Post by NHH on Jun 29, 2005 10:01:41 GMT
Sytem Restore is a feature in the Windows ME & XP operating systems which can be handy for users who don't know how to fix a problem but just want their Windows system to be like it was on a certain date.
Several reasons for doing this might be because they were attacked by a virus and wish to revert to a state without the virus, or they have problems such as a corrupted registry, user profile etc.
System Restore takes 'snapshots' of certain configuration & system files and backs them up in a protected, hidden file.
A downside to this feature can be the amount of disk space it can consume although this is configurable.
Also the hidden system restore file can harbour certain viruses. Anti-virus programs cannot gain access to this file whilst Windows is running therefore any virus/trojan residing in the system restore file will not be detected by a virus scan. In order to get round this, system restore needs to be disabled during the scan.
To disable 'System Restore' in Windows XP, do the following;
Links:
Microsoft's Guide to System Restore
Several reasons for doing this might be because they were attacked by a virus and wish to revert to a state without the virus, or they have problems such as a corrupted registry, user profile etc.
System Restore takes 'snapshots' of certain configuration & system files and backs them up in a protected, hidden file.
A downside to this feature can be the amount of disk space it can consume although this is configurable.
Also the hidden system restore file can harbour certain viruses. Anti-virus programs cannot gain access to this file whilst Windows is running therefore any virus/trojan residing in the system restore file will not be detected by a virus scan. In order to get round this, system restore needs to be disabled during the scan.
To disable 'System Restore' in Windows XP, do the following;
- Hold down the 'windows key' and press the 'Pause / Break' key.
- In the 'System Properties' window which opens, click on the 'System Restore' tab
- Tick the 'Turn off system restore' box.
- Click the OK button.
Links:
Microsoft's Guide to System Restore
