System Restore Can Roll Back Computer to Before You Made a Big Mistake

Anyone who has ever used a computer of any kind, Mac or Windows, has run into a situation where they really wished they hadn't done something truly dumb. This often occurs immediately after they open a virus-laden file attachment, run a utility for which they ignored all the warnings in the documentation, or performed a Registry hack without following directions to backup their Windows Registry files. Once they've taken that fateful misstep, they find that the system no longer runs as it should. A restart may find them looking at a black screen - or a blue screen of death - rather than returning them to their familiar desktop.

Users of recent versions of Windows have a failsafe tool they can use to try to turn the clock back to a time just before that not-smooth move. The tool is called System Restore and it appears in Windows Millennium (Me) and Windows XP. But to fall back on its recovery capabilities, you need to be sure the tool is turned on and that you have at least one restore point created before your system headed south.

If you have Windows XP with Service Pack 2 installed, then System Restore is turned on by default. You just need to be sure you or someone who shares your PC has not disabled the tool.

If you aren't sure if you have Windows XP Service Pack 2, follow these steps to check:

1) Click Start.
2) Right-click My Computer and select Properties.
3) The System Properties window appears. Look on the General tab where the operating system version is listed.

Now to see whether System Restore is turned on, do this:

1) Still from the System Properties window, click the System Restore tab.
2) Look to see if the option Turn Off System Restore on All Drives is checked; if it is, click to uncheck it. But if the option is not checked, System Restore is running even as you read.

To create a restore point, here's how: