.