System Restore

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

System Restore is a component of Microsoft's Windows Me and Windows XP operating systems that allows for the rolling back of system files, registry keys, installed programs, etc., to a previous state in the event of a failure.

In Windows Vista, System Restore features an improved interface.

1 Overview
2 Trivia
3 See also
4 References
5 Sources

[edit] Overview

System Restore in Windows XP.

System Restore is accessed via the Start menu, in Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore. From there, the user may either create a new restore point manually, roll back to an existing restore point, or change the System Restore configuration.

New Restore points are automatically created:

when a piece of software is installed
when Windows Update installs new updates to Windows
when the user installs a driver that is not digitally signed by Windows Hardware Quality Labs
every 24 hours of computer use (10 hours in Windows ME), or every 24 hours of calendar time, whichever happens first
when the computer boots after being off for more than 24 hours
when the user requests it

System Restore can be configured to use up to a maximum of 12% of hard drive space. Old restore points are discarded in order to keep drive usage within the specified amount. For many users, this can provide restore points covering the past several weeks. Users concerned with performance or space usage may also opt to disable System Restore entirely. Files stored on partitions not monitored by System Restore are never backed up or restored.

When a rollback is performed, files with certain executable extensions are restored and newly-created folders are removed, but items in the My Documents folders are always left untouched. This can affect users who prefer to store their personal files outside of My Documents, as System Restore cannot determine if such files and folders are supposed to be there. Microsoft recommends that if a user is unsure as to whether their files will be affected by System Restore, that they should keep those files under My Documents.

[edit] Trivia

As part of Microsoft's description of the then-new System Restore feature in Windows ME, Microsoft's online help files made a joking reference to famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking:

Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking writes that each of us carries a personal measure of time dependent on our speed and position in the universe. When you find that your computer isn't working the way it should, you may also find that your personal measure of time has come to a complete stop, and that your productivity has disappeared into a black hole.^[1]