Setting a Restore Point

Before you open the System Restore console, you may want to save your work and close all programs since System Restore requires you to restart your computer.

There are two ways to access System Restore - through Help and Support or through your All Programs folder.

Through Help and Support:

1. Click Start, and then click Help and Support.

2. Under Pick a Task, click Undo changes to your computer with System Restore.

3. Follow the instructions on the wizard.

Through the All Programs menu:

1. Click Start.

2. Point to All Programs.

3. Point to Accessories.

4. Point to System Tools.

5. Click System Restore.

6. Follow the instructions on the wizard.

Creating a restore point can be useful any time you anticipate making changes to your computer that are risky or might make your computer unstable. If something goes wrong, you select the restore point you just created and Windows XP undoes any system changes made since that time.

Create a Restore Point

1. Open System Restore. (See step-by-step instructions above.)

2. Click Create a restore point, and then click Next.

3. In the Restore point description box, type a name to identify this restore point. System Restore automatically adds the date and time that this Restore Point is created.

To finish creating this restore point, click Create.

To cancel restore point creation and return to the Welcome to System Restore screen, click Back.

To cancel restore point creation and exit the System Restore Wizard, click Cancel.

To view or to return to this restore point, from the Welcome to System Restore screen of the System Restore Wizard select Restore my computer to an earlier time. Then select the date you created the restore point from the calendar in the Select a Restore Point screen. All of the restore points you created and you computer created on the selected date are listed by name in the list box to the right of the calendar.

Note System Restore does not replace the process of uninstalling a program. To completely remove the files installed by a program, you must remove the program using Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel or the program's own uninstall program.

To open Add or Remove Programs, click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Add or Remove Programs.