WindowsXP comes with system restore, you know how deep it is

Recently, the virus has become flustered. Even Windows XP has some inexplicable mistakes. I want to focus on the trouble of installing the system. By the way, I heard that the system restore function of Windows XP has been used, and I have not used it. Now I am using it.

First, the basics of system restoration
By default, Windows XP enables system restore function for all partitions. For non-Windows XP system partitions, we do not need to use the restore function. To know that system restore is based on taking up a lot of hard disk space, the steps to restore some partitions are as follows:
1. Press the "Windows Logo + Pause /Break" key combination on the keyboard to bring up the "system properties" Window;
2. Click the "System Restore" tab (Figure 1), select a non-system partition in the "Available Drives", click the "Settings" button;

Figure 1

3. In the pop-up settings window, select "Turn off the "System Restore" (T)" checkbox on this drive, and the disk space adjustment slider will become gray and unavailable. );

Figure 2

4. Also disable system restore for other non-system partitions; of course, the system partition can adjust the use of disk space through the settings window. If you do not want to use System Restore on your system partition, simply check the "Turn off System Restore on all drives" checkbox in Figure 1.
After this setting, we only use the system restore function for the C drive system partition. At this time, the partition root directory will generate a folder named “System Colume Information” (as shown in Figure 3). A file is a backup file of a system restore. If you use the NTFS file system format to install Windows XP, you will not be able to access the contents of the folder, only the folder properties.

Figure 3

Friendly Tip:
In the default system state, the "System Colume Information" folder is not visible, because it is hidden and has a system Properties, while the system defaults to enable hiding of protected system files and having hidden property files. To view these files, click on "Tools → Folder Options" in the Explorer, switch to the "View" tab in the "Folder Options" window that pops up, and undo "Hide Protected Operations" in the "Advanced Settings" list. System (recommended) check box, then select "Show all files and folders" item for "Hidden files and folders".

Second, change the system restore automatic backup restore point cycle
By default, Windows XP will automatically back up a restore point every 24 hours of use system time, if you think this cycle is too long or too Short, we can make changes. Since the system does not directly prompt the setting options, we can only modify the relevant data in the registry:
1. Click "Start → Run", enter "Regedit" in the "Open" text box, press Enter to open the registry editing 2.
2. In the left directory tree, expand the primary key [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\SystemRestore], and double-click the DWORD value of the "RPGlobalInterval" in the right panel (Figure 4, if none This key value, new can be), pop-up modify key value dialog box, enter the cycle time in the text box, the time here is in seconds, such as the default 24 hours you can enter "86400" (ie 60 × 60 ×24 get, pay attention to enter 15180 in hexadecimal,), users can refer to this data for modification;
3. Close the registry, restart Windows XP will take effect.

Figure 4

Third, restore files, some targeted
We only hope that the system restore is as much as possible system files, if there is important data in the system partition, and not in the " In my documentation, then we have to add these files (folders) to the protection list. Protection list? Maybe you will wonder: Windows XP has this feature? Yes, there are, but it is directly hidden in the registry database, the old method:
1. Open the registry editor with the same method;
in the left directory tree, expand the primary key [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\ SYSTEM\\CurrentControlSet\\Control\\BackupRestore\\FilesNotToBackup], the right window already has related key values. Adding a custom file (clip) method is also very simple, right click and select "New → Multi-string value" (as shown 5), then randomly input in the key item name can identify the backup folder, after two carriage returns, pop up the modify key value dialog box, enter the absolute path to protect the file (clip) in the text box;
3 After closing the registry and restarting Windows XP, using System Restore will not overwrite these protected files (folders).

Figure 5

Fourth, use system restore
1. Open the "System Restore" tool: Click "Start → (All) Programs → Accessories → System Tools → System Restore "(Figure 6);

Figure 6

2. Create a restore point: After opening the system restore window, select the "Create a restore point" option (as shown 7), after clicking "Next", enter "Restore Point Description", click the "Create" button, and after a while, the prompt "Restore Point Created" will pop up.

Figure 7
3. Using System Restore: There are two ways to use System Restore, the first one is directly through the System Restore tool: select "Restore my computer to an earlier time (R)" Option, click "Next", in the "2. In the list, click a restore point", the "<" and ">" buttons switch the restore point, the corresponding calendar list prompts the date to determine the restore point, click "Next" After some warning messages, continue "Next" to confirm the restore.
The second is mainly used in the case of Windows XP system is damaged (even in safe mode) use the last restore point:
After booting, if you are installing multiple systems coexistence, select "Windows XP" Immediately press and hold the "F8" button, then there will be a lot of menu items, select "Restore the last normal configuration" to use the last restore point. If you want to use other restore points, I still don't know the specific implementation method. If you know, you may wish to share it with you.