Thread: System Restore

Here's an idea: Give Windows a built-in, automated backup application. Restoring a system backup should fix corrupted boot files, virus infections, Trojan horse installations, and Windows' natural, slow deterioration without harming your data.But you can't permanently save a System Restore backup (called a restore point) to external media. Thus, while System Restore can usually return Windows to, say, last Wednesday's state, it's generally useless for bringing everything back to the perfect condition your PC was in last year. What's more, restoring your system depends on having multiple restore points, such that one corrupt backup makes subsequent ones useless.

The best solution would be a system-backup program that leaves your data alone but backs up everything else to a removable (preferably bootable) disk. I have yet to encounter such a program. Genie Backup Manager Home comes closer than anything else I've found. The utility offers many effective databackup options to make recovering your system easy.



Genie's Disaster Recovery option insists on backing up everything on the drive, but you can restore the system while keeping the data unchanged by deselecting your data folders when you restore a Disaster Recovery backup. You can try this general purpose backup program before you buy it. In contrast, every other reliable system-backup program I know of is image based, meaning that the app restores the entire drive your data as well as the system. That's fine if you"re recovering from a hard-drive crash, but if you want to restore last month's Windows installation while keeping today's documents, you'll need to fully restore one backup and then selectively restore another.

On the other hand, some image-backup programs are free. If you have Vista Business or Ultimate, you already have one: To access it, select Start-All Programs-Accessories- Backup Status and Configuration-Complete PC Backup. Another free option is Drive Image XML, which works best if you obtain it as part of the free Ultimate Boot CD for Windows. Just keep in mind that you'll need to back up your data files separately.