How to Restore Windows XP Pro
Every once in a while, a program installed on your computer will completely wreak havoc with the computer. Or a virus or piece of spyware is put on your PC that completely messes up your XP Pro operating system. In a lot of these cases, the solution to the problem is not to reformat and reinstall Windows, but rather to restore Windows XP Pro using the built-in System Restore function.
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Instructions
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Log-on to the computer as an Administrator. You'll need Admin privileges in order to perform the System Restore process.
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Click "Start" and then point to "All Programs." From there, go to "Accessories > System Tools > System Restore." The Windows System Restore utility will now open up.
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Click "Restore My Computer to an Earlier Time" and then "Next."
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Click a recent System Restore point on the Calendar-style list that appears and then click "Next." This should be at least a day ago, but no more than a week ago as doing the restore will result in losing any programs that were installed between the time of the System Restore point and present time.
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Click "OK" when prompted by System Restore. Then click "Next" again when asked by System Restore. The restore will now begin and may take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, depending on the speed of your computer and size of the restore point.
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Log-on to the computer again as an Administrator after the computer has been restarted by the System Restore process. Click "OK" when the System Restore box appears and your computer will be restored to its former state.
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Tips & Warnings
Restore to an even earlier point if it does not work at first. Sometimes the first restore point is not the charm and trying a second or even third additional restore point is necessary.
Run System Restore in Safe Mode if it won't allow you to perform the restore. You can boot into Safe Mode by rebooting your computer and pressing the "F8" key at the first screen after your PC is rebooted. Then simply select "Safe Mode" from the boot menu options and log-on as an Administrator. The same instructions above will work in Safe Mode.
Don't reboot the computer when it is in the middle of doing the System Restore. Doing so can and usually does result in operating system corruption and may require you to reformat and reinstall Windows XP Pro.
