System rollback in Windows XP. How to roll back a Windows XP system

Theoretically, any updates are designed to optimize the operation of the system and certain programs. However, in practice it happens that everything does not go as the user wanted, and the system fails. This can also happen when installing new software. What to do in such a situation? Some users believe that the solution is to reinstall the operating system. In fact, everything is much simpler, especially if you know how to roll back a Windows XP system to a day ago or any other period when the OS was working normally.

What will you need?

Some users believe that third-party utilities are needed to return to the rollback point. This is partly true. But the system also has built-in tools that will help us restore a successful configuration.

The first thing you need is a restore point. By default in Windows these points are made automatically. Typically, such an operation occurs before any significant events affecting the system, for example, before cleaning the registry or installing new applications, etc. Actually, this procedure in terms of complexity is almost the same as checking the authenticity of Windows 7 online, so there is a point for a rollback you can create it yourself.

Rollback Windows XP

In order to return the system to a previous state, you must first log in with an administrator account.

Next, click Start and follow the All programs link. Here we are interested in standard and utility utilities. In them, click on the System Restore command. Check Restore previous state and confirm by clicking Next. After that, in the window that opens, you need to select a restore point. The last stage is to confirm your choice and start the process.

After the operation is completed, the computer will reboot. Actually, in the future there should be no problems with the operation of the system. However, if the computer does not start, you may need to cancel the OS restore. Therefore, if necessary, make sure to have a backup copy of them. Some users prefer to use third-party utilities to roll back the system to the desired state. In principle, this is also a good solution, but it is not recommended for beginners to use the programs, since they are not as easy to use as they seem.

Hello everyone, Ruslan Nova is here, and today we will talk about how to roll back a Windows system.

Microsoft operating systems are equipped with the ability to rollback, that is, loading the last created restore point. This option is very useful if your computer starts to work incorrectly, crashes appear, and it is not possible to reinstall the system from scratch.

From this article you will learn:

how to roll back a system based on Windows XP;

how to roll back a system based on Windows 7;

how to roll back a system based on Windows 8 and 8.1;

How to roll back a system based on Windows 10.

How to roll back a Windows XP system?

Option #1

First you need to click Start, after which the main panel will open, in which we select the All programs tab.

In the window that appears, look for the Standard line and click on it.

The tab that appears contains many items, but we need to find the Service line and activate it.

In the tab that opens, all you have to do is select Recovery, after which the required service will automatically start.

Option No. 2

The second method starts by opening the My Computer folder, then you need to open Local Drive C.

After that, go to the Windows folder

Inside there is another folder called System32, which also needs to be opened by double-clicking.

Inside you need to find and open the Restore folder.

Double clicking on the rstrui.exe application will activate the system restore system.

How to restore Windows 7 checkpoint

Option #1

This method is somewhat similar to the principle of system recovery on the XP platform. Click the Start button and look for the All Programs line.

Click Standard.

After this, activate the Service line.

The System Restore shortcut starts the process we need.

Option No. 2

This method is one of the simplest. It consists of only 2 steps. The first is to open Command Prompt by pressing the Win+R key combination.

Then all you have to do is enter the rstrui command and click OK, after which system recovery will automatically start.

Option No. 3

Option similar to 1. Open the My Computer folder, then the Local Disk C folder.

Go to the Windows folder.

Double-click on the System32 folder.

All that remains is to select and launch the rstrui application, after which the system will begin to roll back to the last restore point.

Option No. 4

Another simple way to quickly restore Win 7. Right-click on My Computer and open the Properties line.

In the left column of the window that opens, you need to find the line System Protection and click on it.

The tab contains a Restore button, clicking which starts the process.

Option No. 5

The last method that allows you to roll back the system. Click Start and select Control Panel.

Let's start Recovery.

How to roll back Windows 8 and 8.1

Option #1

The easiest way is to activate the Command Line and then enter a special request. By pressing Win+R, you will open the above line.

Then you need to enter rstrui and click OK. This will start the recovery service.

Option No. 2

This method is the same as in the case of Windows 7. Right-click on My Computer and go to the Properties tab.

After that, go to the System Protection line.

In the corresponding tab there is a Restore button. Activating it starts the process and eliminates questions about how to perform a system rollback.

Option No. 3

And this method is classic for almost all Windows systems. Go to the My Computer folder, and then to the Local Drive C folder.

Inside there is a Windows folder, which is what we need.

Inside it we are looking for another folder called System32. Let's go there.

We find the rstrui application, double-click it to activate it, and now you don’t need to think about how to perform a system rollback.

Option No. 4

The last method has 6 steps. It all starts by opening the Settings tab in the special pop-up window on the right.

Click Shutdown in the window that opens.

After this, a tab with a choice of 2 items is displayed. We need to select the Reboot line, but we need to click on it while holding down the Shift button

The screen that appears has 3 items, but we need Diagnostics. Let's activate the line.

