Home

Simple Maintenance Tasks (Vista)
Click Here for the Windows XP Section
Simple Maintenance Tasks (Vista)
Backup Your Data
	» Backup Using Windows Vista
	» Backup Using SyncBack
Cleanup Your Disk
Defragment Your Disk
Check Your Disk for Errors
Use Windows Update
Use System Restore
Create a Scheduled Task
Frequently Asked Questions
Further Information

How to Use System Restore

System restore periodically saves system information (installed programs, and various system files and settings) associated with your computer. This information can sometimes become damaged or corrupted (possibly if there's an error while installing new software), so system restore allows you to revert back to an earlier configuration to correct the problem. If you have a problem with your computer, and know that the problem did not exist at an earlier point in time, then it's worth trying system restore to see if it fixes it.

Go to Start menu -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore.

If the problem has only just occurred (perhaps during a failed install), then choose the "Recommended restore" option, which reverts back to the most recent restore point. If the problem has existed for a while, then you can revert back to an earlier point by choosing the "Choose a different restore point" option. In this case, you'll then be given a list of restore points to choose from (select the “Show restore points older than 5 days” option if you want to go back further than that).

Select desired your restore point, and click "Next".

If you confirm the restore by clicking “Finish”, your computer will restart and the changes will be applied to revert back to the configuration you selected.

Vista will automatically create restore points every day and when it recognizes that you're installing new software and/or drivers. So, there's generally no need to create restore points manually. If you're making lots of changes though, and you want to be sure that you can revert back to specific points in your sequence of changes, you can manually create restore points. To do this, go to Control Panel -> System and Maintenance -> System, and select "System protection" from the left-hand side of the window.

If you click the "Create" button, you can then enter a name, and go ahead and create  your restore point. Note that this window also allows you to turn System Restore on and off by checking or unchecking the boxes next to each disk, to enable or disable it on that disk. We strongly recommend that you ensure that it is enabled, and keep it that way.

<-- Previous Page Use Windows Update

Next Page --> Create a Scheduled Task