The System Restore feature of Windows XP provides the capability to
restore the operating system, in the event of a problem, to a previous state
without losing personal data files (such as Word documents, drawings, or e-mail).
System Restore actively monitors system file changes and some application
file changes to record or store previous versions before the changes occurred.
System Restore maintains a rolling record of restore points; in order to limit
the amount of space used, older restore points are purged to make room for
newer ones.
In the event of a serious operating system problem, System Restore can be
used from Safe Mode or Normal Mode to go back to a previous system state,
restoring optimal system functionality.
NOTE: System Restore does not revert user data or document files, so
restoring does not cause loss of work, mail, or browsing history and favorites.
NOTE: It is important to make regular backups of your data files. System
Restore does not monitor changes to or recover your data files. In the event the
original data on the hard drive is accidentally erased or overwritten or
becomes inaccessible because of a hard-drive malfunction, backup files are
required to recover lost or damaged data.
System Restore monitors a core set of system and application program files,
recording and sometimes copying states of these files before changes are
made. System Restore automatically creates restore points; no user
intervention is required. In addition, you can create restore points manually,
if desired.
Restore points are created to allow you to choose previous system states.
Each restore point gathers the necessary information needed to restore to a
precisely chosen system state. There are three types of restore points:
System (automatically created) checkpoints (scheduled by your
computer)
Installation (event-triggered) checkpoints (when a program is
installed)
By default, System Restore creates a restore point every day that the
computer is running. If your computer is off for more than a day, a new
restore point is created the next time you turn the computer on.
Event-triggered restore points are created before key changes are made to
the system. System Restore automatically creates a restore point before the
following events:
Application installations — A restore point is created before installing
an application program designed for Windows XP. You may wish to
create a manual restore point before attempting to install an older
program.
AutoUpdate installation — When you choose to install the update, the
System Restore feature creates a restore point before the actual
installation of the update begins.
Restore operation — The restore operation itself also creates a restore
point for undo purposes.
Microsoft Backup Utility recovery — Before Microsoft Backup Utility
(only available in Windows XP Professional) performs a backup
recovery, System Restore creates a restore point.
Unsigned driver installation — The INF installer of Windows detects
unsigned device-driver installations. Drivers that are signed
(electronically certified by the device manufacturer) do not generate a
restore point.
If you are logged on to the computer as computer administrator or a user
with administrator rights, you may create and name an on-demand restore
point. (For information on types of user accounts, see "How to Add Users.")
This is useful to create a checkpoint to return to before making a
particularly risky change, before leaving a shared system to other users, or at
a particular state you believe is optimal.
To create a restore point, perform the following steps:
Click Start, point to All Programs—> Accessories—> System Tools,
and then click System Restore.
Select Create a restore point and click Next>.
Type a description of the restore point and click Create.
The date and time are automatically added to the description of the new restore point.
As the computer is used over time, restore points are collected in the archive
without any management or intervention. If you encounter operating
system problems, you can use the System Restore feature to select any of
the restore points presented through the System Restore Wizard.
If problems occur after installing a device driver, you should first attempt to
use Driver Rollback. If that is unsuccessful, then use System Restore.
To return your computer to a previous, stable condition, perform the
following steps:
Click Start, point to All Programs—> Accessories—> System Tools,
and then click System Restore.
Select Restore my computer to an earlier time and click Next>.
The Select a Restore Point screen appears. The calendar on the left indicates in bold the dates on which restore points were created.
Click a date, click a restore point for that date, and click Next>.
Click Next> to confirm the restore point selection and complete the
restore process.
After System Restore finishes collecting data, the computer automatically restarts and the Restoration Complete screen appears.
Click OK.
If you are not satisfied with the results of the restoration, you can repeat the preceding steps, using a different restore point, or you can undo the restoration.
To undo a restoration, perform the following steps:
Click Start, point to All Programs—> Accessories—> System Tools,
and then click System Restore.
Select Undo my last restoration and click Next>.
Click Next> to confirm the restoration undo.
After System Restore finishes collecting data, the computer automatically restarts and the Undo Complete screen appears.
Windows XP device Driver Rollback can replace a device driver with the
previously installed version. When you install a new device driver that
causes system instability, use Driver Rollback to reinstall the previous
drivers. In the event that Driver Rollback cannot reinstall your previous
driver, you can use System Restore to return your operating system to its
state before the new device driver installation.
To use Driver Rollback, perform the following steps:
Click Start, and then right-click My Computer.
Click Properties.
Click the Hardware tab, and then click Device Manager.
In the Device Manager window, right-click the device for which the
new driver was installed, and then click Properties.
Click the Drivers tab, and then click Roll Back Driver.
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