Turning back hands of time on windows

Turning back hands of time on windows

Zatni Arbi, Contributor, zatni@cbn.net.id

Question: I download a lot of freeware and install games on my PC. Sometimes the new software causes problems on my Windows XP Professional Edition. Unfortunately, I only have one Pentium 4 PC running at 2.26 GHz, and this is the computer that I use for work and play. If it refuses to start, I can't do my job. Is there an easy way to back up my system before I install the new software so that, should something go wrong, I can just restore it from the backup? --JR, Jakarta.

Answer: Each time you install a new piece of software, it will alter the Windows registry. The registry is a set of databases of parameters that Windows requires in order to be able to function properly.

For example, the registry will tell Windows what hardware devices your PC has and which drives they use, their respective interrupt calls as well as all local user accounts if you have set up multiple accounts on your PC.

We do not normally tinker with the Windows registry directly, although Microsoft provides a utility called "regedit" for this purpose. I don't recommend you use this utility unless you really know what you're doing. It is intended only for advanced users.

If you make a fatal mistake in editing the registry, it may cause your Windows to stall forever. You may be forced to pay someone Rp 100,000 just to reinstall Windows, and you may also lose your data in the process.

In Windows XP there is a useful tool called the System Restore Wizard that is installed automatically when you set up the operating system for the first time. Using the wizard is a much easier way to back up and restore your Windows registry.

Normally, the System Restore Wizard will take up a lot of your hard disk space. The good news is that new hard disks have come down a lot in price while their capacity and performance have increased substantially. If you're fond of trying out new software, buy a new and larger hard disk.

So what should you do before installing the trial version of a new software application? You have to create a restore point. It should be done at a time when you think your machine is performing at the peak of its efficiency.

To load the System Restore Wizard and create the restore point, just click on the Start button, and then on All Programs, Accessories, System Tools and then on System Restore. When the dialog box appears, you will be asked whether you want to restore your system to an earlier state or create a new restore point. As you are going to install new software and change your registry, you will of course choose Create a restore point.

After you click on Next, the wizard will ask you to give a description of the new restore point. There is no need to include the date and time, as the wizard will automatically add this information. You can type in something like "before installing the 123 Free Solitaire 2004".

Then you click on the Create button.

Once the latest restore point has been created, you can proceed to install the new software. If it turns out that the new trial software performs some harmful activity to your system, you can then roll back to the system's condition just before you installed the troublemaker. Just run the wizard again and choose Restore my computer to an earlier time.

By default, System Restore checks your hard disk every day. You'd better leave this function on, unless it is necessary to turn it off -- for example, when you have to manually remove a virus.

Keep in mind that System Restore does not erase the files copied to your hard disk during the software installation. To erase these files, you will need to use the Add and Remove Program utility that you can find in the Control Panel. Or you can use the Uninstall utility if there is one included in the new software. System Restore only ensures that you can go back to the way your computer started and ran right before disaster struck.