System Restore: It's A Lifesaver!

Perhaps you're one of the unlucky people who have downloaded a file or installed a program that wreaked havoc with your computer. Or, perhaps you inadvertently visited a website that downloaded malicious junk to your computer. If you've set it up properly, System Restore can save you major headaches in recovering from such events.

First, you need to ensure that you've not turned System Restore off. Go to Start > Control Panel > Double-click System. Select the System Restore tab. Check to verify that "Turn Off System Restore on All Drives" is *not* checked. Click OK. There's a second place you need to look to verify System Restore isn't disabled. Go to Start > Control Panel. Double-click Administrative Tools > Computer Management. Click Services and Applications. Double-click Services. Double-click System Restore Services. On the General tab, be sure "Startup type" is Automatic. Click OK and close the windows.

Once System Restore is turned on, Windows will automatically create a "Restore Point" every 24 hours. It will also create one when you add or remove programs. Then, if your computer starts acting weird, you can open System Restore and undo the damage. Go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore. If you're using Windows XP, select "Restore my computer to an earlier time." Click Next. You'll see a calendar. Bold dates have a restore point. Click one. Click Next, then click Next again. Windows will roll back your system to its configuration as of the date you selected. If you chose a date before your system was compromised, then you should be back in business.