How To Create A Restore Disk For Windows Xp

Section: Microsoft Windows Tutorial: Windows XP System Restore

How to Use System Restore in Windows XP

In many cases, using the System Restore feature of Windows XP can eliminate the need to reinstall Windows! In this tutorial we provide detailed directions for setting Restore Points and restoring your system back to a previously saved Restore Point.

If you are unsure what System Restore and Restore Points are and would like more information, please see our tutorial What is the System Restore Feature of Windows?. Also, tutorials with detailed instructions for setting up and using System Restore for other versions of Microsoft Windows can be found under Related Tutorials on the sidebar.

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How to Turn On System Restore for a Disk Drive in Windows XP

System Restore in the Windows XP environment requires a minimum of 200 MB of hard-disk. To make sure all your system disk drives have system restore enabled, follow these steps:

Click Start | Control Program. Double-click System. The "System Properties" window opens.
Click the System Restore tab. Make sure the box next to "Turn off System Restore on all drives is not checked. If it is, click in the box to remove the checkmark.
In the "Available Drives" section, ensure that the status of each drive is "Monitoring." If the status is "Turned off" instead, do the following:
- Click on the drive letter and click Settings.
- Ensure the box next to "Turn off System Restore on this drive" is not checked. If so, click to remove the checkmark.
- Make sure the "Disk space to use" slider is at Max, and click OK. The status should now say "Monitoring".
Click OK to close the Systems Properties window. Then close Control Panel.

How to Set a System Restore Point in Windows XP

Click Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Restore. The System Restore window opens.
Click the radio button next to "Create a restore point." Then click Next.
Type a description of the Restore Point." You don't need to type in a date as Windows dates all restore points. Then click Create.
It will only take Windows a few moments to create the restore point, but do not click or press any keys while it is working. When it is finished, the System Restore window will display "Restore Point Created." Click Close.

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How to Restore Your System to a Restore Point in Windows XP

During the process, System Restore will automatically reboot the PC, so be sure to close all open files and programs.
Click Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Restore. The System Restore window opens.
On the "System Restore" window, make sure the button next to "Restore my computer to an earlier time" is selected and click Next.
Click a date on the calendar at left and any Restore Point created on that day will display at right. Select the most recent Restore Point and click Next.
If a small window describing the configuration changes that will occur displays, click OK.
On the "Confirm Restore Point Selection" window, click Next to begin the restore.
Leave the PC alone during the restore. After a while the PC will restart. After logging into Windows as the Administrator, the "Restoration Complete" window will display. Click OK.
If you wish to undo the system restore, go back into the System Restore Utility and click the button next to "Undo System Restore."

If System Restore will not complete, try restoring from a different Restore Point while in Safe Mode. Enter Safe Mode by pressing and holding the F8 key while rebooting and before Windows begins to load. If successful, the "Windows Advanced Boot Options" menu appears.

Use the arrows to select Safe Mode and press Enter. The computer will reboot in Safe Mode and proceed with the System Restore.

We hope our tutorial on using Windows System Restore in the XP environment has has been helpful. Cheers!

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