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Well, we all have been there. We
turn on our computer (boot up)
getting ready to type that
school report, or business
presentation and guess what, our
computer just does not want to
work today. Whether it's the
word processor, spreadsheet, or
financial package that isn't
working, most people do not know
that Microsoft Windows XP has a
built in feature that just may
come and save the day. That
feature is called "System
Restore."
Basically, System Restore is
like a little hound that runs
behind the scenes taking
"snapshots" of various parts of
the Microsoft Windows XP
operating system. So, if a part
of Microsoft Windows XP stops
working one day, the System
Restore utility is able to
reference one of the "snapshots"
it took and restore your system
from a previous day (a day when
your computer worked). It's kind
of like going back in time to a
day when your computer worked.
All your current data (Microsoft
Word files, etc.) are still
retained, so you don't have to
worry about losing any present
day files.
In order to restore your
computer just follow these
simple steps:
1. Close any open programs.
2. Click on the Windows "Start"
button (normally located on the
bottom of your computer desktop)
3. Click on "All Programs"
4. Click on "Accessories"
5. Click on "System Tools"
6. Then click on "System
Restore"
7. At this point the System
Restore wizard will launch. You
will have two options:
a. "Restore my system from an
earlier date"
b. "Create a system restore
point"
If you just need to restore your
system and get it working
correctly again, just select
option "a" and click "Next."
8. On this screen you can select
a date from the calendar that
you would like to try and
restore from. So, if you knew
that your computer worked fine
two days ago, just pick that
date on the calendar and click
"Next."
9. The next screen is the
confirmation window. Just verify
the information on the screen
and click "Next." Windows XP
will then reboot and try to
restore your system with the
settings from the date you
selected.
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.
Now, on step 7b above, 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.
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