Start button/All Programs/Accessories/System Tools/System Restore
When System Restore opens, select the option to: Restore my computer to an earlier time.
System Restore automatically creates Restore Points, and names them System Checkpoint,
approximately every 24 hours depending upon certain factors. So even if you didn't
manually create Restore Points, System Checkpoints should be there. After selecting:
Restore my computer to an earlier time, click the NEXT button at the bottom right of the
window. The next window is divided into two panes, on the left is the calendar, and on
the right the Restore Points for the date selected on the calendar. The dates in bold
font are the ones with Restore Points. Click on the date that you edited the Registry,
and see if there was a System Checkpoint created at an earlier time than when you did the
Registry edit. If there is, click on it to highlight it in the right pane, and then click
the NEXT button, and finish the System Restore wizard. (A Restore Point will restore the
Registry as it was at that time, and not mess with any of your data files etc.) If you
can't remember the time of day that you edited the Registry, use a Restore Point from the
day before, or as close to that date as possible. The one negative thing about System
Restore is that if you go back too far, and you installed programs/patches/updates between
then and now, they will have to be reinstalled, because the old Registry that's being
restored won't have the Keys and Strings for them.
If you can't boot your system into Normal Mode because of damage to your Registry: Try
booting into Safe Mode: Press the F8 key between powering on, but before the Windows XP
logo. Press that key a few times. If you see the Windows XP logo, then you've gone too
far and have to try again. When the menu comes up, press the corresponding number key
for: Safe Mode. Safe Mode will start to load slowly, with file names on your screen. Be
patient. Just before the Safe Mode desktop loads, you'll be asked if you want to load the
desktop, or go directly to System Restore. Click the No button, and System Restore will
open. Then you can restore your Registry using the same method described above. It's
also good to know that there's an option to undo the last System Restore, in case you
select Restore Point from a date that had problems.
It's also a good idea to open System Restore and create a Restore Point before editing the
Registry, installing new software or drivers, making system configuration changes, etc.
That way, if there's a problem, even a bad one where you can't even boot into Normal Mode,
you can boot into Safe Mode, and use the Restore Point you manually created to get your
system up and running quickly.
So, although it's called System Restore, the MAIN function, at least for me, is to backup
and restore the Registry.
--
T.C.
t__cruise@[NoSpam]hotmail.com
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paton (removeme) @cablespeed.com said:
Hello:
I was editing my registry (extensive deletions of McAfee files) per instructions from
McAfee. Before I started I exported an "All" Range back-up and saved on my desktop.
I decided to abort the editing and tried to restore the registry from the back-up file. I get the error message:
Cannot import C/.. (path to file stated). Not all data was successfully written to the
registry. Some keys are open by the system or other processes.
