Many of us have at one point or another installed a program or made some change that was harmful to our computer. Problems can occur when you are installing drivers for network devices (and other hardware) or another user on the network installs a program or other component that is harmful to the computer. Thankfully, XP includes a program called System Restore that addresses this issue. For example, if a user on your network accidentally deletes a program file, the computer can be easily restored without having to reinstall XP or losing any of the user’s personal data.

You can use the System Restore feature to return your computer to an earlier state (meaning, before you actually did the damage). You can do so without losing your documents, e-mail, personalized settings, browsing history, etc. The System Restore Wizard will walk you through the process of returning your computer to an earlier state making it something that even novice users can do. You can find the System Restore utility by clicking Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Restore.

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