Repair Your Windows PC With System Restore

Undo Your System Restore

Sometimes reverting to a chosen restore point doesn't solve the problem; it may even cause more problems than you had before. If you don't like the state of the Windows system after running the System Restore process, you aren't stuck with it. If an issue arises during restoration and the process fails, System Restore will automatically reverse any changes and return the computer to the state it started in.

You can reverse a successful restoration by taking the following steps:

1. Click Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, System Restore (or type System Restore in the Windows 7 search field).

3. To where you started, select Undo System Restore, and click Next.

4. System Restore will present the same confirmation screen and warnings as before. Follow the same steps as you did to initiate a System Restore, and this time your system will return to its original dysfunctional state.

Not a Cure-All

System Restore is an awesome tool. Usually, you don't need to know or care what the underlying problem is. As long as you know that a problem exists now that didn't exist yesterday, you can use System Restore to revert to the Windows system state from yesterday, and voilà! Instead of wasting time with potentially painstaking troubleshooting, you just get the problem fixed.

The time-traveling magic of System Restore won't work for all situations, however. Remember, System Restore deals only with applications and the Windows system state--not with personal files. So, if you delete the only photo you have of your child learning to ride a bike, or if your only copy of your doctoral dissertation gets corrupted, or if you accidentally sent an e-mail slamming your boss to your boss, you're still out of luck.

As for the e-mail snafu with your boss, technology won't save you. Apologize profusely and, in the future, exercise caution before hitting Send.