It often happens that after downloading some malware or a file infected with a virus, important system data is damaged or deleted, as a result of which the PC starts to work worse or not work at all. In this case, a system restore or rollback will help fix the situation.
What is this?
Rollback (the system name of this function is data recovery) is the return of the operating system to a restore point that was created before the problem occurred due to damage to the OS or its individual components. There are plenty of reasons why it might be damaged:
- The system file can be "eaten" by a virus, after which the OS refuses to work. Or simply struck by a virus program, after which it is blocked or removed by the antivirus.
- An important component was removed by the user by accident or unknowingly.
- There was a third-party program installed that harmed the operating system.
- Downloaded Windows updates began to conflict with the old ones, as a result of which the computer began to "slow down" and work worse.
You can say that a rollback is like a lifeline for the user, because it is able to return Windows 7 to normalcondition. In this case, you do not have to reinstall it.
Restoring the system
Go to Start// All Programs// Accessories// System Tools and click on “System Restore”.
When it opens, click "Next", and then select from the list of restore points the one that was saved before the problem.
If you are interested in what programs will be lost, click on the button “Search for affected programs”. We move on and start rolling back. This will fix the OS, however some utilities or drivers will need to be reinstalled.
Through safe mode
It often happens that some kind of error occurs during startup, so it is not possible to load the desktop and roll back the settings. Therefore, you can log in using "Safe Mode".
Reboot the computer and before loading Windows 7, press the F8 key. It is worth noting that on some laptops, the F1-12 keys are activated only in combination with the Fn switch button (in most cases, you can find it at the bottom left). In this case, hold down Fn and press F8.
From the list of functions that appears, select “Safe Mode”. Do not be afraid of a screen resolution of 600x400 or 800x600, this is normal. Next, we find the system recovery program in the "Start" and follow the previous instructions on how to rollback.
Using a boot disk
It happens when you can't log into the computer using "Safe Mode", and, accordingly, it's impossible to roll back. This is solved quite simply when using a boot disk. All you need is to have it. We insert the boot disk into the disk drive, restart the computer. If the drive is not in priority, that is, it is not in the first place in the list of priority launches, go into the BIOS to the Boot section and put it in first place, save and exit from there. When the "installer" of Windows 7 starts, set the language to Russian (although another one is possible) and click on the inscription “System Restore” located at the bottom left. From the list, again select “System Restore”, after which we go through the already known procedure and roll back updates and settings.
By the way, if there is a bootable flash drive, the treatment procedure is the same, only you will need to put it in the boot priority.
Creating a restore point
You can only restore your computer if you have a saved restore point. If it is not there, this is a problem, since it will be impossible to roll back. Therefore, it is necessary to create it.
Right click on the shortcut "My Computer" (if there is no such desktop, then open the "Start" menu and do it there) and select "Properties".
In the "Toolbar" on the right side, click on the "System Protection" section and look at the plate wherediscs.
If there is an inscription “Enabled” next to some disk (mainly the system one), then do not worry, because there is a function to save the return point. If there is “Disabled”, click “Configure”. There we put the switch on the item “Restore system settings and previous versions of files”. And from the bottom, select the size of the disk space (it is desirable to take at least 1.5-2 GB). Click "Apply" and "OK". You can also create a return label manually. To do this, click "Create", somehow call it, and you're done.
Now a copy of the system will be saved from time to time, and it will be possible to roll back. It's a good news. But there is a small nuance. Protection settings will be saved primarily before installing some programs and will be constantly interchanged when there is not enough space for new saves. Therefore, it is better to allocate 5-10 gigabytes for this operation (it all depends on the capabilities of the disk), so that there are more tags with an earlier date in the list for return.
Creation in automatic mode
You can make sure that recovery data is kept on schedule. The easiest way to do this is:
- Press Win+R or open "Start" and write "Run" in the search box.
- In the line we write taskschd.msc, press OK. The scheduler will open.
- In the tree on the left side, open Library\\ Microsoft\\ Windows\\ SystemRestore. Double click on the file SR.
- Go to the tab“Triggers”, select the one you need and click change. Here we set the schedule at our discretion (for example, set one trigger to create weekly every Saturday at 0:00, and the second - when you turn on the computer).
- Next, go to the “Conditions” tab and set up some conditions for creating an automatic savepoint. If you don't need them, you can turn them off.
Now you don't have to worry about having a restore point and how to roll back the system to Windows.
