Window System Restore Utility - Worth Using?

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SuperBusa

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Can someone please explain what files are restored when you do a "System Restore"?

I take it that in order to make a System Restore worth while, one would have to manually create restore points, or do the automatic restore points created by Windows do any good?

When my computer went nuts due to malware, I tried 3 or 4 restore points up to a month back, and it didn't make any difference.

What is the best way to get the most out of the System Restore utility?

I couldn't find any existing threads on this ... hope this isn't something that's been thrashed already.
 
That's because malware was stored in those restore points. Your computer, had been infected before you noticed the results. GIGO
 
Sometimes it works,sometimes the files which are bad stick around.
Just store your important files on cd/dvd.
Reload your operating system when it slows down or other problems show up.
I reload mine every few months,just to get rid of the junk that windows collects.
 
Originally Posted By: Ursae_Majoris
That's because malware was stored in those restore points. Your computer, had been infected before you noticed the results. GIGO


You are right ... as I ran A-Squared scanner tonight and it found a bunch of restore files with infections.

A-Squared has worked better than Malwarbytes and SuperAntiSpyware it seemed. I ran Malwarebytes, which fixed my original problem, then ran Super AntiSpyware, which found some adware. Then ran A-Squared and it found 19 High Risk items that neither of the first two found. Guess you can't have too many scanning programs in the tool bag.
 
Originally Posted By: XCELERATIONRULES

Reload your operating system when it slows down or other problems show up.
I reload mine every few months,just to get rid of the junk that windows collects.


I have never reloaded Windows XP just to reload it while the system is still working. I did however have to completely rebuild my HD with a new one a few years ago from scratch due to the HD having mechanical failure of some kind.

If you reload Windows XP, do you have to then apply all the updates to it? I have an early version of XP, so there are probably hundreds of Windows updates on it. Maybe start with SP3 updates and beyond?

Anyway, I'm wondering if it would be worth while creating a manual System Restore point once I get all this malware off and it all cleaned up?
 
Originally Posted By: DragRace
http://www.returnilvirtualsystem.com/products
Reformat,so you know your PC is 100% clean,then install returnil free version. With a simple reboot,the malware is gone and life is good.


Woah ... I don't want to rebuild my whole HD. Reformat will wipe out everything - right?. Not quite to that stage yet.
 
Originally Posted By: SuperBusa
Originally Posted By: DragRace
http://www.returnilvirtualsystem.com/products
Reformat,so you know your PC is 100% clean,then install returnil free version. With a simple reboot,the malware is gone and life is good.


Woah ... I don't want to rebuild my whole HD. Reformat will wipe out everything - right?. Not quite to that stage yet.


rollbackRX,is another way of goin back to a stable.clean state if things go bad,but this isnt free of course.

Windows system restore is a joke,so I'm tryin to give you some better options.
 
If you run some decent malware/virus scan, and the PC seems pretty happy, you should then set that as a restore point.
Do this once a week, and you should always have something to go back to that will work.
If you are really brave, you can go in and find the bad files and delete them.
The problem with this is that some of the malware may have replaced some pieces of Windows, so you may cripple your system in the process.
I have done this.
If you are trying to find a good restore point, just keep going back until you get there.
If nothing seems to help, you may then have to use the system recovery function that formats the hard drive, except for the recovery partition, and then reloads the operating system.
You will, of course, lose all of the files you have stored on the hard drive, so if you can back them up, you should.
I have had systems running badly enough that I could not even get a good boot to Windows.
System recovery brought the PC back to life.
You then have to download every update for the OS and reinstall every piece of installed software and the updates for these as well, since none of the updates or installs were part of the original load.
While this is a true PITA, the result will be a clean and fast PC.
 
System Restore is not a good choice for an infected system. It is more for somebody who has broken their computer via an update or software install and needs to roll back to before that point.

Because malware and virii can infect the restore points themselves, there is little use in trying to use them.
 
Originally Posted By: Troy_Built
Is your computer still screwed?


I think I got it all cleaned up ... seems to be running better than ever, and I don't get any more warning messages from my spyware programs.

I scanned it with 3 different free programs that were suggested by members here (see my other thread). Used Malwarebytes' Anti-Malware, SUPERAntiSpyware and A-Squared.

Ran Malwarebytes first, and it cured the original malware issue and then ran the other two and they found some things that Malwarebytes didn't find.
 
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
System Restore is not a good choice for an infected system. It is more for somebody who has broken their computer via an update or software install and needs to roll back to before that point.

Because malware and virii can infect the restore points themselves, there is little use in trying to use them.


Yes, I think A-Squared found a bunch of automatically created restore point files that were infected.
 
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
If you run some decent malware/virus scan, and the PC seems pretty happy, you should then set that as a restore point. Do this once a week, and you should always have something to go back to that will work.


I think once I feel I have everything off my machine and it is 100% clean, I will create a manual restore point ... probably better than nothing.
 
Thanks DragRace and SrDriver. But I don't really have to reformat my HD, right? If I can feel comfortable that my machine is cleaned up after using a dozen scanners, then I can use Returnil Virtual System?
 
System restore in Windows XP is worthless IMO. Turn it off, and use the free version of Driveimagexl to make diskimages.

Vista premium has disk imaging built in! Light Years better then XPs system restore.
 
Originally Posted By: SuperBusa
Thanks DragRace and SrDriver. But I don't really have to reformat my HD, right? If I can feel comfortable that my machine is cleaned up after using a dozen scanners, then I can use Returnil Virtual System?


Yes, after all that scanning would go ahead and install Returnil without reinstalling and reloading everything. I did the same thing.

It works great.
 
Originally Posted By: SrDriver
Originally Posted By: SuperBusa
Thanks DragRace and SrDriver. But I don't really have to reformat my HD, right? If I can feel comfortable that my machine is cleaned up after using a dozen scanners, then I can use Returnil Virtual System?


Yes, after all that scanning would go ahead and install Returnil without reinstalling and reloading everything. I did the same thing.

It works great.


Sounds like a plan. Do you turn the Windows System Restore function OFF when using Returnil?
 
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