Protect Windows with a System Restore point

Let’s start with XP: Click the Start button and select All Programs, followed by Accessories. Then click System Tools and choose System Restore. The System Restore dialogue box appears, giving two options. Click ‘Create a restore point’ and then Next. You will be asked to provide a description for the Restore Point. In our screenshot we’ve chosen to set one before updating our graphics card driver. Windows automatically adds the date and time of the Restore Point, so click the Create button and then Close on the confirmation screen to complete the process.

To activate the Restore Point if something goes wrong, make sure you have saved and closed any open documents. Then open System Restore as described in Step 1 and choose the option labelled ‘Restore my computer to an earlier time’ before clicking Next. A new window appears with a calendar on the left. Dates in bold text indicate a day on which a Restore Point was created. Some are created automatically when Windows detects that you are installing something. Click a date and that day’s Restore Points are displayed on the right. Highlight the one you wish to revert to and click Next. Click Next on the subsequent screen. Once activated, System Restore will change your PC settings and restart your PC.

In Vista, click the Start button and type System Restore into the search box before clicking its name in the menu above. Click the link labelled ‘open system protection’ and then the button marked Create… to open a new dialogue box into which you can type a descriptive name. Click Create to complete the Restore Point. To activate it, open System Restore and click the Next button (after closing all open applications). A list of recent Restore Points appears. Highlight the one you want to activate and click Next, followed by Finish on the following screen.