bear
12-23-2006, 10:50 AM
Use System Restore
System Restore returns your computer to a previous snapshot without losing recent personal information, such as documents, history lists, favorites, or e-mail. It monitors the computer and many applications for changes and creates restore points. I call these restore points snapshots, but they're really instructions for undoing recent changes. You restore these snapshots when your configuration isn't working.
By default, Windows XP creates restore points daily and when significant events occur, such as installing an application or device driver. System Restore is ideal for serious work in the registry because you can create your own restore points any time you like. You can also change the snapshot schedule or even script System Restore. Yes, I'm going to show you how.
System Restore requires at least 200 MB of available disk space. If 200 MB of space isn't available, Windows XP disables System Restore. By default, Windows XP allocates 12 percent of the hard disk's size (or 400 MB on hard disks that are smaller than 4 GB), and this happens to be the most that Windows XP can give it.
You can otherwise configure the amount of disk space System Restore consumes, though.
To change the disk space System Restore uses:
Click Start, click Control Panel, click Performance and Maintenance, and then click System.
On the System Restore tab, drag the slider left or right to adjust the amount of disk space it uses.
However, don't reduce the amount much because doing so limits the number of restore points that System Restore can maintain.
Here's how to create a restore point using System Restore:
Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Restore.
Click Create a Restore Point, and then click Next.
In the Restore point description box, type a descriptive name for the restore point, and then click Create. System Restore adds the date and time to the name of the restore point.
To restore a checkpoint, follow these steps:
Start System Restore.
Click Restore my computer to an earlier time option, and then click Next.
Select the restore point that you want to restore, and then click Next.
System Restore maintains up to 90 days of restore points, given enough disk space, so you can move backward and forward in the calendar to see the restore points created on each day. In the calendar, shown in the attachment below, bold dates are those that contain restore points.
Click a date, and then click the restore point in the list.
Click Next again and Windows XP restarts so it can restore your configuration to the restore point you selected.
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System Restore returns your computer to a previous snapshot without losing recent personal information, such as documents, history lists, favorites, or e-mail. It monitors the computer and many applications for changes and creates restore points. I call these restore points snapshots, but they're really instructions for undoing recent changes. You restore these snapshots when your configuration isn't working.
By default, Windows XP creates restore points daily and when significant events occur, such as installing an application or device driver. System Restore is ideal for serious work in the registry because you can create your own restore points any time you like. You can also change the snapshot schedule or even script System Restore. Yes, I'm going to show you how.
System Restore requires at least 200 MB of available disk space. If 200 MB of space isn't available, Windows XP disables System Restore. By default, Windows XP allocates 12 percent of the hard disk's size (or 400 MB on hard disks that are smaller than 4 GB), and this happens to be the most that Windows XP can give it.
You can otherwise configure the amount of disk space System Restore consumes, though.
To change the disk space System Restore uses:
Click Start, click Control Panel, click Performance and Maintenance, and then click System.
On the System Restore tab, drag the slider left or right to adjust the amount of disk space it uses.
However, don't reduce the amount much because doing so limits the number of restore points that System Restore can maintain.
Here's how to create a restore point using System Restore:
Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Restore.
Click Create a Restore Point, and then click Next.
In the Restore point description box, type a descriptive name for the restore point, and then click Create. System Restore adds the date and time to the name of the restore point.
To restore a checkpoint, follow these steps:
Start System Restore.
Click Restore my computer to an earlier time option, and then click Next.
Select the restore point that you want to restore, and then click Next.
System Restore maintains up to 90 days of restore points, given enough disk space, so you can move backward and forward in the calendar to see the restore points created on each day. In the calendar, shown in the attachment below, bold dates are those that contain restore points.
Click a date, and then click the restore point in the list.
Click Next again and Windows XP restarts so it can restore your configuration to the restore point you selected.
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