IF00050
Disable Windows
XP And Me System Restore When Infection Occurs!
When something goes wrong, the
Windows System Restore feature that debuted with
Windows Millennium Edition offers users the ability to roll their systems back
to a kinder, gentler time. Making changes to the system, such as installing or
uninstalling a program, cause the feature to create a checkpoint. Unfortunately,
if you are trying to rid your machine of a virus infection or
spyware, System
Restore can be your enemy. Virus scanners cannot clean infections from restore
points, making reinfection possible. The same can happen if you do a system
restore after running an anti-spyware utility, with objects reappearing after a
scan-and-delete sweep. This is why all antivirus vendors recommend disabling
System Restore before attempting to clean a system. Although Windows XP and
Windows Me offer System Restore, they differ slightly in the way they let you
enable and disable it. The following is how to proceed!
Disabling System Restore in Windows XP:
1. From the desktop or Start menu, right click on My Computer.
2. Click on Properties.
3. Select the System Restore Tab.
4. Check the Turn Off System Restore on All Drives checkbox. Note that when the
box is checked, system restore is off.
5. Click on OK to exit (or click on Apply, then Ok.)
Note: Unlike Windows Me, Windows XP does not normally require rebooting.
Disabling System Restore in Windows Me
1. From the desktop or Start menu, right-click on My Computer.
2. Click on Properties.
3. Select the Performance Tab, and click on File system or press Alt + F.
4. On the Troubleshooting tab, put a check in the Disable System Restore
checkbox. As with Windows XP, when the box is checked, system restore is
disabled.
5. Click twice on OK to exit.
6. Click Yes when prompted to reboot the system.
To re-enable System Restore after removing viruses, worms, or spyware, repeat
the steps, but uncheck the Disable System Restore checkbox.
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