PC World - Have you ever wanted a do-over? Ever wished that you could just erase the day and pretend it never happened? Well, human time travel still exists only in science fiction, so you'll have to wait for theoretical physicists to figure out how to make it work--but your Windows PC can do something similar right now with System Restore.
In a number of situations, going back in time offers a simple and effective means of troubleshooting and repair. Perhaps on a whim you open a dubious file attachment, and your PC starts acting funky. Or maybe you install the latest driver update for your Webcam, only to find that your wireless adapter no longer functions. In these situations and more, System Restore can return your Windows PC to proper working order.
What Is System Restore?
System Restore is a feature in Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP that lets you roll back the system state to a previous point in time. It lets you undo changes to the Windows system without altering personal files.
System Restore automatically creates restore points both regularly and prior to system-changing events, such as when you apply Windows updates or install new software. The restore points contain information about the Registry settings and other Windows system state information that existed at that point in time. You can also manually create restore points.
When you use System Restore to revert to a previous restore point, the operation undoes system changes such as new drivers and applications, but documents, spreadsheets, e-mail messages, and other data files remain untouched. Personal data should survive the System Restore, but you'll have to reinstall any programs that you installed after the chosen restore point. Conversely, you'll have to re-uninstall software that you removed after the restore point.
Creating a Restore Point
Since System Restore automatically creates restore points periodically, you shouldn't have any trouble finding an available restore point from a point in time prior to when your problem began. System Restore generally creates restore points before installing new software or updates, but there is no guarantee that it will do so.
System Restore saves between one and three weeks' worth of past restore points. The number of saved restore points depends on how you use your computer and how much hard-drive space is available for storing restore-point information.
To be safe, you can manually create a restore point to mark a specific point in time--for instance, to establish a known-good state before making changes to the system or installing new software.
How to Set Up Windows Restore
1. Click Start.
2. Right-click Computer, and select Properties.
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