After that, go to the Additional options item.

System Restore is the button we need that will put the service into action.

Option #1

The simplest and most well-known method begins by pressing the Win + R combination, which opens the command line.

Enter the rstrui command and confirm with the OK button.

Option No. 2

Another way: right-click on My Computer and select the Properties tab.

The last step is to click the Restore button in the corresponding tab.

Option No. 3

A method specific only to Win 10; 8 and 8.1. Open the Shutdown menu.

In the window that opens, find the Diagnostics parameter and activate it.

Click on Additional options.

The final step is to activate the System Restore line.

Option No. 4

First you need to open the Search menu, located to the right of the Start button.

In the bottom line, enter the request Recovery, and click the corresponding tab, which immediately appears above after entering the word in the search bar.

Click on the line Start system recovery.

So we looked at how to perform a system rollback and how to run system restore on the most common Windows operating systems. Good luck and see you again.

Situations when the operating system begins to work with glitches and errors, or refuses to start at all, happen quite often. This happens for various reasons - from virus attacks and software conflicts to incorrect user actions. In Windows XP, there are several tools for restoring system functionality, which we will discuss in this article.

Let's consider two scenarios.

The operating system boots, but works with errors. This also includes file corruption and software conflicts. In this case, you can roll back to the previous state directly from a running system.
Windows refuses to start. Reinstalling the system while saving user data will help us here. There is also another method, but it only works if there are no serious problems - loading the last known good configuration.

Method 1: System Restore Utility

Windows XP contains a system utility designed to track changes in the OS, such as installing software and updates, and reconfiguring key parameters. The program automatically creates a restore point if the above conditions are met. In addition, there is a function for creating custom points. Let's start with them.

First of all, we check whether the recovery function is enabled, for which we click RMB by icon "My computer" on the desktop and select "Properties".
Next, open the tab "System Restore". Here you need to pay attention to whether the checkbox is unchecked "Disable System Restore". If it is standing, then remove it and press "Apply", and then close the window.
Now you need to run the utility. Go to the start menu and open the list of programs. In it we find the catalog "Standard" and then the folder "Service". We look for our utility and click on the name.
Select a parameter "Create a restore point" and press "Further".
Enter a description of the control point, for example "Driver Installation", and press the button "Create".
The next window informs us that a new point has been created. The program can be closed.

It is advisable to perform these actions before installing any software, especially that which interferes with the operation of the operating system (drivers, design packages, etc.). As we know, everything automatic may not work correctly, so it’s better to play it safe and do everything yourself, manually.

Restoring from points occurs as follows:

Launch the utility (see above).
In the first window we leave the parameter "Restoring your computer to an earlier state" and press "Further".
Next, you need to try to remember after what actions the problems began and determine the approximate date. On the built-in calendar, you can select a month, after which the program, using the selection, will show us on what day the restore point was created. The list of points will be displayed in the block on the right.
Select a restore point and click "Further".
We read all kinds of warnings and press again "Further".
Next, a reboot will follow, and the utility will restore the system parameters.
After logging into your account, we will see a message indicating a successful recovery.

You may have noticed that the window contains information that you can select a different restore point or cancel the previous procedure. We've already talked about dots, now let's deal with cancellation.

Method 2: Recover without logging in

The previous method is applicable if we can boot the system and log into our “account”. If the download does not occur, you will have to use other recovery options. This is loading the last working configuration and reinstalling the system, saving all files and settings.

A fully functioning function to restore one of the previous saved system states appeared in Windows XP. This is a very useful and necessary feature of the OS, allowing you to bring it back to life after problems with the software occur. The user himself is to blame for some of these situations, but most conflicts are related to imperfections in the operating system and the software products used in it. It often happens that the operating system generates an error when loading the desktop or launching an application after installing or uninstalling a software product (application, new device driver), deleting or modifying a system file, or becoming infected with malicious files. In addition to error messages, Windows may slow down, constantly crash to the desktop, or display notifications in the system tray.

For the most part, such things cannot be solved by removing the problematic driver, application, or restoring a system file. What remains besides reinstalling the operating system? Her recovery. Today we’ll look at how to roll back Windows XP without using a disk with installation files.

Implementation of Windows XP recovery

After installing Windows, the System Restore Application starts automatically and creates a rollback or restore point when performing most actions that can harm the system (modifying or replacing system files, working with the registry in write mode):

installing programs using Windows Installer and other installers that support system recovery;
before installing updates and drivers;
every day with default settings;
at the user's request.

The restore point is a hidden system directory called System Volume Information. It stores copies of Windows registry entries, installed applications, and system components. To do this, a free amount of disk space is allocated on the system volume, up to 12% of the total partition size.

Due to the imperfection of system recovery in XP (reserving the entire registry, backing up only certain types of files from a clearly limited list of directories), often after the OS is rolled back to a previous state after updating a driver or program, they may not completely return to their previous state. As a result, you have to reinstall the product manually.

