How to perform a system restore in Windows XP
A system restore is used when your computer is having serious problems. A system restore attempts to undo the problem by reverting your computer settings to a date before the problem started.
Using system restore in Windows XP, you can revert your computer to a previous state. This is useful when you encounter serious problems, such as errors during Windows startup, persistent pop-ups (despite running Ad-Aware or Spybot), or other strange behavior.
Using System Restore, you can revert Windows XP back to a date before your problem began happening. System restore does not affect your personal data files, such as Word documents, browsing history, picture files, email, etc. You will not lose those files when you perform a system restore.
Important! Any programs that were installed after the selected restore date will need to be reinstalled.
If you are unsure about performing a system restore or encounter problems when trying to perform a restore, you may call the University Computer Help Desk at (309)438-4357 for assistance.
To perform a system restore, follow these instructions.
- Click Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore.
- Select Restore my computer to an earlier time and click Next. (Figure 1)
- Use the calendar to select a bold restore date; the restore date you select should be before your problems began. Then click Next. (Figure 2)
- The date you have selected to restore back to will be displayed in red (Figure 3). Click Next. The restore process will begin and your computer will restart.
- After your computer restarts, you will see a screen that indicates if the restore was successful or not. If the restore was successful, test to see if you are still having the same problems you had prior to the restore. If the restore was unsuccessful, you may consider restoring your computer to a different date.