Using System Resotre in Windows XP

System restore is a feature of windows which allows you to take your system back to a state to an earlier date. That is it restores your system to a state where everything was working correctly. You can use system restore feature if something goes wrong while you try to install new software or update drivers or simply because your system became unstable after some changes you don't remember doing. System Restore allows you to undo all these changes.

System restore creates snapshots of your system called system restore points. Windows creates these restore points automatically whenever a major event takes place like installing new software or drivers.

You can return to a previous working state of your computer without loosing any document files, emails & Internet explorer favorites. And you will not loose files in My Documents other windows default folders.

Windows allows you to create System restore points manually. So you can create a system restore point when everything in your system is working fine.

Creating a system restore point

--- Go to the start menu --> Control panel

--- Select performance and maintenance and then click on System. If you are using the classic view in control panel then you will see the system option directly in control panel. In the system restore tab check if it is enabled if not click on setting and place a check mark on the drive you want to enable the system restore.

--- If it is already enabled then go to Start Menu --> All Programs --> Accessories --> System Tools. Then click on system restore.

--- Now on the Welcome page that appears, select create a restore point.

--- When the create a restore point page appears enter a description you can remember like driver update or software install.

--- Now click create on the bottom of the page. The restore point will be created and you will be shown a successfully created confirmation page.

Restore Computer to Working State Using the Created System Restore Point

You have created a system restore point previously. Now you want to restore your system using them. Follow these simple steps.

--- G0 to Start Menu --> All Programs --> Accessories --> System Tools.
Then click on system restore.

--- Again you will see the welcome screen. But this time you have to choose Restore My computer to an earlier time. And click next.

--- Now you will be asked to select a restore point. Select the one you want and click next. Just confirm that you have selected the correct restore point.

--- Close all the running programs and click next. Your computer will automatically restart. After the reboot a restoration complete page will be shown.

Your system will be free from any problems you were having. If you are still experiencing the problem then you can select a different restore point.

Change Frequency of System Restore Point

As Windows xp, Windows Vista also has the System Restore function. Vista creates a system restore point once a day. It also creates these points when you update your system or install some software or drivers. But most of us don't do many changes to our system on a daily basis. So once everyday frequency is not very useful. But you have the option to change it through registry. But be careful when using the registry as it may render your system unusable if you change the wrong setting.

Okay now on to how to change the frequency of your system restore point in vista

--- open registry editor by typing regedit in the start menu search box and hit enter.

--- If you have UAC then you have to approve the window that appears and the registry editor will open.

--- Now in the left pane find this key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SystemRestore

--- Once you click on the SystemRestore key in the left pane look for the entry RPGlobalInterval. Double click on it to edit it.

--- Now the value is in Hexadecimal but I don't know the hexadecimal equivalent of my value I want to enter. So change the value to Decimal. If you know the hexadecimal go ahead with it.

--- The default value is 15180 in Hexadecimal and 86400 in Decimal which is seconds equivalent to 24 hours i.e. a day.

--- Now you can enter the value you want, like if you want to create system restore point once a week then enter 604800.

--- Click OK after you have entered the value then close the registry editor and you are done.

Now Windows will create the restore point once a week or the amount you chose to do it.