Working with the Windows XP recovery feature

To make sure that the System Restore Application is active, call “Properties” of the “My Computer” directory and go to the “System Restore” tab.

In order to view system restore points and roll back XP, call the “System Restore” window using one of the proposed methods.
Enter “rstui” or “rstui.exe” in the “Run” line and press “Enter”.

We go to the address:

We select the first option, as shown in the screenshot, in order to be able to view all Windows XP restore points created by you and the operating system and roll back its state to the selected point.

Select a rollback point from the list or using the calendar.

This will provide greater convenience when there are multiple restore points scattered over a significant time period. The days when retracement points were created are highlighted in bold.

Click “Next”.

We close all running applications, as the recovery program warns, and click “Next”.

We are waiting for the completion of operations to copy earlier versions of system files.

Reboot the computer after a window appears with information about the completion of the system rollback procedure.

Problem solving

It happens that recovery fails due to a number of reasons. In such cases, you need to run the system rollback process again, but in the second step, choose to cancel the last restore, as in the screenshot. Then you can try to roll back again, but select a different point (preferably one created immediately before the one used).

It is possible that service files located in System Volume Information are damaged, preventing attempts to access them.

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When you launch your personal computer every day, you inevitably bring something new to it. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re just surfing the Internet or installing new programs. After all, by visiting any web page, you may well catch a virus there or install, without knowing it, a malicious program. Today we will talk about how to roll back Windows XP.

Forewarned is forearmed

A fairly well-known saying takes on a very clear and specific meaning in the context we are considering. Remember, there is only one way to restore your system, and it requires mandatory preliminary preparation. This tool is the System Restore utility built into the OS. But, in order to use it to return the computer to its previous state, you need to ensure in advance that such a point exists. Many users find that system backup takes up a lot of hard drive space. This is partly true, but all discontent disappears at once when a situation arises in which restoration may soon be required. Therefore, before rolling back the Windows XP system, let's clarify how to create a restore point.

Starting position

As already mentioned, we will need to create a specific starting point to which we would like to return our computer if it breaks down or becomes infected with a virus. Of course, you can choose when to install the OS on your computer, but what's the point if it would be easier to reinstall the entire system?

So, to create a restore point, do the following. Go to the "Start" menu - "Programs" - "Accessories" - "Utilities". There, select "System Restore". In the interface that opens, select creating a restore point and wait until the computer completes the entire operation. Now you will have somewhere to return in case of problems with your computer.

If you are a user of a newer generation OS, for example, Windows 7, then you should not be concerned about this point in the question of how to roll back the system. Windows XP, unlike Windows 7, does not create copies automatically and during installation does not include the automatic creation of such backup states.

Recovery

Finally, we got directly to the question of how to roll back Windows XP. To do this, you will need to repeat all the steps indicated in the previous paragraph, with the exception that you will need to select the “Restore the computer to an earlier state” sub-item in the program itself. In this case, you will be offered a list of all available states over the past time. How to roll back Windows XP? You need to choose the appropriate state. By default, the most recent available position will be highlighted in bold. Having selected the required item, click “Next” - “Finish”.

In fact, no one knows what guides a personal computer when restoring a system. He can remove installed programs, or he can leave them. Your recent photos will disappear... Or they won't. Anyway, don't forget to back up your files. This, by the way, is another way to roll back the system. Windows XP Professional allows you to use third-party utilities to save the system state.

Independent programs

Data backup. There are many programs designed both for saving some of your computer files and for creating images of hard drives as a whole. For example, "Acronis". By saving data with it, you can reinstall the entire system at any time, and then restore the contents of your hard drives.
Special programs for recovering deleted files. Of course, with their help it is impossible to restore the system to its true value, but it is very possible to return some files. It is recommended to use File Rescue Pro.

System disk

If you still have the installation disk of your operating system, you can perform a system recovery using it. To do this, insert it into the drive and restart the computer from the disk. The operating system installer screen should appear in front of you. How to roll back the system? Windows XP itself suggests a solution. At the bottom of the screen we see the inscription “R - restore”. Click the corresponding button.

The computer will search for installed operating systems. After this, a menu will appear in which you must select the system to be restored. We indicate the OS we need to restore, enter its number and press Enter.

After that, enter the password, if necessary, and proceed to recovery. To do this, we need to enter the command to restore Fixmbr partitions. We confirm the action. Then we need to restore the boot area with the Fixboot command. After that, enter exit and reboot.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that if you are looking for instructions on how to roll back a Windows XP system via BIOS, then know that this is in no way possible. Any changes you could make using the BIOS will not directly affect the OS. The maximum that can be advised is to remove the coin cell battery from the motherboard. In this case, all BIOS settings will be reset, the computer password will be lost, and some recent changes will disappear.