Disable
System Restore in Windows ME
In
some situations you may need to disable Microsoft's System Restore utility in
your Microsoft Windows Millennium computer in order to complete a task such as
removing a virus or a piece of spyware. This help article will show you how to
disable Microsoft's System Restore utility on your Microsoft Windows Millennium
computer so you can complete your repair. We strongly suggest that you remember
to re-enable the System Restore utility once your repair process is complete.
Note:
Turning off System Restore deletes all previous system restore points. You must
create new system restore points once you turn System Restore back on.
To
turn off Windows Me System Restore
- On the Windows taskbar,
click Start > Settings > Control Panel.
- Double-click
the System icon.
If the System icon is not visible, click View
all Control Panel options to display it.
- On the Performance tab, click File System.
- On the Troubleshooting tab check Disable System Restore.
- Click OK.
- When you are asked to restart Windows, click Yes.
- Follow
the instructions in the document that instructed you to disable System Restore
(such as troubleshooting or virus removal).
- When all instructions have been
completed, enable System Restore again by following the instructions below.
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To turn on Windows Me System Restore
- On the Windows taskbar,
click Start > Settings > Control Panel.
- Double-click
the System icon.
If the System icon is not visible, click View all
Control Panel options to display it.
- On the Performance tab, click File
System.
- On the Troubleshooting tab, uncheck Disable System Restore.
- On the Troubleshooting
tab check Disable System Restore.
- Click OK.
- When you
are asked to restart Windows, click Yes.
About
Windows Millennium System Restore:
Though this is a desirable
feature, in some cases System Restore should be temporarily turned off. For example,
if the computer is infected with a virus, then it is possible that the virus could
be backed up in the _RESTORE folder. By default, Windows prevents System Restore
from being modified by outside programs. As a result, there is the possibility
that you could accidentally restore a virus-infected file, or that on-line scanners
would detect the virus in that location.
Disabling System Restore does
not delete or remove any of your personal data from your computer. The only files
removed are those that System Restore created in the _RESTORE folder, the restore
points. Using System Restore to revert to a previously saved restore point does
not affect any of your personal data files or any items in your My Documents folder.
This
closes the door to many infections as they attempt to reinfect your system. In
fact, one of the first things spyware does when it infects your PC is to drop
your security settings so it can accomplish the goals of the software author without
your knowledge. Checking these settings
from time to time will help you keep your computer free of spyware and trojan
viruses and eliminate much of the need for time consuming malware removals. |
