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If Something Goes Wrong
Develop good computing habits
Data and system configuration backup in the Windows
®
operating
system
The Windows
®
operating system offers some easy-to-use features
for backing up your Windows
®
settings and your data—documents
and other important files. Take advantage of these features to
protect yourself from much more difficult and time-consuming
restoration procedures, and to safeguard your valuable data from
loss.
Saving system configuration with Restore Points
The System Restore feature of the Windows
®
operating system
quickly creates Restore Points—‘snapshots’ of your Windows
®
operating system configuration—and saves them for later recall. If
you experience problems after installing some new hardware or
software, you can easily select a previously established Control
Point to ‘turn back the clock,’ restoring the Windows
®
operating
system to the state it was in just prior to the installation. This is
much easier and more effective than uninstalling the hardware or
software, which often leaves behind unwanted files and settings. It
is also easy to undo a Restore Point selection, if you change your
mind.
Follow these steps to create a Restore Point using the System
Restore utility:
1
Click Start, and then Help and Support.
2
Under Pick a Task, click Undo changes to your computer
with System Restore.
3
Click Create a restore point, and then click Next.
4
In the Restore point description field, enter a name that is
descriptive enough to be easily understood in the future, such
as “Before installing Brand X Accounting app.” Then click
Create.
5
The Windows
®
operating system creates the Restore Point and
automatically stamps it with the current date and time.
Then, at a later time, you can re-establish your Windows
®
configuration using the saved Restore Point. To do this:
1
Click Start, and then Help and Support.
2
Under Pick a Task, click Undo changes to your computer
with System Restore.
3
Click Restore my computer to an earlier time, then click
Next.
