Hi, recently since I have installed, played and removed two newer games my 1.0 gz Pentium 3 computer has developed a couple of intermittent glitches. Kind of now and then odd happenstances if you will. While fiddling around with system tools I found out my Compaq computer has a function known as "system restore." I read the help stuff about it and apparently you can go back in time and make your harddrive think it's back in the past and hopefully these odd glitches will disappear. I've no knowledge about this, other than hearing it was available on a Gateway computer I almost bought a couple of years ago. I'm thinking of giving it a try and wondered if anyone knows more about it and if I'm toying with danger if I use the "system restore." Opinions gladly welcomed. Thanks in advance. Sky!!!

I've never heard of anyone having a problem with system restore. But remember that any security or driver updates that you've installed since your restore point will have to be reapplied.

Since I don't have either Win ME or XP I don't have any first hand information on system restore. You might want to wait until a few people who've actually used system restore themselves can tell you more of what to expect.

I'd recommend checking with the Compaq site (even if it's meshed with HP) about their exact definition of "System Restore."

We have a bunch of Compaqs & a Gateway (among other computers).
Compaqs have a hidden partition with a "system restore." In the olden days, Compaq owners received both "System Recovery" & "System Restore" disks. Instructions were fuzzy at best, but usually "System Restore" meant ***Everything on Hard Drive is Restored to the Day You Got It.*** Meaning, everything you have put on that computer will be erased & gone forever. It's NOT like Windows XP restore to some earlier point in time and giving you the option of changing your mind. "System Restore" in my experience was a oneway ZAP to the computer's original configuration.

Gateways (at least a couple of years ago), came with GoBack installed. This software allows a "restore" to an earlier point in time (determined by the software or set by the user) much like Windows XP does now.

So...I would make certain you understand what will happen when you "System Restore" on your particular machine. Better cautious than sorry.

My Win98SE (Compaq Presario) has a program to revert to a previous back-up. Of course, FIRST you have had to run the Back-Up program to have something to go back to.
They suggest you do this each time BEFORE making any radical changes to your system.

On my computer, which is an HP Pentium III I have System Restore and I have used it many times. For instance if you install something and it messes up your computer, you can go back in time to where it was not there. I put a game on for my grandson about dinosaurs and if you clicked the stupid icon on the desktop you had dinosaurs running all over your desktop. They did this to make you buy the game to enable your finishing them off. So annoying. The reformat thing is used with the discs that come with your system, they will get rid of everything on your hard drive and restore the computer to brand new. I have done this also, my only problem was with the after market video card I had installed, it was not working as the drivers were not installed. Well now I know how to remove it so I don't have any problems with a total reformat. But, you do have to reinstall everything you want back in there, including updating Internet Explorer, your anti virus stuff everything, it is very time comsuming. The system restore on the Programs/Accessories/System tools can be used more frequently, but say if you installed a game and went back in time before that game, it would be gone.

Check here: The Skinny on System Restore


Inferno

I have "System Restore" on my XP and have used it twice.
Once when I was messing around trying to get my daughter on MSN chat and screwed up the configuration of my E-mail server and once when I had messed with the graphics on the desktop.

I reccommend that you do a back up after you have installed all the updates and service packs. I never done a full restore (with the CD) because that wipes the computer clean- no games, no saved anything. Brand new - I have too much that I want to keep.

I have learned that it's best to do a back-up when you have installed an update, then you won't have to re-install it when you do a "System Restore".

I use XP's System Restore feature a lot. I make a restore point before and after installing new programs. Makes it easy to roll back if it turns out the game doesn't work, or whatever. For example, it came in handy when the X-Files uninstall program just refused to work.

Remember that when you use System Restore it gets rid of any programs you have installed since the last time, but not of files (email, etc.)

I only ran into a problem with System Restore once -- when I was having trouble installing Overseer, I tried to roll back and the restore "failed" (but wouldn't tell me why). I tried several times and couldn't get it to work. Finally I made a change to the amount of hard drive space set aside for restore points (not sure if I had run out of space or what) -- doing this wiped out all my old restore points, but system restore started working again and I've never had another problem with it. Luckily I got Overseer running, too.

System Restore also makes some restore points automatically, so you probably already have some.

-emily

You're right fov.
The last time I did a roll-back it did list a lot of automatic back-ups that I hadn't actually done.

All you do is pick a day, then pick froma list on that day. Easy!

Wow, I didn't expect so much feedback. Thank you one and all. When I was checking out the "system restore" I noticed it contained a calendar that I assume I could use to go back in time. Some of the dates were in bold so after reading some of your replies those are probably dates where I installed something or other. If memory serves correctly, the only significant item I installed, after the games that seem to be giving me the problems, was a new printer. If I get this correctly, I could go back about a month or so and the only thing I might have to do is reinstall the printer program. Does that sound about right? Thanks again, Sky.

About right, I had a problem with a printer too; but that was ages ago.

Generally, I go back a day or two.

Hi Skylark,

The bold dates are the restore points. I use system restore on my xp every time something goes wrong and have had only one problem a couple of times.

If you have new and old versions of a program or duplicate files, it sometimes renames one of them. This can confuse the computer when it tries to find it. This has never been too hard to fix afterwards though.

I also create restore points before making major changes so I can go back and restore if something goes haywire.

Melanie