Member Avatar for Frank Wallis

I have some questions regarding System Restore. When should we use System Restore?
Any idea?

Regards,

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Brief, practical guidance that builds on ’s comments and answers ’s original question.

Use System Restore when a recent change to Windows configuration (a driver, update, or a program install) makes the system unstable or stops Windows from behaving as it did before. It is a quick, reversible way to roll back Windows settings to an earlier state without doing a full reinstall. Before attempting a restore, note any programs or updates installed since the restore point — they may be affected and might need reinstallation afterward.

How to use it and what to prepare:

  • Create a manual restore point before any risky change (System → System Protection / Create Restore Point, or Start → All Programs → Accessories → System Tools → System Restore on older XP-era systems).
  • To run a restore from a working desktop: open the System Restore tool, pick a date, then use “Scan for affected programs” (where available) to see what will be undone. There is also an undo option if the result is worse.
  • If Windows will not start normally, launch System Restore from Safe Mode or the Recovery/Repair environment on installation media and choose a restore point there.
  • Always back up important personal files first. Also enable and allocate some disk space for restore points so Windows can keep a history.

Troubleshooting and alternatives:

  • If System Restore fails, check that the System Restore/Volume Shadow Copy services are running, run SFC (sfc /scannow) and, on modern Windows, DISM health checks, and try again from the recovery environment.
  • For complete recovery (including user files), use a full system image or a dedicated backup tool instead of relying solely on restore points.

For official steps and deeper details see Microsoft Support and the System Restore reference.
Microsoft Support
System Restore — Wikipedia

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Member Avatar for gerbil

Hi, Frank.. consider that SysRes saves some of your registry and some info about your system files [not all of either] then it follows that in cases of damage to those areas a rolling back to earlier settings will be of help.
Perhaps a bad pgm installation or a virus does some damage.... so you remove the problem ...ie uninstall the pgm or destroy the virus, but some damage to registry or sys files remains - then a Sys Res may help.
A like problem can arise say when the OS is recording changes to files, registry etc and an impromptu shutdown occurs; LKG may solve that, it may not. I use ERUNT for a more complete registry backup, but have not as yet required its service.
SysRes will not fix or return damaged or deleted data files.

Member Avatar for Frank Wallis

Thanks for your explanation,so you mean to say that even after uninstalling the application or software,some of the files of the application or softwares remain in the system which causes the Operating System to malfunction.

Member Avatar for gerbil

A good uninstaller with a complete .ini file to guide it should remove all files [sometimes giving you choices] and registry entries. It is a pretty invasive application which has reg entries which could impair your OS, mostly they just add an insignificant amount of clog. Sys Res can't do anything about remnant files, it may be able to restore your registry so that it does not contain orphaned entries, but it can be that some are in areas the Sys Res app does not save in Restore Points. Hence the proliferation of Reg cleaners.... consider though that an app may create 5 or 20, even 50 entries, but the reg of a moderately-loaded system in all its hives contains tens of thousands... so a few are neither here nor there. Restoring to an earlier date is a simple thing to test if a problem occurs, but you should consider the effect on working installations made later than that date, so if it does not solve it then you revert to avoid conflicts with those installations.
Try researching the effectiveness of System Resore, you will see that it is not the perfect answer.

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