Restoring xp system files

Remark : Windows XP System Restore is pretty powerful, but it is not a replacement for a backup program. It doesn't make backup copies of your files, you still need to do this yourself. It does save important information about Windows system files, registry settings, and settings for different users on your pc.

That makes Windows XP System Restore a pretty clever tool, providing capabilities to get your digital life back on track when something goes terribly wrong. When Windows XP System Restore is activated on your pc we'll see how to do that in a minute , it creates system restore points automatically :.

Suppose you want to install a piece of free software that came with a box of breakfast cereals. Generally not the best idea to keep your computer in good shape, so you manually create a system restore point before the install.

Click the option "Create a Restore Point" and click next. The wizard wants a name for your restore point. Don't enter the date here, because Windows keeps track of Restore Point dates automatically. Rather enter something descriptive like "Pre-breakfast cereal software point".

The wizard may take some time to complete the operation but soon you will see the "Restore Point Created" screen. That's all there is to it, you just created a System Restore Point. Now you have a safety net available to install new software. Windows keeps your restore point 90 days or until System Restore runs out of disk space, whichever comes first. Suppose that you installed your piece of software and that it isn't what you expected after all.

Maybe it even crashed or caused your computer to be instable. Wouldn't it be great if you could just restore your computer to a point back in time when it was still running fine? If you are restoring your computer because of trouble with a piece of software that you installed, always un-install the program before you run system restore.

Last Updated: June 4, To create this article, 11 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed , times. Learn more This is a great way to "turn back the sands of time" if you make a mistake on your desktop or a more permanent change. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue.

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Learn why people trust wikiHow. System Restore appears on the screen. Select "Restore my computer to an earlier time. A calendar should appear with dates; select a date that has a bold number with your mouse. Make sure the date is before you made the mistake on your computer.

Click "next" and close all open programs to ensure a safe restore. The keep clicking "Next," and the computer will then gather some information and restart your computer to the restore point. When your computer is restarted, a similar window will be presented. It will tell you if the restore was successful and if any files were renamed in the process.

The window says "cannot restore to the earlier settings". I tried different dates - same answer! What can I do? One last chance if you have already done a back-up of all data before doing the System Restore :- Go back one year earlier to the current date. It might work. If not, maybe your OS is corrupt. Yes No. Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1.