How to use System Restore in Windows 7

Description: How to use Windows 7 System Restore to recover from software problems. A System Restore is used to recover from problems caused by software that was working a short time ago but has suddenly stopped working or is not working correctly. Windows 7 has the ability to make what are called "restore points" which make a snap shot of the programs and settings of the computer at a specific time. Win 7 does this automatically when updates are applied but it can also be done at any time a user wants to do this. The restore will go back to a previous registry, and to previous software that was installed before the restore point was made. System restore can be accessed through several paths.

1. The first is by using the search function found in Windows 7.
   • Click on Start
   • Type the word restore in the "search programs and files" field.
     
     
   
   
2. The Control Panel is another path.
   • Click on Start 
   • Control Panel 
   • In the top right, change view to small icons
     
     
   • Click on the System Icon (alphabetical order)
     
     
   • In the window that opens, look to the top left and choose System Protection
     
     
   • In the pop-up box choose the System Restore button
     
     
   
   
3. The repair section of the F8 menu is also a path.
   • Power off the computer
   • Press the power on button and immediately start tapping F8 about twice a second.
   • A black screen with white writing and several menu items will appear.
   • One item will be Repair Your Computer
   • Move the arrow buttons on the keyboard to highlight this and then choose the repair menu by pressing the Enter (return) key on the keyboard.
   • Choose System Restore from the list of options.
4. Using System Restore
   • There are two options on the opening screen:
   • Recommended restore  - This is the latest restore point that has been created.
     
     
     
     
     • Click on Scan for affected programs to see a list of programs that are known to have been changed since the restore point was made.
       
       
   • Choose a different restore point
     
     
   
   
   • This will be a list of all the restore points available.
     
     
   
   
   • First put a check in the box in the lower left "show more restore points"
   • Choose the restore point date to go back to.
   • Then click on "scan for affected programs"
   • A list of programs that will be changed or restored will appear.
     
     
   
   
   • Close the box and if this is the desired restore point, click next
   • A "confirm your restore point" box appears.
   • Click on the Finish button to complete this.
     
     
   
   
   • The computer will take about 5 minutes to finish this restore and the computer will reboot. When this is finished log back into the computer and test to see if the issue has been resolved.

For more assistance contact Technical Support here.

Troubleshooting Windows Update in Windows XP, Vista and 7: Part Two

This article is the second of a two-part series on the subject of troubleshooting issues with Windows Update, specifically in Windows XP, Vista and 7.

In this example we will use Windows 7, but the steps may be used to get an idea for how it is done in other versions, particularly Windows Vista.

1. Open the Windows Update section of the Control Panel. This can be done in various ways based on Operating System - in Windows XP you may need to go to www.windowsupdate.com to proceed.
2. Click on the Start button in the bottom left, then choose Control Panel on the right side of the Start Menu.
   
   


3. In the top right of the Control Panel, choose the View By: dropdown and then select Category.
   
   


4. On the left side, click on the green System and Security heading.
   
   


5.  In the middle click on the green Windows Update heading.
   
   


6.  On the Windows Update screen, view the available updates by clicking on the Important Updates are Available option.
   
   
7. Locate the KB number for the update that will not install by clicking on the update, then checking in the parentheses on the right.
   
   


8. Visit www.google.com and search the web for the KB number in the following format: KB######## download details site:Microsoft.com
   • This will search the Microsoft.com web page for the download page of that update. Ensure that the page is from Microsoft.com before downloading and installing any application
   
   


9. On that download page, follow the instructions to manually download and install the update. This varies per update, so pay attention to the steps provided on the page.

Troubleshooting Windows Update in Windows XP, Vista and 7: Part One

This article is the first of a two-part troubleshooting series on the subject of troubleshooting issues with Windows Update, specifically in Windows XP, Vista and 7. This is a general troubleshooting guide that goes through some of the steps that can be taken to resolve many Windows Update issues.


In this document we have provided a .bat file. In some cases your virus software may detect this as a virus, in which case follow the instructions below to manually create the file on your machine. This file will remove the contents of the Windows Update cache Download folder.

1. Log in to an administrator account on the machine, or make sure that your account has administrative access.
2. Download the Clear Windows Update Cache batch file by clicking here. Then open the zip file.
3. If using Windows XP, double-click on the file to run it.
4. If using Windows Vista or Windows 7, right-click on the file and choose Run as Administrator
   
   


5. If prompted for permission, choose Yes or Allow to continue.
6. Once the file has finished, the update cache will have been cleared. Restart the computer and check for updates again to proceed. If it still fails, move on to Troubleshooting Windows Update Issues: Part Two. If for whatever reason you are unable to run the above batch file, here is how you can create it yourself.
7. Open a new Notepad document by going to Start, then to All Programs, then Accessories, and finally clicking on Notepad to open the program.
   
   


8. Once open, copy the following information in to the program:
   net stop wuauserv
   rd /s /q %windir%\SoftwareDistribution\Download\
   net start wuauserv
9. The first line stops the windows update service. The second line removes the "Download" folder within the Windows Update (SoftwareDistribution) folder. The third line starts the windows update server again.
10. Save the file as "clear_windows_update_cache.bat". Note that the quotation marks are required. Make sure that you save the file somewhere you remember. For example on the Desktop.
    
    


11. If using Windows XP, double-click on the file to run it.
12. If using Windows Vista or Windows 7, right-click on the file and choose Run as Administrator
    
    


13. If prompted for permission, choose Yes or Allow to continue.
14. Once the file has finished, the update cache will have been cleared. Restart the computer and check for updates again to proceed. If it still fails, move on to Troubleshooting Windows Update Issues: Part Two