Use Windows System Restore with caution

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	LANGALIST PLUS[/size][/font] Use Windows System Restore with caution[/size]
	By Fred Langa Window’s System Restore is a good, basic safety net for solving system problems, but what it doesn’t[/i] do will surprise you.[/b] To use Windows’ system backup tool most effectively, you need to know its limitations — and have other recovery tools readily at hand.[/size]

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The full text of this column is posted at WindowsSecrets.com/2010/05/27/05 (paid content, opens in a new window/tab).

Columnists typically cannot reply to comments here, but do incorporate the best tips into future columns.[/td]

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MANY READERS NOW USE DAILY BLACKBERRIES (I DO), IPHONES ETC.

DO YOU HAVE IDEA TO EXTEND THE TOPIC OF 3G (WIRELESS) PROTECTION TO INCLUDE ALSO THESE EQUIPMENTS?

I KNOW THIS IS “WINDOWS SECRETS” AND BOTH BLACKBERRY AND IPHONE ARE NOT WINDOWS-BASED OS.

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It is also interesting what it sometimes does do.
I had two instances of two pc’s, one Vista and one XP that crashed between one use and another and they came up with an older view. System Restore brought them both back to the current view of the desktop but the one I use at work had also gone back to November and the main file (an excel spreadsheet) that I use also went back to November. When I did SR, it updated to the current file. I can only presume that it did update the file in My Documents because there was a link to it on my Desktop. This is interesting since SR says it will not change your documents and other files. Is would seem advisable to save the document and also Save As in a different place on the hard drive if you don’t have a regular backup system always connected. This way you reduce the losses with only a few moments of extra work.

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. I can only presume that it did update the file in My Documents because there was a link to it on my Desktop.

You can’t presume that. Was the file actually updated, or was there just a link there.? Links are part of the desktop, therefore the system, not data.

I feel a good backup means having all your data OFF the C partition, and backing up the 2 partitions separately. I’ve been using Tweak UI for years to move the location of My Docs to the D partition, and treating of the 2 partitions as separate entities. I never have to use System Restore, which does only SYSTEM files,not program files. My C image has all my system and program files, and backs or restores in 14 minutes. There is a good discussion of backups at this site, I think under the XP forum.

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