During long-term work on a personal computer, critical situations may arise associated with constant malfunctions and so-called “glitches.” Fatal system errors occur, the cause of which may be different. Very often, users, taking advantage of the free opportunity provided by Microsoft, install Windows 10 on their hard drive and after that problems begin. Often, a personal device begins to malfunction and “glitch” after installing any drivers. This is due to the fact that users forget about already installed drivers and download them again. This will certainly lead to a conflict between them and a failure in operation.
The reason for constant “glitches” can also be the downloading and installation of malicious software. software
OS repair
Before taking radical measures, you need to try to save the operating system in simple ways:
- Conduct a full virus scan of your personal device
- Remove duplicate program and driver files
- Defragment HDD and registry
- Remove the second Windows
There is one more nuance that many users forget about. Cannot be installed on Personal Computer two powerful ones at once antivirus programs. If you install Kaspersky Anti-Virus and ESETNOD32 at the same time, then Windows is almost guaranteed to have to be reinstalled, since the device will immediately stop working normally. Each program perceives the other as a virus and they will try to destroy each other. By the way, complete uninstallation of such products is a complex and lengthy process. If relatively simple measures do not help, you will have to properly roll back the computer, in other words, perform a recovery operating system from the rollback point.
Windows Recovery
This procedure is simple, but each version has its own characteristics.
- To do a rollback Windows systems XP, you can use a built-in program called SystemRestoreApplication. The program itself creates restore points during the download process of package updates and new programs.
After clicking “OK”, the program itself will begin to perform the necessary actions.
You can also create restore points or rollback points yourself.
- You can perform a system rollback of Windows 8 using built-in hardware. To roll back Windows 8 you need to follow a certain sequence of actions. Close all applications and, while holding down the “Shift” key, click “Restart” in the shutdown menu.
- To roll back the Windows 10 system, you need to select “Settings” in “Start”, enter the “Update and Recovery” section and launch it with the “Restore” button.
At reinstalling Windows, the old OS remains in the "Windows.old" folder and Windows 7 Boot Manager may prompt you to boot using previous version. She takes disk space and does not contribute to the good functioning of the personal device, so it must be uninstalled. To remove Windows from the download list, you need to follow a sequence of simple steps.
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. Default, in bold The most recent available position will be highlighted. Having selected the required item, click “Next” - “Finish”.
In fact, no one knows what guides a personal computer when restoring a system. He can delete installed programs, or maybe leave it. Your recent photos will disappear... Or they won't. Anyway, don't forget to create backups 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 hard drives generally. 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, they cannot be used to restore the system to true meaning, however, it is very possible to return some files. It is recommended to use File Rescue Pro.
System disk
If you have saved installation disk your operating system, you can perform a system restore 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 pull it out motherboard battery - "tablet". In this case, all BIOS settings will be reset, the computer password will be lost, and some recent changes will disappear.
Updates to any program or operating system are designed to correct errors in this software and make the work more stable. But there are cases when Windows update did not give a positive result, but on the contrary created errors in the system. Many users in such cases try to reinstall the system. But you can try to return everything to how it was before the update, if you know how to roll back a Windows XP system.
It is possible to roll back individual updates, but this process does not always happen correctly. Another option is to restore saved old system states. For this there are individual programs, but built-in ones are also capable of this Windows tools. Typically, a restore point is created in advance for such purposes. By default, Windows settings make such points during certain events in the system (before installing or uninstalling programs, cleaning the registry, etc.).
In the system settings (My Computer) there is a recovery tab. Here you set the volume allocated for storing system files and the time after which copying is carried out for each hard drive. Every time before installing a new driver and program or when updating them, a backup copy is created in the System Volume Information folder. All are saved in the archive system files, which have been changed, system settings and Windows registry keys. Thanks to this, the problem with Rolling back Windows XP is a relatively simple solution.
To start the recovery, click on the Start button > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore. Select the archive for the required date. There's a nuance here executable files, saved on disk after this date will be lost. So, if not everything needs to be restored, then it is better to temporarily transfer everything to another disk or flash drive.
All these Windows tools do not always work, so often when deciding how to roll back a Windows XP system, preference is given to programs third party developers. Such programs are quite complex and are not recommended for inexperienced users. They support booting from disk (without windows loading), archive and restore windows settings and files without an operating system. But the question is how to roll back Windows XP is solved quite smoothly.
Usually these are not just programs, but entire kits that include their own drivers for working with disks and other hardware, as well as archiving algorithms, the development of which costs a lot of money. These kits can work directly (without an OS) with computer devices (the code for such a program is more complex), which is why they cost a lot of money. Some of these solutions can be loaded into memory, and then restore data from an optical disk in the same drive. That is, you need to take it out boot disk programs from the drive and insert a new one. In this case, the recovery program interface will remain in the operating memory and on the computer screen. TO third party programs This type includes Norton Ghost, Acronis True Image, ShadowUser, etc.
Windows XP contains a huge number of settings, configurations and registry entries that determine the functioning of the system. If as a result of a failure or action malware some part of Windows will be damaged - problems may arise with the correct operation of the computer. Most users in this case simply reinstall the OS. However, this is not a very convenient option. You will have to reinstall all the software and configure the PC to suit your requirements. It is much better to do a rollback or .
What it is?
System rollback is the restoration of certain computer parameters. The user can create a so-called control point, that is, remember the state of the computer at the current moment. If something goes wrong in the future, Windows XP can always be restored to a saved state.
The checkpoint stores registry entries, all configurations of the system and its modules and installed on this moment updates.
Media content, user files and documents, game and program settings cannot be saved. Thus, Windows XP rollback is not used for recovery deleted photos or successful software configurations.
If you want to protect your personal information from viruses and accidental deletion, it is best to make backup copies or backups of files.
They can be stored on the same hard drive as cloud storage or on a regular removable flash drive. In the event of any accident, you can simply copy the created backup to restore lost data.
How to make a checkpoint
Before you roll back Windows XP, you will need to create control point systems. The OS periodically creates such checkpoints on its own, but it will be useful to create an additional one before installing dubious software or working with the registry. This can be done using standard utility, preinstalled in all versions of the system:
Now, if necessary, you can easily roll back Windows status XP to stable.
How to rollback
This operation is performed through the same interface as the creation of new return points. To work with the utility, you must be logged into Windows XP as an administrator.
Once the process is complete, your computer will restart and the changes will take effect.
If you are not satisfied with the result, or you made a mistake in specifying the checkpoint, you can cancel the last Windows XP rollback. This action can be done using the same interface:
1. Open the OS Recovery program. 
2. In the list, which previously had only 2 items, a third one will appear - “Cancel last”. Check the box next to it and click “Next”.
3. Confirm your intention to cancel the rollback, after which you will have to wait a while while the computer restores the previous system settings.
After rebooting the PC, all configurations will return to their original state.
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
Present in Windows XP system utility, designed to track changes in the OS, such as installing software and updates, 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:
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.