Restore point questions

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

I have had a look at the restore point files & see that there sometimes
a few for any one day. I suppose that this could be normal since I have
been installing a few new programs in the past few days. One of the
programs which was installed about 2 days ago won't open & I get
messages that this or that file is either wrong or missing.

I would like to know exactly what happens if I select one of these
restore points. Is it just the registry that gets reset? What if
anything happens to new data which has been saved in old programs that
were working correctly? What happens if I go back to a time before the
problems do I then reinstall the programs that were giving problems?

Thanks for any help

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support (More info?)

Hi Old Timer,

The Old Timer wrote:
> I have had a look at the restore point files & see that
> there sometimes a few for any one day. I suppose that
> this could be normal since I have been installing a few
> new programs in the past few days.

Some programs will create a restore point as part of the install
process. This is what you are probably seeing along with the normal
automatic restore points. Windows Update will also create restore
points when installed.

> One of the programs
> which was installed about 2 days ago won't open & I get
> messages that this or that file is either wrong or missing.
> I would like to know exactly what happens if I select one
> of these restore points. Is it just the registry that gets reset?

A part of the registry is restored along with some key system files.
Description of System Restore
http://home.earthlink.net/~mvp_bert/html/description.html
Monitored File Types in System Restore
http://home.earthlink.net/~mvp_bert/html/body_filetypes.html

> What if anything happens to new data which
> has been saved in old programs that were working correctly?

System Restore does not monitor data files, so they will not be
effected.

> What happens if I go back to a time before
> the problems do I then reinstall the programs that were
> giving problems?

When a system is restored to a point before a program was installed
the monitored file of that program will be removed. At this point the
program would have to be reinstalled. Also, any restore can be undone
as long as it was not performed in Safe Mode or from the Command
Prompt.

You will find a lot more information here.
http://home.earthlink.net/~mvp_bert/index.html

> Thanks for any help


--
Regards,
Bert Kinney MS-MVP Shell/User
http://dts-l.org/